Chapter 3 What’s Your Plan?

Alicia Davenport My morning had already been ruined the moment Nicholas Andrieux walked through that door. I still couldn’t believe my parents would even consider arranging a marriage for me—let alone to him. The mere thought of it made my stomach twist. How could they expect me to marry a man I barely knew? A man who, from our single encounter, had been nothing short of insufferable. Groaning aloud, I leaned back on my chair. “How can my parents do this to me?” My phone vibrates in the middle of my racing mind. As I saw the caller ID, I couldn’t help but ignore the call. Of course, it’s my Dad. He will probably remind me to keep my behaviour in check in front of my so-called “future husband”. Just hearing the name makes me want to puke. I stared at the words on my computer screen, but they may as well have been written in a foreign language. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t focus. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, frustration, sadness, and, worst of all, helplessness. Nicholas Andrieux. Just his name was enough to make my blood boil. And yet, here I was, being forced into a marriage with him. My fingers hovered over my laptop keyboard, but the words on the screen blurred together. Work was the last thing I could focus on when my entire life was being turned upside down. A sharp knock on my office door yanked me from my spiraling thoughts. I quickly straightened in my chair, rubbing at my temples before calling out, “Come in.” The door swung open, and Cindy strutted in, radiating her usual confidence. Her blonde hair cascaded in effortless waves, and she carried two steaming cups of coffee in her hands. “Morning, sunshine,” she greeted me with a smirk, setting one of the cups on my desk. I took it without much enthusiasm, staring into the dark liquid before taking a sip. Cindy’s keen eyes scanned my face, her smirk fading into a concerned frown. “Okay, spill. You look like someone just ran over your puppy.” I let out a deep sigh, placing the cup down. “Daniel broke up with me.” Cindy’s eyes widened in shock. “What? Why?” she nearly shouted. “Are you serious?” I nodded weakly. My eyes burned, but I had no more tears left to shed. I had exhausted them all last night. Cindy quickly moved to my side, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I don’t understand. You and Daniel were practically glued to each other. You two were like... the perfect couple! What the hell happened?” I swallowed the lump in my throat. I had cried myself to exhaustion last night, but even now, the pain lingered like a dull ache in my chest. “Because of my parents,” I muttered. Cindy’s brows knitted together. “What do you mean?” I hesitated for a moment, then exhaled in defeat. “My parents arranged a marriage for me.” Silence. Then- Cindy blinked, stunned into silence. Then, she shot up from the chair, nearly knocking it over. “Excuse me? An arranged marriage? In this century?” Her voice was laced with disbelief. “That’s insane! You can’t be serious.” I let out a humorless chuckle. “Tell me about it. I don’t want this marriage to happened.” She shook her head vigorously. “Okay, but why? Why would your parents do this to you?” I sighed, running a hand through my already messy hair. “Business. That’s all it is. Nicholas even said it himself—our marriage would be beneficial.” Cindy’s frown deepened. “Wait. Nicholas? As in Nicholas Andrieux?” I blinked in surprise. “Yeah… how do you know?” She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she quickly leaned over my desk, grabbed my laptop, and began typing furiously. After a moment, she turned the screen toward me. “Nicholas Andrieux,” she read aloud, scrolling through the information. “The most eligible bachelor in New York and Los Angeles. President of Andrieux Real Estate Agency. He’s ruthless in the business world, worth billions, and basically the definition of ‘untouchable.’” I leaned forward, skimming through the articles. “Great,” I muttered. “So not only am I being forced into a marriage, but I’m being handed over to a control-freak billionaire.” He was apparently a real estate mogul, feared and respected in the business world. His face was plastered on every finance magazine, exuding power and arrogance. Just great. Cindy shook her head in disbelief. “How do you not know any of this?” I shrugged. “I knew who he was, but I didn’t really know him. I’ve only met him once—a few months ago—and even then, he was an insufferable jerk.” Cindy let out a dry laugh. “And now you’re getting married to him. Oh, the irony.” I groaned, rubbing my face in frustration. “Yeah, hilarious.” Cindy studied me for a moment before crossing her arms. “So, what are you going to do about it?” “What do you mean?” I looked at her with confusion etched on my face. “So, what’s your plan?” I blinked at her. “My plan?” “Yeah, obviously, you’re not going to sit back and let your parents dictate your life, right?” “Of course not!” I shot up from my chair. “There is no way in hell I’m marrying Nicholas Andrieux. I’d rather—” “Die?” Cindy interrupted dryly. “Cliché, but noted.” I sighed, slumping back down. “I just… I don’t know what to do. My parents won’t take no for an answer.” Cindy tapped a finger against her chin, deep in thought. “Well…I mean, you could run away.” I gave her a flat look. “Oh, sure. Because fleeing the country is such an easy solution.” “Hey, it’s an option,” Cindy said defensively. “Better than marrying him. Or…” Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “You could sabotage the engagement.” I raised an eyebrow. “Sabotage?” Cindy leaned in. “Make him regret ever choosing you. Be the worst fiancée imaginable. Make him want to back out.” I frowned. “That’s ridiculous.” She crossed her arms. “Is it? If he realizes you’re a ‘terrible’ match, he might just call it off himself.” I shook my head. “That won’t work. If I pull something like that, it could damage the Davenport business.” Cindy sighed dramatically. “Fine. It was just a suggestion. So, what’s your plan?” I leaned back in my chair. “I’m not going through with the marriage. I’ll try talking to Daniel and figure something out.” Cindy gave me a skeptical look. “Do you think he’ll fight for you?” I bit my lip, uncertainty creeping in. “I’m sure he will. It’s just that…my parents were involved with this matter, and they talk to Daniel about my marriage to Nicholas.” “Damn! No wonder he broke up with you.” I glared at Cindy, and she put her hands up in surrender. “I was joking, but yeah, you should talk to Daniel. Try explain I to him and maybe he will understand.” I nodded. “I will. I hope he understands.” She nodded. “I’m sure he will understand. After all, you guys have been together for three years. You two love each other. But if that doesn’t work, we go with Plan B—sabotage.” I rolled my eyes. “Not happening.” Cindy smirked. “We’ll see.”