Chapter Ten
987 Words
A few months back, she and Haynes slept together on a business trip while he was drunk. She had always liked him, and so she didn’t stop him when he proceeded to sleep with her.
The next morning, she left out of shame as she couldn’t face her boss. She expected that he would come looking for her, but he didn’t. Not even once.
Now, she had found out she was pregnant. Without doubt, her unborn baby’s father is Haynes, and now that she decided to come inform him about it, she gets the news of him being married.
Without further thought, she turns around to leave, and just then, Adeline walks out.
“Miss Ariana, you can wait while I go inform him about you being around,” the secretary says to Ariana, who is already leaving.
“Miss Ariana,” she calls out again, but Ariana doesn’t answer. She just leaves.
Adeline wonders who she is and why she refused to wait.
*****
When Adeline gets back home, she is met by her mother.
“Addie, I was informed earlier that you had accepted to marry Haynes,” her mother beams.
“News does travel fast,” Adeline retorts.
“I want to make sure you understand what is expected of you,” her mother says with a cool, assessing expression.
“Expected of me? We already talked about the engagement,” Adeline frowns.
“You talked. You dreamed. I negotiated,” her mother scoffs lightly.
“Negotiated what?” Adeline straightens.
“Your future,” her mother replies flatly. “This marriage is not about affection. It’s about alliances. You will marry Haynes, you will behave appropriately, and you will not create unnecessary drama.”
“That’s not fair,” Adeline says, her voice tightening. “Haynes said—”
“Haynes said what you needed to hear,” her mother cuts in. “Men like him don’t marry for love. They marry for advantage.”
Adeline’s hands clench at her sides. “He didn’t say he was marrying for love,” she scoffs. “So I’m just a tool to you?” she continues.
Her mother’s gaze sharpens. “You are a responsibility. And I will not let you ruin this opportunity because of childish emotions.”
A bitter laugh escapes Adeline. “Unbelievable. You talk about my life like it doesn’t belong to me.”
“It belongs to this family,” her mother snaps. “And you should remember that, my dearest daughter.”
Silence stretches between them, heavy and suffocating.
Adeline shakes her head slowly, her eyes burning. “I won’t do this. I won’t marry someone just to be controlled by him or by you.”
Her mother steps closer.
“You will thank me later for this. You will not regret this, I promise. Just be good,” she says, holding Adeline’s hands affectionately.
Adeline grabs her bag. “I already regret listening to you.”
She turns and storms toward the door.
“Adeline…” her mother calls out.
The door slams shut behind her, the sound echoing through the house as she storms out, fury and heartbreak driving her steps.
*****
Adeline goes to Seraphina’s bedroom; however, she cannot contain her anxiety. She meets Seraphina, busy with some paperwork.
“Phina, you need to rest,” she says as she lays on the bed. “Haynes… he’s not playing games. That six-month marriage contract? He doesn’t joke. It has been signed, and I’m hooked already.”
Seraphina raises an eyebrow. “I know, Addie. But that’s your problem, not mine.”
Adeline huffs, adjusting her dress nervously. “No, it’s my life, Phina! And you just… you just got yourself dragged into it. You saw him. You know the man he is.”
Seraphina turns sharply. “I survived getting shot, Addie. A little billionaire brat can’t scare me.”
Adeline groans. “It’s not a brat thing—it’s Haynes Van Doren. He’s calculated, ruthless… and he’s obsessed with you. Not me,” she jokes.
The words strike Seraphina like ice. She doesn’t respond; she only stares out the window. His statement from their previous meeting still bothers her.
****
Adeline stands nervously at the edge of the aisle. The hall is beautiful, but she hardly notices the flowers or the chandeliers. Her heart races, knowing she is about to marry a man she barely knows. If she knows him at all, it is through rumors of his ruthless nature.
Haynes Van Doren waits at the other end, calm and composed in his black suit. When their eyes meet, there is a brief, silent acknowledgment—a recognition of the reality they have no choice but to accept.
The officiant speaks, the words of the ceremony floating over them. Adeline takes a shaky breath and places her hand in Haynes’s.
“I, Haynes Van Doren, take you, Adeline, to be my wife, to face what life gives us together,” he says.
“I, Adeline, accept this marriage, and I will do my part,” she replies softly.
They exchange rings, a simple promise of partnership. Then comes a brief, polite kiss. The guests applaud, but Adeline barely notices. She only feels the weight of their union—a bond neither had chosen, yet one they now had to live with.
The ceremony ends, and as they walk down the aisle together, Adeline realizes that even though this marriage was arranged, it might one day become something more. Something dangerous.
Seraphina stares at the couple, not understanding what she is feeling. Unknown to her, this union would affect her even more than her best friend.
While staring at Haynes, his eyes meet hers and lock into each other. She tries to look away, but she just can’t—a feeling she doesn’t understand. Haynes smiles at her, sending a spark through her body and soul.
- Writer
