Shit.
"What the hell do you two think you're doing?" she hisses, coming to stand beside us, and wedging herself between our heaving chests. "Get a handle on yourselves and stop acting like a pair of imbeciles."
"Louise—"
"No, Michael! I understand he was saying certain things that hit a nerve for you, but you need to understand why he is pissed off. This is his life, and he deserves to feel however he wants to feel," she says, glaring at him until he nods and takes a couple of steps back to lean against his desk.
Then she turns to me, and a fearful shiver runs through my body.
She may be small, but she's fierce, and I feel bad for anyone who ever dares to get on her bad side.
"Now,youshould know better than to ever speak to your father like that. You are allowed to feel angry, but you should always be respectful, especially to us! You may be in charge now, but that doesn't mean that you can act irrationally, and I'd suggest you take your father's advice because he's trying to help you."
I sigh and nod in agreement, mumbling an apology as I look down at the ground, wishing it would swallow me up.
"Right, this is what's going to happen. We are going to honour the deal that Jericho made with Brody, meaning you will be marrying his daughter. When we go for this dinner with them the week before the wedding, we will also change the original deal so we can benefit from it more than we were previously going to."
"I don't think—"
"Shut up, Michael!" she snaps, cutting my father off again.
I struggle to hide my smirk, and thankfully my mother doesn't notice, otherwise her fury would be aimed at me as well.
"We will tell them that we'll accept the change of the bride, but only if they will allow us to trade in their territory over in New York, as well as Jericho setting up his clubs over there. They can't exactly refuse the offer because they've already switched the bride out without giving us any valid reasons as to why. Okay?"
With a clenched jaw and flaring nostrils, I nod as I watch my father sit back down in the chair behind his desk.
"I'll propose the deal to them when we go for dinner, but if they don't accept it, then that's on them. I'm already not happy about this whole arrangement, and I'd be glad if they decline our offer," I tell them, turning around and walking out of the office just as furious as I was when I walked in here.
Chapter One
Alicia
Istare at myself in the mirror as I run my brush through my hair once more, trying to make myself look more presentable than I usually do on a normal day.
Sighing, I grab a hair tie from the little box on the dresser. Combing my fingers through my hair, I gather each brown, curly strand up into a high ponytail, twisting the black hair tie around it to secure it in place.
As I grab my make-up bag, I watch my hotel door open through the mirror and see my sister slip into my room.
"What now, Eliana?"
"Woah, since when do you ever use my full name?"
I sigh and shrug. "Sorry. What do you want, Ellie?"
She watches me for a moment and then frowns as she walks towards me, her bright green eyes that match mine, riddled with guilt.
"You don't have to do this, Lissa," she says, moving beside me and taking the mascara from my hand.
I look up at her with a soft smile.
"I know I don't have to, but I want to. Besides, the decision has already been made.Papáalready told them of the changes weeks ago, and they'll be expecting to see me in that restaurant tonight. We can't go back now."
She shakes her head, eyes beginning to water.
"It's meant to be me," she whispers. "I'm the eldest. I've lived my life, andPapáturned down so many deals, giving me time to find something true. It's only right that I should be the one getting shipped off and married."
"And now youhavefound something true. You and Miguel are perfect for each other, and I won't allow you to be ripped away from him because of this stupid arrangement with these people."
