Over the course of the next half a year, it was decided that the Donovan patriarch would retract his statement and he would subtly leak the news that those words had been said by a zealous subordinate of his. Someone who was trying to raise up in the inner circle of the power in the Donivan clan and that the patriarch hadn't had any knowledge about it.
The story was that once he got to know about the irresponsible words, he had reprimanded the subordinate and retracted the statement.
This not only kept the wolves at bay in the company, but it also helped Anastasia to lay under the radar.
However, not everything was hunky-dory at home for Anastasia.
Though she was unfailingly polite to her uncle and his family, they had started to play small tricks.
Once during a small inconsequential ball held, Natalie had tried to make a play at Ana's name and image with a deftly placed wardrobe malfunction.
It could have led to a big scandal but just as Ana had been about to sit at the dinner table, Jason had taken her out of the room with some hastily made-up excuse.
She had been saved in the nick of time but it had brought home the fact that nobody would shelter her from the winds and the rains.
Ana had decisively decided to move away from The Rayburn Mansion and stay in her own apartment from then on and had closeted herself behind her own walls.
She didn't make any public statements in favour of Tanner Rayburn being the Acting Head of the company, not did she find faults with the situation.
Even her public appearances at various events dwindled down drastically.
Everyone thought that she had been suppressed by her uncle and had surrendered.
However, it was far from the truth.
Anastasia had been requested - *ordered* by Brian Donovan to continue with her compliant but distant behaviour.
None of them wanted to take the chance of any rumours that could mar her name in any way.
Also, she wasn't allowed to meet Alexander from then on. The reason being that it wouldn't do for anyone to become suspicious if they were seen together.
While playing the machinations and being a part of them, a year passed and the marriage date drew near.
Except for the five of them in the study that evening no one knew about the looming wedding.
--------Line Break--------
The evening before the wedding was to take place, Anastasia read and reread the prenuptial agreement again and again.
Though Ivy had already informed her that there were no underhanded clauses added into the contract, she still wanted to go through all the clauses minutely.
As she would have to live with it for the foreseeable future, she felt that she should be prepared and see that she wasn't at a disadvantage - well, more than she was as of now anyway.
--------Line Break--------
The following morning, Anastasia awoke to Ivy bustling around in her room.
She got dressed in a simple affair of a red coloured gown. Throughout the gown were black embellishments that shimmered whenever they caught the light.
It was a subtle homage on her part to her deceased parents.
At the appointed time, Ivy and Jason guided her into the Donivan patriarch's study and she was thankful that her legs supported her even though they were shaking uncontrollably underneath her gown.
She caught the pity-filled looks Ivy and Jason threw her - as if they still couldn't believe that all of this was real and that she had decided to go through with the marriage.
She couldn't even begin to think about how all of this would play out once the news was plastered across all the major newspapers tomorrow morning.
She stood beside her husband-to-be, who was glaring at everyone and everything in his vicinity.
His behaviour unsettled her more than she wished to admit, even to herself.
That he had barely acknowledged her presence in the study left her floundering about what the future would hold for her and made her feel awkward.
However, considering that she had no other choice than to relent, she kept her emotions to herself and signed the prenuptial agreement.
She felt humiliated by the whole situation. It was as if she was selling her body in order to keep herself and her company from the grubby hands of others.
She didn't even have the courage to look at the younger Donovan's face and see the look on his face or his eyes.
Was he mocking her for bending to the will of others?
Or was he disgusted by her?
Or even worse, did he look at her with a schadenfreude smile on his lips?
There was just a quick exchange of vows.
There were no flowery statements or loving words exchanged.
It was apparent with a single glance that they were there to get married and that was it.
When Mr Donovan repeated his own vows, his voice was filled with sarcasm and she trembled thinking about having to live with such a man.
When it was time to exchange the rings, she held out her shaking hand.
He grasped her hand of his own accord and she saw how steady his own hands were.
His hands weren't shaking.
However, his grip on her's was a bit too tight - she felt a faint inkling of pain.
His hand felt warm, while her own felt like they had been dunked into ice-cold water in the middle of winter.
He twisted her right hand and slid the diamond ring on to her ring finger.
The diamond ring fit perfectly and glinted merrily, but it felt as if the ring marked the start of her captivity.
She weakly slid the other ring on his finger and felt her stomach clench at the thought that she was barely out of her teens years and married to a man eight years her senior.
She was jostled out of her thoughts when Brian Donivan clapped his hands in thunderous applause and said, "You should kiss each other."
The newly wedded pair glanced at him with frosty eyes and that suggestion was silenced and swept under the rug.
--------Line Break--------
Brian cleared his throat when he saw the glares directed at him and diverted the topic deftly, "Ah, the documentation. I will ask one of my men to file the marriage certificate and now, celebrations are in order."
Though none of them was in the mood to celebrate, Ivy went downstairs to bring a bottle of champagne and everyone was offered a glass of the said beverage.
Anastasia went and sat on one of the chairs in the room - trying to bring her nerves under control.
Jason stood behind her and she felt him pat her back - in pity or congratulations - she didn't know.
She watched as the younger Donovan stood beside the window and looked outside the study with lingering anger on his face.
She drained her glass of champagne. She wondered if it would truly give her the liquid courage required to go through the wedding night.
--------Line Break--------
Brian Donovan gave both of them the prerequisite wedding gifts and once again proclaimed, "You both make an excellent match. I am so happy for the two of you. I hope you will work hard to give me a great-grandson soon."
Anastasia turned bright red at the implication in his words and she heard Ivy trying her best to cover up her snicker.
She looked at the old coot and wondered if he had become unhinged and senile in his old age.
She had heard that a few people had lost the facilities of their minds when they turned old and that could be the only plausible reason why the aforementioned person was making such statements blithely.
It was as if he couldn't be happier on her and his grandson's account and as if he hadn't practically forced them into an unwanted relation.
He turned towards Alexander and asked, "Will you be staying here for the first few days of your marriage?"
Hearing those words, she glanced over at him and the glare in his eyes was indication enough of what he thought about the suggestion.
"No, we will be leaving," he spoke in a cold voice.
Then he strode towards the door of the study and she reluctantly followed him, her heart hammering and pulse racing.
He led her out The Donovan Mansion and finally, they entered his car which took her to her new place of residence.