"Dad, how could you say yes to his proposal?" Megan's voice trembled, and she felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes. This wasn't happening, not to her. "How could you?" She shouted again, each word more desperate than the last.
Nelson remained firm, his expression quite calm. "Diego seems to be the right man for you," he said, his tone unyielding. "The engagement is in one week."
"Any other guy but not him!" Megan shot back, her frustration boiling over. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, a mix of anger and fear coursing through her veins.
"Megan, you have no say in this," her father said, a bit of mischief dancing in his eyes as he leaned slightly closer. "If you really want to keep your career moving, I can always rip that from you with just a snap of my finger."
She gasped, shocked at the direction the conversation had taken. "Please, Dad, I can't get married to Diego. He is…"
Megan faltered as she searched for the right words. The memory of their high school days flooded her mind,But before she could complete her thought, her father interjected, completing the sentence for her.
"Your high school enemy," he said, a hint of mockery in his tone.
"Cut the crap Megan!That was way a long time ago!"
"You can't arrange my life like this! This isn't a business deal; it's my future!" she yelled.
"Megan, you don't understand how these things work. Diego has changed. He has potential, and I believe you two could create something beneficial—both for you and the family," Nelson insisted.
"No, Dad! Please, you have to reject it right away! No, I won't get into an arranged marriage with Diego!" Her voice trembled with fear and defiance, as tears began to spill over.
Her father stepped closer, an unsettling calm radiating from him. "You wont dare to pull some crazy stunts, I'll be watching you. But understand this: sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good."
Megan stared at him, her heart aching. The realization that her father would go this far shocked her to her core. "Is this what you call 'greater good'? Controlling every aspect of my life?"
"Megan, you're thinking short term," he said decisively. "This arrangement could stabilize everything for you,You'll thank me in time."
"I don't want that, Dad!" she cried, her voice breaking. "I want to choose my own path but won't just cut me some slack"
"Megan, it's not about you choosing your path; it's about the path we've carved for you. You have opportunities that others don't. Diego is a good match."
"Dad!" she shouted, exasperation spilling over. "You're trying to make me marry the one person I've always hated ! You know how bad it would be for my mental health! Can't you see that?"
He closed the distance further, his voice low, "You think you can just resist this? You think throwing a tantrum will change my mind? It won't work."
Megan's heart pound's as she searched for words to express her feelings. " please dad, don't do this, please I beg you" Megan pleaded
A smirk flickered across Nelson's face, "There's nothing I can do, it's finale,the engagement preparations starts tomorrow" Nelson walked out leaving Megan stunned.
"No,no..no, this can't be happening, not Diego" she screamed.
She hoped it was a dream and that she would come into reality.
Ruffling her hair, fraustratingly,she crashed on her bed closing her eyes.
Then a thought struck her mind "Aiden" she muttered grabbing her phone and car key.
She dashed outside, jumping in her car as she drove off.
___________
Aiden sat in his living room, cradling a glass of liquid in his hand, His expression was demure, a mask of calm that barely concealed the storm raging underneath.
He raised the glass to his lips drinking from it slowly as he closed his eyes, allowing the burn to fill the hollow void.
Suddenly the door swung open. "Aiden!" Megan called out, her voice strained and urgent. Panting hard, her hair disheveled, and her cheeks flushed.
Aiden's cold voice sliced through the air. "What are you doing here?"
Megan hesitated, her heart beating hard. Swallowing hard, she stepped closer, feeling the weight of his gaze as if it could pin her down. "Aiden, I'm in a mess and I'm truly sorry for hurting you."
The words hung in the air, but Aiden remained unresponsive, his expression unreadable. She could feel the tension crackling between them, thick and suffocating
"Aiden, please talk…" she started. But before she could finish, he surged forward, grabbing her neck with a fierce grip.
"Aid…en," she gasped, her breath caught in her throat as she struggled against his hold, panic flaring in her chest.
Aiden leaned in closer, his eyes blazing with hurt and fury. "You betrayed me, for some random guy," he barked, each word a sharp reminder of the pain she had inflicted. "I hate you, Megan!" he yelled, releasing her neck suddenly.
She stumbled back, coughing as she tried to catch her breath, the rush of air filling her lungs with a painful sting. Tears prickled at the edges of her eyes, but she fought to keep herself composed.
"Aiden, I never meant for it to happen this way," she stammered, pressing a hand to her neck where his grip had lingered. "I made a mistake, and I own that. But my parents forced me in doing this,I had no option since I was going to loose everything I've worked so hard for"
Aiden scoffed, bitterness lacing his tone. "You think that's an excuse? You walked away from everything we built together without a second thought! Did you even care how much that would hurt me?"
"I did care! It killed me inside to turn my back on you," Megan replied, passion igniting in her voice. "But I felt lost. You don't understand everything that was happening—how I felt suffocated and pushed to the limit by my parents .
