CHAPTER 5: The Mayor's Fury
The tension in the room was palpable, a heavy fog of anticipation hanging in the air. Allen stood awkwardly, still on one knee, as Mr. Jones, Daisy's imposing father, stared him down with a look that could cut glass. Daisy, her earlier composure now a mask of defiance, faced her father with steely determination.
Mr. Jones's eyes flicked from Daisy to Allen, his face flushed with a mixture of rage and disbelief. "I demand to know what is going on here," he growled, his voice booming with authority.
Daisy took a deep breath, stepping in front of Allen with a commanding presence. "Father, let me explain." She turned to Allen, giving him a brief nod, then faced her father again. "This is Allen. We are... engaged."
The words seemed to echo around the opulent foyer of the mansion, their weight sinking into the very fabric of the room. Mr. Jones's face turned a darker shade of red as he processed the information. "Engaged? To him?" His voice rose, shaking with indignation. "What do you mean, engaged? And why are you only telling me this now?"
Allen could feel the heat of Mr. Jones's fury radiating toward him. He shifted uncomfortably, his anxiety mounting. Daisy's unwavering stance, however, was the only thing keeping him from bolting.
"Yes, Father," Daisy continued, her voice firm and resolute. "Allen and I are getting married. We've already made our decision."
Mr. Jones's eyes narrowed into slits as he took a step forward. "You cannot be serious. This—this engagement is nothing but a ploy. You're throwing away your future for—" He stopped himself, visibly struggling to keep his temper in check. "You're throwing away your future for this man?"
Allen flinched at the disdain in Mr. Jones's voice but held his ground. He knew better than to say anything. This was Daisy's battle to fight.
Daisy, undeterred, took a deep breath. "I've made my choice, and I won't be swayed. If you oppose this marriage, I will walk away from everything you've built in politics. I'll leave the entire arena behind."
Mr. Jones's face contorted with shock, disbelief mingling with the anger already simmering beneath the surface. "You would throw away your career, your place in this family, just to be with him? What about Princeton? He's the governor's son, a man of influence and stature. You owe it to our family and our future to marry him, not some—"
"Not some what?" Daisy cut him off, her voice icy. "Not some man who is now part of my life? I'm done being the pawn in your political schemes. I'm making my own choices."
Mr. Jones's anger reached a boiling point. "You don't understand what you're doing, Daisy. This is a mistake of monumental proportions. If you persist with this nonsense, you'll destroy everything we've worked for. You think this is just about love? It's about power, influence, and maintaining our status."
Daisy's jaw tightened. "Then maybe it's time for a change. I refuse to be married off like a piece of property."
Mr. Jones's eyes were blazing with fury. "You are making a grave mistake," he spat, his voice dangerously low. "But if you're so set on this path, I have no choice but to accept it. For now."
A dangerous silence fell over the room as Daisy and her father locked eyes, a battle of wills unfolding before Allen's eyes. The tension was nearly unbearable, each moment stretching into infinity.
"Very well," Mr. Jones said finally, his voice clipped. "If you insist on marrying this man, then I will allow it. But make no mistake—I will not sit idly by. I will make sure this wedding is nothing but a disaster."
Daisy's eyes widened slightly at the veiled threat, but she held her ground. "I'll take that as a win."
Allen could barely contain his relief, though a shiver of unease ran down his spine. He glanced at Daisy, her face set in determination, and then at Mr. Jones, whose expression was now one of cold, calculating menace.
As Mr. Jones turned to leave, his every movement was a testament to his barely controlled rage. Daisy watched him go, her expression one of mixed triumph and apprehension.
Once the door closed behind her father, Daisy turned to Allen, her eyes softening slightly but still clouded with the aftereffects of the confrontation. "Are you okay?"
Allen nodded, though his face betrayed his uncertainty. "I think so. What did he mean by sabotaging the wedding?"
Daisy's expression hardened again as she moved closer to him. "He's not one to back down easily. If he's angry enough, he might try to make things very difficult. We'll need to be careful."
Allen sighed, feeling the weight of their situation bearing down on him. "This is becoming more complicated by the minute. I'm not sure how much more of this I can handle."
Daisy reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "We'll get through it. Together."
The warmth of her touch was a fleeting comfort, but Allen couldn't shake the growing sense of dread. Mr. Jones's threat was not something to be taken lightly. If he was serious about sabotaging the wedding, then every step they took from here on out would be fraught with peril.
As they prepared to leave the mansion, the enormity of their situation settled heavily on Allen's shoulders. He had thought that agreeing to marry Daisy would solve his immediate problems, but it seemed like a new set of complications had only just begun.
The night air was cool as they stepped outside, but it did little to cool the fire burning in Allen's mind. He glanced over at Daisy, her face set in a determined frown as she led the way to the car.
In the distance, the lights of the city twinkled, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in their lives. Allen could only hope that he and Daisy would be able to navigate the treacherous waters ahead without losing themselves in the process.
As the car drove away from the mansion, Allen glanced back at the looming estate, the shadow of Mr. Jones's wrath hanging over them like a dark cloud. The road ahead was uncertain, filled with obstacles and challenges. And as they drove into the night, the only certainty was that their journey had just begun.