After All The Betrayal We Chose Love

Chapter 1

Dad, please… Derek is the love of my life," Annabel pleaded, her voice trembling with emotion.

Annabel Dutchman was a beautiful twenty-five-year-old woman and the only heiress to the famous D-Tech Company in New York City. She was slightly tall, with smooth light skin, deep brown eyes that reflected both strength and vulnerability, and long, dark hair cascaded down her back in soft waves it framed her delicate features perfectly.

"Anna, you can't marry him," Mr. Dutchman said calmly, trying to reason with her despite the exhaustion evident in his aging face. "His family is not financially stable, and I don't want you struggling in life. You deserve far better than that."

Mr. Dutchman, now sixty-one years old, had been battling heart failure for several years. Deep down, he knew his time was limited, and the thought of leaving his daughter unprotected terrified him more than death itself.

"Dad," Annabel said again, this time in a softer and calmer voice as she moved closer to him, "I know you're only trying to protect me, and I appreciate everything you've done for me. But Derek is the man I love. Money isn't everything to me." She paused briefly, fighting back tears. "I can't just turn my feelings off because of his background."

"I… I…" Mr. Dutchman struggled to speak before a violent cough interrupted him. He pressed a hand against his chest, breathing heavily as Annabel quickly moved closer in concern.

After a few moments, he finally steadied himself and looked at his daughter with tired, sorrowful eyes.

"Anna," he said weakly, his voice barely above a whisper, "I don't have much time left. Soon, I may not be here to take care of you anymore." He paused briefly, trying to catch his breath. "And I'm afraid Derek may not be able to give you the life you deserve. He might even end up using you because of your wealth, honey."

Annabel's heart tightened painfully as she listened to him. Seeing her father so fragile and vulnerable made her feel terrible inside. Deep down, part of her feared that there could be some truth in his words, even though she desperately didn't want to believe it.

"Dad…" she murmured softly, lowering her eyes. "I'll think about it," she said half-heartedly, though the sadness in her voice was obvious.

A faint smile appeared on Mr. Dutchman's face as he gently patted her hand.

"Okay, honey," he replied softly. "Go and get some rest. Calm your nerves, alright? Maybe after some sleep, things will feel clearer."

Then he turned slightly toward the hallway and called out,

"Sarah! Sarah!" he shouted for the head maid."Get me my medication," Mr. Dutchman instructed weakly as he headed toward the staircase. "And bring it upstairs with a glass of warm water."

Without waiting for a response, he slowly made his way to his room upstairs.

Meanwhile, Annabel dragged herself into her bedroom, emotionally drained from the conversation with her father. The moment she reached her bed, she fell flat onto the soft queen-size mattress and let out a long, exhausted sigh as she stared blankly at the ceiling.

A few seconds later, her phone buzzed on the bedside table.

She reached for it lazily and glanced at the screen. It was a text message from Joe Walter— the man her father had arranged for her to marry. Although the Walters were wealthy and respected, their family still wasn't as rich or influential as the Dutchmans. However, their fathers had been best friends for years, which made the arrangement even more important to Mr. Dutchman.

"How are you doing?" the message read.

Annabel scoffed softly in annoyance and immediately ignored it. Without bothering to reply, she placed her phone face down on the side table and headed toward the bathroom to freshen up.

Several minutes later, she returned

Just then, her phone began to ring.

The moment she saw Derek's name appear on the screen, her heart skipped.

She picked up almost instantly.