Chapter 25 Arranged marriage
While Alex and Lucas were lost in a whirlwind of passion, oblivious to the world beyond their entanglement, another plan was quietly brewing elsewhere. The one that would soon threaten everything they share.
Mr. Westman had arranged a private dinner with Mr. Ashton, Derby’s father. It wasn’t just a social visit. It was calculated.
The moment Emily stepped into the house that evening, her instincts flared. Something was off. Their father was sipping whiskey and that was never a good sign. He only drank when he was either boiling with anger or gearing up to drop a bomb on the family.
“Hi, Dad,” she greeted cautiously.
“You’re welcome, Emily,” he replied, with a smirk placing his glass down. “I hope you had a good day”
“Yes, Dad, my day went well”, Emily responded, her suspicion increasing
“We’re expecting guests tonight. An important family. Your brother isn’t answering my calls, so tell him to be home on time. It’s a family dinner.”
“Alright,Dad, I will call him”. Emily nodded slowly, her thoughts swirling as she grew more uneasy. “Oh goodness, what now? Since grandma's death, we've not had a family dinner. I hope father is not up to another scheme.” She muttered as she headed upstairs. Getting to her room, she placed a call to Lucas.
The instant it went through, Lucas said, “If it's another party, nothing on this earth can make me attend it”
“Come on, big bro, it's not a party, just a dinner with some important family, according to Dad. Just be home early, okay.”
“Okay Em, I'm about to leave the office.” Lucas hissed out a relieved breath that it was just a dinner. He guessed maybe it's just a business thing.
By the time the Ashtons arrived, things seemed cordial on the surface. Mr. Ashton had visited twice before with his wife. First, about five years ago, and secondly, three years ago. Tonight, however, he brought only his daughter, Derby. Apparently, Mrs. Ashton was away on a business trip. Derby, glowing in a tight dress and wearing a smirk that said she knew something others didn’t, kept stealing glances at Lucas across the table.
Lucas, though present, looked distant. He forced a polite smile here and there, but his heart wasn’t in it. Emily watched him, worry tightening in her chest.
Dinner dragged on until Mr. Westman finally cleared his throat. That sound had always meant one thing: a decision had already been made.
“I want to thank you all for coming,” he began with that smug tone. “Tonight’s dinner is more than just a gathering. Mr. Ashton and I have come to an understanding—one that secures both our families' future.”
Emily stiffened. Lucas barely reacted, still swirling his wine.
“I’m pleased to officially announce the upcoming marriage between my son, Lucas, and Derby. The wedding will be held this Friday.”
The room dropped into stunned silence.
“What?!” Emily and Lucas exclaimed at once.
Derby simply beamed, like a bride already walking the aisle in her mind.
Mr. Westman raised a hand, as if that would silence resistance. “Come now, marriage is natural. You’re hearing it for the first time, I understand—but this is a good thing for both families. So it’s settled.”
Lucas finally stood up, eyes blazing. “What the hell, Dad? You can’t just throw me into a marriage like I’m some pawn on your chessboard! I will never agree to this arrangement!”
But Mr. Westman’s face was stone cold. “You don’t need to agree, son. You just need to show up.”
"From the look of things," Mr. Westman said, swirling his glass with calm finality, "you’ve been too distracted to think clearly about your future. So we’ve taken the liberty of helping you out. Derby has accepted—so you’re marrying her."
“What?” Lucas snapped, turning sharply to Derby, his brows furrowed in disbelief. “You accepted this... this kind of arrangement?”
“Yes, Lucas,” Derby replied, lowering her gaze with a practiced shy smile. “I accept to be your wife.”
Lucas stared at her, stunned. “Are you out of your mind? You don’t even know me! Just because I gave you a ride this afternoon doesn’t make us anything. We’re not friends, and we’re definitely not getting married.”
He turned to Mr. Ashton with a curt bow. “Have a good night, sir.” Then, without another word, he pushed back his chair and walked away from the table, seething.
