"Soon-to-be husband?!" Silver asked with her mouth wide open.
She was dumbstruck when she heard those words. She remembered her mother telling her she was going to get married to a certain Mr. Corleonesi, but this wasn't what she expected.
She was expecting someone older because she felt the name was befitting for an old person. But this man in front of her was far from old, he looked very manly.
'Wake up Silver! So what if he's handsome, whether young or old you'll still not get married to him. But first, how did he manage to find me and bring me here.'
"Did you kidnap me?" Silver asked covering her open mouth with her hand.
"What a nice way to thank someone that rescued you. Enzo, drive her home, she needs to start preparing for the wedding." Luca said and stood up.
"What do you mean wedding, I haven't agreed to marry you," Silver stated with her arms folded.
"How nice to think I need your permission. Your father has given me the approval and that's all I need. The wedding is in a week, so it'll be best if you start preparing." Luca dropped a black credit card on the table with a dirty smirk across his face.
Silver angrily stood up, she was angry that her father readily agreed to give her hand to this man and was also angry at the way he was flashing his wealth at her face. So what if he has money, he has no single manners.
"Even if I were to marry you, I certainly do not need your money for that. My parents will gladly sponsor me, so take your dirty card out of my sight." Silver said fuming.
Luca was taken aback by her outburst, he didn't mean to give her that impression, he only wanted to make things easier for them because he knew the wedding expenses would be too much for her parents as they were going through a difficult time, but it seemed like she didn't know.
"I was only trying to help lessen things for your parents as your family situation isn't quite stable yet. It seems like you've been kept in the dark. Keep the card, it will come in handy." He said and took his suit jacket that was hung on the chair and wore it.
"Let's go Piero" he turned to the other man that sat there without saying a word "And Enzo, keep her safe I don't want to hear stories." Enzo nodded at him in affirmation.
Luca looked at Silver one more time before he and Piero left.
The moment they left, Silver heaved a sigh and sat down on the chair. She looked at all the food on the table and started filling her plate up with a bit of everything.
She smiled at the food and started eating hungrily while Enzo stared at her in amusement.
"You're eating in this situation?" He asked with a chuckle.
Silver eyed him from the side still chewing her food "After that argument, I need to eat to replenish my system. It's not easy arguing with him." She shook her head.
Enzo laughed a little shaking his head "He rarely argues with anyone, this is the first time he's been like this. He hasn't even married you yet, but he has started changing. It's nice to watch."
"We are not getting married. I don't know what my parents had agreed to but I wasn't a part of that." She said and gulp down a glass of water.
'But come to think of it, I haven't called my parents once and even Carlotta too. They must be really worried that they haven't heard from me since last night.' she thought.
"OMG" She screamed hitting her head while Enzo looked at her weirdly "I'm an unfilial child and a bad friend, how could I forget to contact my parents and Carlotta? They haven't heard from me since last night, so they must be worried."
"Oh, about that, Luca placed a call to your parents and informed them that you'll be sleeping at his place. While since your friend kept calling you, he had to pick up and calm her nerves." He brought out her phone from his pocket and gave it to her.
"Now if that's all, I believe you have school to attend and I have work but I have to be your chauffeur, so hurry up." Enzo stood up wanting to leave but Silver held him back.
"I didn't say this earlier, but thank you for last night. I heard you were the one that found me."
"If you should be thanking anyone then it should be Luca. Yes, I was the one that found you and brought you home, but I acted under instructions. Your husband is the one you should be thanking, not me." Enzo smiled and ruffle her hair.
Silver quickly scowled at him arranging her hair "A woman's hair is out of bounds, and I'm not a child."
Enzo chuckled "Well, you look like a child to me, and cute too. Since we've settled the appreciation speech, let's go."
*****
Silver stood outside the door, wondering if she should go in. She still didn't want to face her parents, especially after last night. She wondered what Luca had told them.
After Enzo arrived at their house, he advised that she should accept Luca's proposal as she wasn't in a position to turn him down. This made her think of the reason her father had agreed to marry her off.
It was so sudden and they'd never brought up marriage talk before, but they call her back home one day to give the news of her marriage. So it must mean that something happened for her Father to agree to this sham marriage.
She took in a deep breath ready to face her parents and opened the door.
She went inside and saw her parents seated in the sitting room. It was as if they were waiting for her to come home.
Her father saw her and folded the newspaper he held in his hand setting it aside "Silver, you're back" Her mother quickly looked up from her phone and stood up.
"Sweetie, you're back. Do you know how worried your father and I were? How could you leave the house without telling anyone, not even the maids? I was surprised when your father got Mr. Corleonesi's call, saying you were at his place." Her mother scolded her.
Silver wiped away the tears that trickled down her cheeks. She was angry that she made her mother worry and was angry about last night's incident.
Her mother became alarmed when she saw the tears, she quickly went and enveloped her in a hug.
"I'm sorry for scolding you, I was just angry for a moment. Stop crying, my baby." She said softly patting her back, but this made Silver start crying loudly.
"No, I'm sorry. I am, I'm sorry for making you worry and for pushing you away. I was just angered that you and Father didn't consider my feelings before accepting to marry me off." Her mother pulled away from the hug and wiped away her tears slowly shaking her head.
Her father stood up and moved towards them "It wasn't your fault darling, but mine. I didn't consider your feelings before I accepted Mr Corleonesi's proposal, I was so focused on saving the company."
"Saving the company? What do you mean by that?" Silver asked with her ears perked up.
"The company had been facing some major challenges and that incurred a huge amount of debt. We were going to go bankrupt but Mr. Corleonesi approached me with a solution, and that was to marry you if he helped us clear the debt" Her father dabbed the tears that were now escaping his eyes with a handkerchief.
"At first I didn't want to agree but if the company closes we'll become penniless and life would become difficult. I didn't want you to live your life that way. You've always dreamt of becoming a renowned chef and I couldn't take that away from you, so I agreed to his proposal. I am so sorry my daughter."
Silver shook her head and hugged her father. It wasn't his fault at all, but hers. If only she didn't want to become a chef, her father wouldn't have agreed to this. Her father did it for her so she can't complain about it.
Silver disengaged from the hug and wiped her father's tears with her hand "I will get married to him" She said shocking them.
"You don't have to do that. I have already decided to meet Mr. Corleonesi and see if there's a way around it" Her father said.
Silver shook her head and smiled at them "You don't have to do that Father, I will get married to him. I will marry Mr. Luca Corleonesi."