Fated to love him

Chapter 3

Emily nervously adjusted her dress as she stepped into the elegant Goldberg restaurant. Her heart pounded with fear, knowing that she was about to meet him for the first time.

As she made her way through the restaurant, her eyes scanned the room and suddenly, her sight was drawn to a man sitting at a corner table surrounded by bodyguards. He had his back turned to her and she had a gut feeling he was the one.

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as she sauntered nervously towards the table where the man sat.

"Mr Blackwood?" She called out, and his head turned toward the direction of her voice. Her breath hitched and her eyes almost jutted out of their sockets as she took in his appearance. Her initial reaction surprised her. He was nothing like the rumors had suggested!

He was smokingly hot! He possessed a striking handsomeness that instantly caught Emily off guard. His dark, wavy hair fell perfectly around his chiseled face, framing intense, piercing blue eyes that seemed to hold an air of mystery. A strong jawline added to his overall allure, and a hint of a rugged beard only enhanced his features further. He exuded an aura of confidence and authority which immediately captured Emily's attention.

The man raised his head from his phone, his gaze passing momentarily across Emily before returning to his gadget.

'You're late." He replied with a frown etched on his face.

"I'm sorry…I…I was trying…"

"Have a seat," he replied dismissively, motioning to an empty chair across from him.

Her heart sank at his cold demeanor, but she swallowed her disappointment and took a seat, determined to make the best of the situation.

"Clear the area." He ordered the guards surrounding them and, in a twinkle, the once bubbly and crowded restaurant was empty and silent like a graveyard. Just how powerful is this man?

She mustered up her courage and initiated a conversation.

"Mr. Blackwood," she started.

"Liam." he cut in.

"What?" Emily asked, confused.

"It's Liam to you, I wouldn't have my soon-to-be wife address me in such a professional manner." He expressed without looking up from the menu he buried himself in. He seemed more interested in the menu than her. Anyways, she wouldn't allow that to dissolve her confidence.

"Right… Mr… I mean Liam,"

"I would like us to go over some things about this arrangement."

"Like what?" He replied flatly, still without looking up.

"The duration of our marriage." This time, her statement caught his attention. He lowered the menu and met up with her gaze.

She had rehearsed her lines well before leaving the house. She suddenly remembered one of her colleagues during her college days who was a sucker for romance and read a lot of arranged marriage novels. She always talked about how the male and female leads ended up falling in love. But Emily knew reality was far from it, and her life wouldn't end up like the typical fairytales in novels.

She recalled this colleague of hers mentioned a contract between the leads where they only stay married for a certain period and get divorced afterward. That gave her a ray of hope and thought if she couldn't avoid the situation, it might as well lessen her misery.

"I want to know for how long we'll stay married," She continued.

"I wouldn't want it to be over 5 years as I would still love to be in my prime after walking away from this."

Liam stared at her for a while, his piercing blue eyes doing a number to her insides. He then began to chuckle in a dangerously low tone. Suddenly, his demeanor was replaced with coldness. Emily felt confused.

"I think you're getting this all wrong, Emily." He started in a serious tone.

"I'm the one doing your family a favor here. Did your Uncle not explain to you?" "This is going to be a lifelong partnership and no form of divorce will be recorded in my history."

"So, unless you want to wind up on the streets along with your family you will comply obediently, he said, handing out a folder.

'The details of the arrangement are contained here." "Read thoroughly and make sure to sign it.

Emily's heart sank. realization dawning upon her. Her life was about to take a drastic turn and she had no say in it.

With sweaty palms, she accepted the folder, took out the documents, and began to scan through them. Her mouth suddenly hung open as her gaze fell on a particular clause in the contract.

"I'm required to give you an heir?" She inquired. Her voice was barely above a whisper, and with tears threatening to escape her eyes.

Liam's face was suddenly masked with a sly smirk. "Don't worry love, I'll make sure you do enjoy it."

Emily gasped. "I'll never let you anywhere near me!"

Liam chuckled wryly. "Don't be too sure about that."

Emily felt bile rise in her throat. She instantly felt nothing but distaste for him. He rose from his seat and turned to leave, but paused.

"And I need you to register in your mind that you're not allowed to be or be seen with any man while you're married to me." "So whatever pending engagements you have I suggest you put them to a halt, as I do not take betrayal lightly." He warned with iciness in his tone.

"My men will take you home," he muttered, and turned on his heels. She watched the back of his head retreat as he exited the restaurant. She was left to drown in her misery.

The following days were filled with wedding preparations and her Aunt never failed to show off.They invited both distant and close relatives to grace the occasion.

The wedding day was finally here and it was supposed to be the most anticipated day in a woman's life, but for her, it was the day she was signing away her future.

She was in the dressing room, and her maids had readied her in her wedding dress. She could hear the muffled voices of guests who were already seated, waiting for the program to begin, and dread washed over her. She then stood in front of the large mirror, staring at the reflection of the broken girl in front of her.

She knew nothing about Liam except his grandmother Liana, whom she met a few days after their meeting at the restaurant. The woman seemed to have a special distaste for her in her heart and she couldn't understand why. She also learned that he lost his parents at a young age.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the door creaking open and shut. She only looked up when a familiar voice quietly whispered her name, her heart missing a beat. Xander stood there, towering and handsome as ever, with a look of despair and need on his face. She unconsciously compared his beauty to Liam's and thought he didn't even come close.

"What are you doing here!" "Men aren't allowed in here except the groom!" She exclaimed, her breath becoming unstable.

"Emily, please," he pleaded, inching closer to her, his eyes filled with regret. "I made a terrible mistake. I love you, and I can't let you marry anyone else."

Her eyes became bloodshot. "You should have thought about that before trading me for money!"

"I did that for us, Emily. Your Uncle he..he threatened me, and I also thought it was a good opportunity for me so I could give you a better life."

'No Xander, you're just a selfish bastard! She fired. Tears threatened to escape her eyes. "And Maya?"

"She was a mistake, Emily. She…she seduced me. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Please just go away."

"Emily, please understand," he urged, desperation creeping into his voice. "I made a mistake, but we can still fix this. We were meant to be together! I'm begging you, give me another chance, run away with me!"

Emily's eyes widened in stupefaction. She couldn't believe he'd show up on her wedding day and propose such a reckless idea. She inhaled deeply, steadying her trembling hands.

"It's too late," she replied, her voice tinged with hurt and resolve. "You betrayed my trust, and I moved on. "This wedding is happening."

Xander's face contorted with frustration. He stepped closer, bringing his palm to her cheeks.

"Do you even love him?"

"Yes, I do." She replied with determination in her voice. Although she knew all too well how much of a lie it was. What she felt for Liam was far from love.

"If you did love him you wouldn't allow me to hold you like this."

She was rendered speechless. The room fell dead silent. And just as their eyes were locked in a battle of conflicting emotions, the door abruptly jarred open.