He shook his head, pain etched deep in his features. "You want to talk about feeling lost? What about me, Megan? You dropped me like I was nothing, like we were nothing. How can I trust you again?"
She stepped forward, her heart pounding with a determination fueled by her raw emotions. "I know I messed up, and I can't take back my actions. But I've come to realize that what I had with you was the best part of my life. I miss you, Aiden. I truly do."
"Missing me now doesn't fix the mess you've caused."
Megan's heart sank; the weight of her regret pressed heavily on her chest. "I understand. I'm not asking for your forgiveness right away. Just… can we talk? Please? I need you to know how sorry I am."
Aiden's eyes narrowed slightly, a mix of skepticism and curiosity. The air thickened between them, filled with tension and unresolved emotions. "Get out" he uttered coldly.
"Get out" he roared throwing the glass against the wall
She knew she had to leave, else he would pounce on her again.
She walked out quickly closing the door behind as she rushed back to her car breathing loudly.
____________
"Megan,no…not Megan" Diego muttered tugging his hair hard.
"I feel like going nuts" he whispered closing his eyes.
"I can't believe I'll be spending my life with that witch,My Goodness,why?, just why did it have to be Megan" he thought
The entire situation felt surreal. How had he found himself in this position? it felt like he was suffocating, surrounded by shadows.
"How did I get here?" he murmured to himself, his voice barely above a whisper.
Expected to march down an aisle in one week, representing a future that felt more like a prison than a promise.
Diego pressed his palms against his temples, wishing he could disappear from the surface of the Earth. If he could just vanish—poof—no one would notice. There were days he thought about fleeing; hitting the road and never looking back. But life didn't work like that, and responsibilities weighed heavily on his conscience.
This engagement was not just about him; it was about two families and their legacies. The walls were closing in, and he felt lost.
He stood abruptly, needing to move, needing to escape the oppressive silence of the room. With heavy steps, he made his way to the window, pulling the curtain aside to gaze out at the sprawling city. The twinkling lights below felt so distant, like sparks in a darkened void. "What do you want from me, Megan?" he whispered, his voice barely carrying the weight of his turmoil.
___________
"Honey, why do I feel guilty?" Camila asked asked, her voice soft but laden with emotions. "It must be so hard for Megan. This engagement—does she even want it?"
Nelson leaned back in his chair, "So what do you suggest?" His tone was cold, a defensive mechanism to shield himself from the questions he didn't want to answer. "Should we just cancel everything? Throw all our plans away because she's having a little existential crisis?"
Camila's heart sank at his dismissive words. She had always admired how focused and driven Nelson was, but in moments like this, his rigidity felt suffocating. "It's not just a little crisis, Nelson. This is her life we're talking about. This engagement...it's a huge decision."
"Enough!" Nelson's voice escalated, cutting through her thoughts ."The engagement is in one week, We've spent too much time and energy planning this to allow for doubt now. Megan needs to commit. It's time for her to learn that life has expectations."
Camila felt a surge of frustration wash over her. "But she's our daughter! Shouldn't we consider what she truly wants?" The words shot out before she could rein them in.
He leaned forward, the muscles in his jaw tightening. "Her feelings don't matter right now. She will get engaged to Diego, and it's about time she acted like it. That boy is a good fit for her. He's stable, responsible—everything we wanted for her. What does it matter if she has a few cold feet?
Camila shook her head, her heart aching at his lack of understanding. "No, Nelson. You don't get it. This isn't just about nerves, I wish we'd let her make decisions for herself instead of handing her a plan we've created."
He rose from his chair and started pacing the room, rubbing the back of his neck as he mulled over her words. "You think she'll be happier running around making reckless choices? We're trying to set her up for success. She's twenty-six, for heaven's sake! It's time she steps into adulthood properly.
"Adulthood—" Camila interrupted, her voice trembling. "Adulthood doesn't mean just submitting to obligations. It means understanding oneself, pursuing true happiness. What if her happiness isn't with Diego?"
Nelson paused in his tracks, his back turned to her as he looked out the window."What am I supposed to do, Camila? Over my dead body would I watch Megan with that bastard Aiden.
"You're not listening. Sometimes people need to be given permission to explore their feelings. What if she feels trapped? What if she can't breathe?"
"What's wrong with you, suddenly you've turned into a new leaf" Nelson said with a scoff
He turned to her with a hard expression. "We've made commitments. Megan must learn that there are consequences to every decision we make. If we keep giving her the option to back out, what will happen next time? She'll never learn."
The room fell silent, the air thick with unspoken words. Camila searched his face for traces of the man she had fallen in love with, the one who had comforted her in moments of doubt and uncertainty. But now, he seemed hardened by an unwavering commitment to the expectations he had set.
"I feel like we're doing the wrong thing," she whispered, her voice shaking. "All I want is for her to be happy, to have the freedom to choose her own path."
"We are doing the right thing by providing her with stability," he asserted, though the conviction in his voice wavered slightly. "The world isn't a pleasant place, and we can't shield her forever. We're giving her a solid foundation."
