The day went just like Eva thought. Busy. She had no time for herself and as soon as she was done, she had to take a flight back home instead of laying on a bed. She arrived at her apartment by three am and was planning to sleep all through till the evening but her body wasn't having it, by six thirty she was already up with her eyes wide open.
Since she seem not able to fall asleep anymore she decided to get up. After having breakfast and taking her bath, she decided to finally continue the book she has long started but never had the time to finish. By the time she was to get ready for the lunch with her family, she wanted to do anything but go there. She remind herself the reason while she had to go and got up. She decided to dress formally since she would be heading to the organisation after lunch. Black and white was her number one color combination. What best than pants who eased her movements.
The drive to her family house was longer than she remember. May be because it has been long since she last went there. The number of times she got home after graduating from secondary school could be count on one hand. That place had long cease to be home for her.
She made sure to arrive late. She wasn't surprise to found everyone sitting in the living room went she arrived. She didn't want to have to wait for anyone. Entering the house brought memory she wants to forget. The bad one overshadowing the happy once, making her bitter every time she was back in her childhood house. She didn't want to dwell in there for long.
Her grand entry got everyone attention who was all already in the living room. The decoration didn't change much from what Eva remembers aside for the addition of painting on the wall. The colour was still a combination of white, grey and beige and green plants. The front glass wall, made the room illuminated by natural lights, which gave it a warm vibe.
The Farewells was sitting opposite to the Briar. With Elsa sitting in between their parents like a little lamp. She looked fragile and pure. Beautiful as always. Klaus was sitting on his father right side with his mother on his father left side.
Eva walk with confident. She was the center of all the attention but held her chin high, unaffected by the displease stares her mother was giving her. If it was years behind, she would have be hiding from it but she wasn't the same anymore. To a reply to her mother frown, she flashes her brightest smile to the latter.
"You are late," her father accused her as soon as she was closed enough to them.
"You should be happy I even came in the end. I was in another country but I still came. It merits some congratulation from your part instead," she said not looking at him. Her eyes wondering on her surrounding, debating on were to sit.
There was only two large sofa and they were both occupied by the Briar and her family and she has no desire to sit near neither her mother nor father. With no better choice she sat beside Klaus to the Briar surprise. They all knew how hard she hates Klaus but still decided to sit next to him. It just proof to the outsider how broken was her relationship with her parents. If they only knew, more surprise was yet to come during the meeting.
She greeted the Briar politely with a subtle nod for Klaus barely acknowledging his presence. It comforted them about their estrange relation. The two kids who couldn't be without each other now barely talk or even stand to see the other person.
"Since everyone is present, let get right into business," all ears was set to listen.
"The purpose of this meeting is to ask Miss Farewell in marriage," Mr. Briar words got to no surprise to Eva since she already concluded that. She took a look at Klaus to see his reaction and just like her he looked not surprise at all.
"Which girl?" her mother asked.
Eva rolled her eyes hearing that. Who else could it possibly be other than Elsa? Why was she asking that when she already knew the answer.
"Elsa," he said the name which was on everyone's mind.
Her mother stood with pride as she sent a quick smile to her daughter.
"Ask? It seems to me that the decision has already be taken and we are here just to be inform," Klaus said with a neutral tone. Unbothered by the news.
"Don't I have I say into this?" he asked. May be he was more bother by it than he let it see.
"You do have," Mrs. Briar was fast to reply.
"We won't force you into anything you don't want to but Elsa here will be a good partner for you. She suitable to enter our family in every way plus you guys already get along so well. Of course the marriage isn't for now, you children would have the time to know each other before head," She explained.
"That is if Elsa want to," she turned to the latter.
If she wants to? The big smile on her face she was trying to conceal at her best, which was a fail attempts, told it all. She wants to marry Klaus more than anything else and could no way rejects such an offer. After all it was not only her parents wanting their marriage, she herself tried everything possible to have Klaus look at her.
"I have no objection," she started, her voice calm and her wishful smile perfectly concealed.
"It sure will be profitable for both family if we were link by marriage," she knew Klaus had no romantic feelings for her. She decided the best way to approach it was with an indifferent reaction. Professional one.
"Good, it's already set then. You two will be engage for the moment before with set a date for the marriage," Mr. Briar said. A satisfactory smile on his face, the one when you just did a profitable deal. To him it was just yet another contract.
Sorry for him, the contract would not be signed. Not on Eva's watch.
"I refuse. I don't agree to this marriage," Eva said. Her words taking everyone by surprise. Even Klaus turned to her with surprise. His reaction please Eva more than she wanted to accept.
"Why so?" Mr. Briar asked. More surprised than angry by her sudden injection.
"Because I don't want to," she answered simply, playing with her bag handle.
"It's not like you have a say in it," Mrs. Briar pondered.
Her husband nodded in agreement. Klaus stared at her trying to understand what she was doing and must importantly why she was against his marriage with her sister. Was it the fact that she hated him that she didn't want him to enter her family and married her sister or was there another reason behind her unexpected objection?
"I pardon to contradict you but I do have a say in it. You will not be without ignoring about my estrange relationship with my father but he insisted for my presence here when my presence is normally not oblige," she said grasping the Briar attention.
