The Billionaire's Chosen Bride

Chapter 3

Nancy was in her bedroom, drying her long, wet, golden hair and combing it to cascade down her back. She walked out of her room and went downstairs to the living room to have dinner with her parents.

She could feel her stomach growling loudly with hunger, so she held onto the iron railing to support herself as she went downstairs, ensuring she wouldn't fall or miss a step as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Nancy noticed that some guests had arrived at her parents' home, which made her frown, as she disliked the way her father's mansion was built. The living room was connected to the dining room, making it easy for guests to spy on her family affairs, and she hated being monitored by anyone, as she valued her privacy.

She saw a tall, handsome black man exuding authority as he stood in their living room watching her as she descended the stairs.

Nancy felt uncomfortable under his watchful gaze, as his black eyes kept staring at her. She felt as if he was already stripping her naked with that look of desire in his eyes.

She looked away from the man and turned to her parents, noticing them standing nervously in the living room.

Nancy approached her mother and asked, "Mom, is dinner not ready yet?"

Mrs. Olivia Marlon was nervous, as she hadn't expected Charles to personally visit her home. She nervously responded to Nancy, "Nancy dear, come meet your groom."

"My what?" Nancy gasped and swiftly turned to face Charles. She met his handsome gaze, as his eyes didn't avert from her for a moment while he stood in the living room watching her.

Nancy snapped out of her shock and asked her mother, "Mom, when did I get married to him?"

"You're not yet married to him, Nancy. Here with us is Charles Alejandro, Mr. President Nolan Alejandro's only son and child, and the wedding is in two days."

"Two days?!" Nancy gasped, almost fainting.

"Calm down, Nancy," Charles said, and Nancy shivered at his deep, masculine voice.

She couldn't believe she was getting married to him, and their wedding was in two days. She gathered her courage and told him with trembling lips, "I cannot marry you, sir."

"Nancy!" Her father screamed at her to hush her up. Charles Alejandro was the most feared young man in the city.

Senator Logan warned, "Nancy! You have no right to object to this marriage. Charles Alejandro has seen many pretty young women's photos before he finally chose you. You should be grateful to become the country's future first lady."

"No, Father! I cannot accept this marriage. I cannot marry him!" Nancy immediately moved backward, quickly bolting upstairs to her bedroom, her hips bouncing and swaying as she ran. She reached the top floor, entered her room, and shut the door.

"Nancy! Come back here!" Her father called, but Nancy refused to answer, as she didn't want to marry Charles. She locked her room door and went to her bed, crying.

"Hmm, let me go upstairs and call her back," Mrs. Olivia Marlon offered, but her husband quickly stopped her. "That won't be necessary."

Senator Logan stared at Charles and apologized, "We're truly sorry, Your Excellency. We haven't informed Nancy about the arranged marriage with you, sir."

"Hmm," Charles stood speechless in the living room, staring upstairs to the second floor. He hoped his chosen bride would peek out her beautiful head and look down at him. The way her hips had moved and swayed seductively in his view made Charles feel his muscles tense with the desire to claim her.

Charles doubted he would be able to control himself if left alone with her, as she looked even more beautiful than in her photo. He finally looked back at Nancy's parents and met her mother's gaze, noticing she resembled Nancy.

Mrs. Olivia Marlon smiled and said to Charles, "Not to worry, Your Excellency. I will go upstairs now and speak to my daughter. The wedding will still hold."

"Hmm, that's alright. I look forward to the wedding, as I came here to welcome my bride on her return to the city. But it's obvious she doesn't want to see me. Please, give these flowers to Nancy and let her know that I truly love her and want to marry her," Charles said, handing over the bouquet of rose petals he was holding to Mrs. Olivia Marlon.

Mrs. Olivia Marlon smiled, collected it, and stood aside while her husband apologized again, "We are sincerely sorry, Your Excellency. Please forgive our daughter for her rude behavior towards you."

"That's alright. I understand her fears, but that's not a problem. Do send my greetings to her and let her know that I want her. I have to be on my way now. Goodbye, Senator Logan."

"Yes, goodbye, Your Excellency," Senator Logan escorted Charles as he walked out of their living room and went outside to his car.

The stationed security men pulled and shut the car door as soon as Charles entered his Jeep, and the three cars drove out of Senator Logan Marlon's residence.

++++

Nancy stood at her room window upstairs, staring down at the garage. She saw Charles walk out of her family home and get into his car before the three cars drove away.

She couldn't believe her parents really wanted her to marry Charles Alejandro, the president's son, by force. She hadn't met Charles before, but she had heard of him, especially the way netizens ridiculed and criticized his family online for refusing to leave the ruling seat.

Nancy had heard about Charles's affairs with many pretty young women in their state, as he was rumored to be a playboy, not the kind of man she wanted to marry.

The sound of her room door opening jolted her back to reality. She turned away from the window to see her parents angrily entering her room.

"Nancy! What was the meaning of that silly drama you just displayed when meeting Charles Alejandro today? Don't you know that plenty of young women would jump at the offer with joy and accept to marry Charles immediately?" Her father questioned her angrily, standing beside her room door and glaring at her, while her mother stood silently holding the bouquet of roses she had seen with Charles.

"Answer me, Nancy!" Her father demanded.

"Dad, that's not the kind of man I want. I don't love him, and that's the truth," Nancy said, breaking into sobs. Charles Alejandro wasn't the kind of man she wanted to marry.

She wanted a good man who would love only her, not a cheat like Charles, who wouldn't value her as his wife.

She was looking for the right excuse to make her parents understand that she couldn't marry a man like Charles or become his wife.

"Love? What do you know about love, Nancy? You will get to love Charles with time, after you both become married as husband and wife. That's how your mother and I got married, and to this day, we are still a couple. What if you sit here waiting for the man you will love first, and he doesn't love you back, leaving you to love him alone?

Well, I cannot reject the Alejandro family's proposal, even though I know you will object to it. They are the ones ruling the country, and they will feel extremely insulted if you reject their only son's proposal. He chose you, Nancy Marlon, among all the other pretty young women he must have seen. So you will have to marry Charles whether you like him or not."

"No, Father! I cannot marry him!" Nancy screamed, bursting into tears, unable to believe her father really wanted her to marry Charles by force.

Her father turned to leave her room and paused at the door, saying to her mother, "Talk to Nancy and get her prepared with everything she will need to become Charles's wife. This Saturday, she will be going to the presidential villa to live with Charles, whether she likes him or not."