Mr. Westman’s voice rang out sharply behind him. “Son, you need to calm down. This is a done deal. Every relationship starts from somewhere.”
Mr. Ashton chuckled awkwardly, rising from his seat with Derby. “Don’t worry, my friend. He’ll come around. His wife to be will speak to him. These things take time.”
He turned to Derby and gave her a nod. “My dear, you speak to him too. Win him over.”
“Yes, Papa. I’ll call him later,” Derby replied sweetly, clearly enjoying the drama beneath her composed exterior.
She gave a slight wave toward Emily. “Bye, Emily. See you soon.”
Emily offered only a stiff nod, her expression unreadable.
Mr. Westman walked the Ashtons to their car, masking his irritation beneath a smile. Back at the table, the tension lingered like smoke after a fire.
Emily stared after Derby as she catwalked out, stunned. Just yesterday they were casually introduced at the mayor’s party—and now, suddenly, they were arranging a marriage?
The moment their father returned from seeing the Ashtons off, Emily couldn't hold back any longer.
“Dad, what are you doing?!” she exploded. “This is a complete violation of Lucas’s rights. You can’t just arrange a marriage for him like we’re living in the 1800s! Who does that in the twenty-first century?”
Mr. Westman exhaled deeply and poured himself another drink. “Emily, go and talk to your brother. He needs to come to terms with reality. I’m in my late fifties—I want to see my grandchildren before I retire from this world. It’s time he settled down. Besides,” he added coolly, “an alliance with the Ashtons is strategic.”
Emily stared at him in disbelief. “Strategic? Is that how you see marriage now? Politics? Did you marry Mom for strategy too? And were you twenty-five when you married her?”
“I was,” he admitted, sipping his drink. “But I was already active and building a future. Lucas, on the other hand, has no partner, no interest in women—and frankly, no direction. So yes, he’s marrying Derby next Friday. End of discussion.”
Emily’s face twisted in frustration. “Unbelievable. All you do is pressure and frustrate your son. This isn’t love, Dad—it’s control! You need to cancel this ridiculous marriage.”
Without waiting for a response, she spun on her heels and stormed out of the dining room, her heels clicking furiously against the marble floor.
Three days later…
For the past three days, Lucas couldn't sleep because his father kept ranting about how his marriage to Derby would boost their company and help his grandchildren's future. Lucas was already thinking of running away from home, while Emily, who didn't want to miss his brother, kept talking him out of it. They tried to make their father change his mind but it didn't work out.
Three days later, a sharp knock landed on Lucas's office door.
Before he could respond, Derby stepped inside, smiling like she owned the place.
“You? What the hell—” Lucas stood up, clearly agitated.
“Hello, hubby-to-be,” she chimed playfully, as if they were long-time lovers. “Is that how you welcome your fiancée into your office for the first time?”
Lucas’s jaw clenched. “I’m not marrying you, Derby. So turn around and get out of my office. I have nothing to say to you.”
“Oh, look at you, all fiery,” she said, sauntering toward his desk. “What makes you think I want to marry you, huh?”
“Perfect. Then go tell your father that so we can end this lunacy once and for all,” Lucas snapped.
Derby’s playful smile faltered. “I can’t. It’s either I marry you… Or I marry Dennis.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow, confused. “Then go marry Dennis. I have zero objections.”
Derby’s tone turned serious. “I can’t. I’d rather die than marry that obsessive son of Carter. He’s been after me for years—stalking, controlling, threatening. This arrangement was my way of protecting myself from him and my father’s belief that he was good for me.”
Lucas stared at her, stunned. The sarcasm was gone. Her eyes were pleading now.
“Please,” she whispered. “I don’t love you. I don’t expect you to love me. But you’re the only way out I have.”
He remained silent, caught off guard.
Derby stepped closer. “Help me, Lucas. Just pretend… for a while. Please.”