"But at what cost?" Camila's voice was almost pleading now. "We're sacrificing her happiness for what we think is best for her—a decision we made without consulting her. This isn't just about stability; it's about her heart."
Nelson ran a hand through his hair, clearly torn. The silence stretched on as he turned away again, trying to avoid the truth staring him in the face. "I don't know, Camila. Maybe…maybe we're both scared. But we need to be the adults in this situation. She'll thank us later."
"I just hope we're not too late," she murmured, the weight of uncertainty heavy on her heart.
"Every parents would want their child to succeed, and that's what I'm trying to fulfill" Nelson replied.
"Honey, you didn't even consulted me before saying yes to Raymond, I'm I really important to you"
"Camila, there's nothing to discuss there,it was a great idea, and I gave him my answer right away" Nelson uttered.
"I was just so angry at Megan for seeing Aiden, that I didn't realize I was hurting her" Camila closed her eyes, her heart shattering into pieces.
"Stop this drama, it's finale, Megan is getting engaged to Diego whether you like it or not"
"Then do whatever you feel like" Camila shouted
"Just a quick reminder that I was never in support of this engagement, I've made a terrible mistake supporting you all this while" she yelled storming out of the room she closed the door with a loud bang.
___________
Aiden ran a hand through his disheveled hair, frustration pulsing beneath his skin. His dark eyes narrowed as he glanced down at the photographs scattered across the floor
"Keep a close eye on this woman," he commanded, his voice barely above a whisper.
The assassin leaned back against the wall, arms crossed casually, a smirk playing on his lips. His name was Drake, and he was known in the underbelly of the city for getting things done—clean and efficient. "You mean the same woman you've been obsessing over for months? This sounds personal, Aiden."
Aiden shot him a glare. "Just do your job. Tell me who she meets, what she does, and who she's presently seeing. That's all I care about."
Drake's smirk widened, revealing a glint of amusement in his eyes. "It's going to be weighty. Are you ready to carry it?" He stepped forward, kicking a few of the photos with a practiced nonchalance, making them scatter even further across the floor.
"Here." Aiden tossed two neatly wrapped bundles of cash on the table. The sound of money hitting against the table echoed through the silent room. "Do a clean job, and I'll double that. No slip-ups, no loose ends."
Drake's expression shifted, the ghost of a grin remaining as he picked up the bundles, inspecting them briefly before meeting Aiden's intense gaze. "Consider it done, Boss. You know I'm not one to mess around, especially when there's cash involved."
The assassin's confidence brought a certain comfort to Aiden's anxious mind. He had spent too long watching Megan from the shadows, and it was obvious that her life had started to take a different turn—There was another man in her life, and Aiden wasn't ready to let that happen. Not while he still had a claim on her heart.
"Make sure you maintain your distance. I don't want her to feel any pressure. Just observe," Aiden instructed, his voice turning cold as he weighed each word carefully.
"Relax, I'm a ghost. I'll be as invisible as a whisper." Drake chuckled, the amusement in his eyes swirling with a hint of mischief.
Aiden pushed off the table, stepping closer to Drake, unblinking. "And if you see anyone getting too close? You know what to do."
Drake's smirk faded slightly, the gravity of Aiden's words apparent. "You want me to intimidate, or…?"
"Do whatever it takes. Just ensure she doesn't get too involved," Aiden ordered firmly, a dark undertone making his message clear. "If she's in danger, I need to know."
"Right," Drake replied, a flicker of understanding flashing in his eyes. "But if I'm keeping an eye on her, I might find a few things in the shadows you're not going to like."
Aiden remained unfazed. "Then tell me. I want full transparency. No more surprises."
Drake nodded, pocketing the money with a gleam of excitement burning in his gaze. "You've got it, Boss. I'll be your eyes and ears. Just remember, once I'm in, I don't do half-measures."
With that, the assassin turned towards the door, pausing long enough to glance back at Aiden. "You do realize that me watching her could stir the pot? The past is a tricky thing to meddle with."
Aiden clenched his fists, his heart pounding. He wanted to snatch victory over the moments that he had lost, "Let it stir and Don't return until you've gotten everything."
"Understood. When I come back, you'll have more than just a glimpse of her life. You'll have the whole picture." With a sly smile, Drake exited the study, his presence leaving a ghostly chill behind.
As the door clicked shut, Aiden sighed, running a hand over his face as he turned back to the chaos of photographs on the floor. The reality of what he was doing settled uncomfortably in his chest, but he couldn't afford hesitation. Time was running out, and he would stop at nothing to make sure he ends the engagement.
He knelt to gather the pictures, the weight of each one heavier than the last. The image of Megan laughing, her eyes bright, pierced through him.
But now? Now he was left with a heart that thrummed with jealousy and a determination that felt like a dark cloud looming overhead. As he placed the pictures back in a folder, he made a choice—a choice to step back into her life,
"I will never let her get away for hurting him" he muttered gritting his teeth.