The husband she never wanted

Alessia was halfway through breakfast when her uncle told her to come to the study. He didnt say it like she had a choice whether to appear or not , so she went. The study had too many people in it already. Her aunt stood stiffly near the window, arms folded tightly across her chest. Two older men occupied the chairs opposite her uncle, both dressed in dark suits that screamed business. Papers covered the desk between them. Alessia stayed by the door. "What's going on?" she asked. No one answered immediately. Her uncle pushed a document forward. "sit down" She folded her arms. "I'd rather stand." A muscle in his jaw twitched. "It's about your future." That immediately put her on edge. "What about it?" Her aunt exchanged a glance with one of the men before looking away. Nobody seemed eager to be the one to say it. Alessia's suspicion grew. "What happened?" Her uncle exhaled slowly, as though he had already replayed this conversation a hundred times in his head. He looked at her for a second , then said, "It's about your marriage". Alessia blinked once,"My what?" Her aunt sighed "Just sit" She didnt move . Her uncle tapped the paper."You're getting married." For a second, Alessia thought she'd misheard him. Marriage? Her uncle might as well have announced he was sending her to the moon. A short laugh escaped her. "No, I'm not." One of the men spoke."It's already decided" The amusement vanished from her face. She looked from the stranger to her uncle, searching for some sign that this was a joke. Finding none, she frowned. "What do you mean, decided?" Her uncle finally looked at her properly. "There is a contract" A contract. The word sounded absurd. People signed contracts for businesses. For apartments. For jobs. Not for human beings. Alessia walked closer to the table. "A contract for what exactly?" He didnt answer her, his eyes darting to each corner of the room. That already told her it wasnt something she would like to hear. Then he said it "Marriage" Waiting. Waiting for someone to laugh. Waiting for someone to admit this had gone too far. Nobody did. Alessia looked at all of them with a glint of anger in her eyes."Say that again" Her aunt rubbed her forehead. "Its a family arrangement. It was made years ago" "I didnt make any arrangement," Alessia said immediately. "It wasnt made by you" her uncle replied, "It was made by your father." The room disappeared for a second. Memories flashed through her mind before she could stop them. Her father's laugh. His hand resting on her head. The promises he'd made. The promises he would never get the chance to keep. The words landed like a punch to the chest. Three years later, hearing his name still had the power to unsettle her. Every conversation about her future seemed to involve a man who wasn't here to explain his choices anymore. Alessia swallowed and forced herself to meet her uncle's gaze. "My father is not part of this." One of the men adjusted his glasses. "Before his death, he signed several agreements with Alvan Group. Those agreements were never fully settled." Alessia stared at him "So now i pay for it?" This wasn't a discussion. Nobody had gathered here to ask for her opinion. The decision had already been made before she walked into the room. This meeting wasn't about choice. It was simply about informing her of what everyone else had already agreed to. That realization hurt more than the marriage itself. Her eyes dropped to the document. Marriage Agreement. Her name sat neatly on the page beneath signatures and official stamps. It looked permanent. Final. Like an entire future had been decided while she wasn't even in the room. Her pulse hammered. Her uncle stood up slightly."Its not like that." "Then what is it like?" she snapped. Her voice cracked sharper than she intended. No one looked at her. Her uncle adjusted the papers instead of answering. Alessia turned to the paper on the table Marriage agreement Her name pasted on it , like she had no choice. She pointed at the signature."i didnt sign this" Her uncle replied "We did" For a moment, Alessia genuinely thought she'd misheard him. Then the meaning settled in. They had signed it. For her. A cold feeling spread through her chest. These were the people who had raised her after her father's death. The people she trusted. The people she considered family. Yet somehow they had sat together, discussed her future, and signed it away without ever speaking to her first. Alessia froze. That should be against the law, right?, signing her life away to a man she barely knew. "You had no right." Her voice came out quieter than she intended. That somehow made the room feel even heavier. "We were trying to protect you," her aunt said softly. "From what?" Alessia asked, looking directly at her. "My own choices?" Her aunt stepped forward trying to provide a bit of comfort for her."We had to." Her aunt's voice cracked slightly. "You think I wanted this?" She looked away first. "The company needed stability . The Alvan Group made it clear - this was the only way to settle everything." Those words weren't comforting. If anything, they made it worse. Alessia didn't want to resent her father. She didn't want to resent the family that had taken her in after his death. They had clothed her, fed her, supported her when she had nobody else. But standing here, staring at a contract that promised her life to a stranger, resentment was becoming very difficult to avoid. Her eyes burned. “You signed my life away.” Alessia’s voice shook. “You sold me.” “That’s not what this is.” She laughed once, sharp. “Then explain it without lying.” She exhaled sharply, "Who am i marrying?" The grandfather clock ticked loudly in the corner. Nobody seemed eager to answer. Alessia hated that. Her uncle finally said "Damien Alvan" The room went still, every eyes on amara trying to gauge her reaction. Alessia had heard the name before. Everyone had. Damien Alvan. The kind of man who appeared in business headlines so often that people talked about him like a myth rather than a person. A man who seemed to treat emotions as inconveniences and relationships as unnecessary distractions. She looked around the room like everyone had suddenly lost their minds. "You want me to marry a stranger?" "You'll meet him and have a conversation with him." her aunt quickly said "Thats not the point". Her uncle's voice hardened slightly ."The decision is already made". Alessia stepped back. "no, it's not." "It is " he said. "The agreement is active" She stared at him "You're joking" No one cracked a smile . That is when she understood they were serious. Completely and utterly serious. Alessia turned towards the door. "Alessia" her aunt called. She didnt stop "You can't walk away from this" her uncle added. Alessia paused at the doorway. Slowly she turned her head, "Watch me" .Alessia walked out before anyone could stop her. Behind her, she heard her aunt call her name, but she didn't slow down. She was halfway down the hallway when one of the men in the study spoke quietly. "Should we tell her?" Alessia froze. Her uncle was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Not yet." "But if she finds out after the wedding—" "I said not yet." The door closed before she could hear anything else. Alessia stood there for several seconds, her pulse suddenly louder than before.