They did find it strange about his insistence of Eva's presence. He even demanded for them to wait when she was running late. They wondered while but Nathan, Eva's father didn't give them a reason behind his action.
"The reason is simple. In our family, it is impossible for the younger sibling to get married before the elder. And it can be possible if and only if the elder sibling give her approval," she explained. At her words they turned to her father who nodded, agreeing.
"Approval which I didn't give and never would. So this marriage will never happen," she stated. A victory smile on her face. It was satisfactory to have the control over her parents for once.
"You can't do this," her mother protested.
She knew about the stupid rule in her husband family but didn't took it seriously. She didn't expect Eva to use it against Elsa.
"Yes I can."
"Tradition are mere pressure from the people of the past, no reason to stay abide by it. Not the rational man Nathan is." Mr. Briar said. He waited for his friend to agree with him but was shock seeing Nathan shook his head. A sad face on.
His respond shocking the Briar, "I can't by pass this. I have gave up on most of my family traditions but this one I can't. It has always been such in every generation of our family and I will never dare to break it."
"You can't say that. What about Elsa then? She is never going to marry if Eva don't marry or never accept of any of her marriage?" Grace loss her cool.
His was insane, how could he agree to that? If it was true, Eva could make her sister life miserable if she wanted to but that will still need for her not to get marry herself. Can someone really go to such a length because she hated her sister?
"Yes, I'm afraid," Nathan found himself saying. Even though not wanting to, he couldn't do otherwise. He couldn't go against such a rule.
Eva look at three of them in amusement as they tried to get out of the impossible situation she putted them in. The more they will try to get out the more they will go deep in. It was kind of reliving when she wasn't the one in their position for once. The sad, frustrated and angry look on Elsa face was the final touch to it.
"What do you mean by that?" Grace controlled herself not to scream in front of her guest but she was out of herself. What they always wanted was in front of them but they couldn't get it because of some stupid superstition of his family.
She knew all about it but never thought he would get along with it. How could he really belief there would be a succession of misfortunes for Elsa if she really dare to break the role? Where has his intelligence gone?
"I was counting on the fact that she hates Klaus to just let them be and get married but she surprise me by going against. The only way for this marriage to be possible is for Eva to accept or to get marry so that Elsa could as well."
"So, all we have to do is to find a husband for her and problem solve," Grace said hopeful, "But who?" she questioned.
"Why not the Noah guy?" Nathan suggested.
"Noah Adams, her ex fiancé?" Grace questioned.
"They seem to be close even though they are no more together. Yesterday when I called, they were even together," he reasoned, leaving the part of them being intimate.
"Really?" she asked, her joy back on her face.
"Yes mum. He still call her my love and was all over her during Klaus welcome party," Elsa finally spoke.
"I can confirm that,"
The rest of the four were silently looking at the three brainstorming to see how to solve the problem. More than be concentrated on them, the eyes of the Briar was on Eva. The little smile on her face and her nonchalant expression assured them that no matter what the three was planning will have no result.
"It decided then. You will get marry to Noah," Nathan said turning to Eva who had a bore look on her face.
She swept her eyes on them and paused it on her father, "I refuse. I have no intention to get marry to Noah," she said.
After all the brainstorming, it was the only solution they came up with? Her gaze when across the Briars, wondering what they were thinking about the whole situation. As expected, they all had a confused face but why the confusion was what she wanted to know. At her parents way of thinking? She wondered.
"Why? It's what you always wanted," Nathan said confused. Shouldn't she be jumping of joy now they finally agreed to have them be together?
"Which you refused. Tell me father so now in profit of Elsa you are ready to throw me in the arms of a no one who have nothing for himself? Your words I must say. You really never change,"
Should she be angry or sad about it? Her parents never saw Noah in a good light and was totally against their marriage when they was fiancée claiming he was not worth of her. For once, she thought to have at least some value to them but now, because it was her against Elsa, they decided to accept the man, and just yesterday didn't want her to come near. May be she should be sad but she felt nothing but amusement of how much he was ready to accept for Elsa to marry Klaus.
"This is for the benefit of the family. Getting married to a Briar is the best that could happen" he tried to reason her.
"Plus you and Noah are very close. Why are you refusing to marry him when yesterday you guys were," he stopped himself not daring to say the words.
"We were?" Eva pushed her father knowing what he wanted to say.
"You know what I'm talking about,"
"If you are talking about Noah and I having sex yesterday then no. We didn't. It was just a prank Noah played on you. We are just friends and they are nothing going between us anymore beside a platonic friendship," she clarified for the Briars. She had no explanation to give to her family.
"But you are right on something. We can't let this chance of having the Farewell and the Briar forming one team," she said understanding. She wasn't vengeful enough not to see what a lost it would be for them to let the opportunity go.
Her family heart finally rest at peace. She wasn't as unreasonable as they thought. Since the internal argument seems to have end with the decision still being him getting marry with Elsa, Klaus was going to protest. He had no intention whatsoever to get marry to Elsa, profitable or not before he could said a word, Eva spoke. Words that left every one with open mouth.
"Klaus should marry me then," every eyes went on her in shock. Did she really said what they heard?
Eva farewell really propose to Klaus Briar? The man she hates the most?