Chapter 5: WHILE I'M AT IT

SIENNA.

I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard Aiden Roberts’ name. My heart skipped a beat, and my mind went into overdrive. What caused him to suddenly come back into my life after all that had occurred? He could have been unaware of my true identity.

I remembered the first time I met him - it was a disaster. We got into an argument because of his stupid piece of art, and before I knew it, I was being dragged down to the police station.

It was all a blur after that. I spent hours there, trying to explain what had happened. Aiden wanted me, but I didn’t understand why. What did I have to do with any of this? More importantly, why should I care about my father’s company? Oh, that’s right - my sister was sick, and that company was the only source of income. But even then, why did Aiden have to be involved?

And now he was back. I didn’t know how to react. I had moved on from that day, and I didn’t want to be reminded of it. But here he was, once again, trying to get involved in my life. I didn’t understand why he was doing this, and I didn’t want to find out.

I knew I had to be careful. Aiden was not someone to be trusted, and I couldn’t let my guard down around him. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder what he had to say. And most importantly, why me?

As I thought about it, my emotions were all over the place. Anger, confusion, curiosity, fear - they all battled for control of my mind. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew one thing for sure - I would not let Aiden Roberts back into my life without a fight.

“Good gracious! Oh, Lord. You have always been someone with a very limited sense of humor. For a moment, I truly believed that you were serious about the matter!”

Although he had no expression on his face, it was still not the most amusing experience to listen to him and observe him.

“Please take this seriously, Sienna. I would love for it to be, however, that is not the case.”

His expression was very serious, and my laughter quickly stopped.

“Do you have any idea who Aiden Roberts is? I have a good understanding of who this individual is. All fucking galaxy knows him!” I exclaimed in disbelief as my eyes widened in amazement as my father opened the briefcase he had brought and produced a document. He was one hell of a... “What the hell is that?”

“This document is the contract that he is requesting that you sign.”

My father was surprisingly serene, keeping his composure despite the circumstances he was in and the fact that he was putting me, his daughter, in an awkward situation.

“The hell I will! Who informed you that there was going to be a contract?” I reacted suddenly, placing my hands on my waist as a sign of my dissent.

“He did! You must remain married to him for the duration of your sister’s treatment, and when the divorce is finalized, you will have no right to any of his estate or its financial assets. This is the request he is presenting to us. “

“His request is of no interest to me, and I will not even consider it. He can go to hell with all his assets. If he believes I am trying to take advantage of his financial resources, then he has another thing coming. Under no condition will I consent to marry him. It is completely out of the question. I am not interested in gaining any type of material wealth from a relationship and I do not want to be seen as a gold digger.” I eventually snapped in anger, struggling to keep my rage in check.

“Sienna, this has nothing to do with his money or the idea that you would get married purely for financial gain. Your sister’s well-being is in your hands. If you don’t act now, the repercussions could be catastrophic…”

“Shut the hell up! Keep my sister out of this! Don’t manipulate me in any manner you find suitable. Not now, at twenty-five. I’m no longer a kid, and I’m certainly not naïve.”

A long sigh escaped Father’s lips before he placed the contract on the table, picking up his signature pen. He used the same approach for the conclusion of all his transactions. That was the role I had taken on in his life at present. A potential business agreement. He showed no interest in my sister whatsoever. His sole focus and priority was preserving his foolish wealth.

“I can scarcely believe it, but I'm actually going to be getting married to Aiden Roberts.”

It seemed so outrageous and implausible to believe that the idea could be genuine.

When I glanced at the contract in front of me, I didn’t pay it much attention, but there was unmistakably the name Aiden Roberts, written in bold black ink, and his signature was as perfect as ever. The sick bastard already sealed the deal.

I had only ever encountered the man through tabloid magazines, television shows, and posts on various social media platforms. Unfortunately, I had the experience of encountering him face to face. The owner of Business Global Consortium, a powerful organization that is one of the largest in London, was well known for their relentless attitude, dominance, and annoyingly attractive appearance. In only half a decade, he could propel his business from the bottom up to the top, leaving those who he competed with and those that worked with him in awe. His business endeavors were at the forefront of his mind, and he was fully prepared to do anything in order to meet his goals without the interference of anyone else. He would take care of anyone who attempted to interfere swiftly and without ceremony or regard for their opinion.

Out of nowhere, an inexplicable feeling of rage filled me. With his high standing in society and his wealth, why would a man like Aiden Roberts choose to marry a woman as seemingly anonymous as myself? He was certainly not a man who lacked in the area of female companionship or financial resources. There seemed to be an inconsistency that made little sense.

“Kind of, yes,” my father’s voice echoed in the studio as he glared at the contract before me, like telling me to cease asking questions and just sign the document already.

“I’m wondering what his purpose is in doing this and what might be his reasons.” I voiced my thoughts, wanting to see my father’s re’s reaction. If he could have even just one, that would be great.

“Are you considering getting the advice of a lawyer before signing this document? From what I can see, it appears to be a prenuptial agreement.”

“Yeah, one that benefits him the most. Bastard! But if this man is so afraid that I will take away his inheritance if we get married, why would he even consider entering this union with me?” I uttered with skepticism.

“He made it clear to me he has his motives and doesn’t plan to share them with either you or me. If you are not sure if you can trust him, you have the option of reading every single detail before signing it. ”

“You can certainly say that again. That is definitely an understatement. Now why would it be that difficult to have faith in a man who uses his money to purchase a wife for himself?” I jokingly queried, scrutinizing the letters that made up his name.

“You must make a choice. You can either sign and remain committed no matter how long it takes, or you can refuse to sign and let your sister die. The decision is entirely yours, Sienna.”

“Don’t you dare make me feel guilty about this situation and my sister’s condition! You’re the only one I blame!” I snapped in a fury.

“Don’t look at it that way, Sienna...”

“How would you want me to look at them, then? He is pulling you out of a burning fire, but his primary ambition is to wed a woman he has never previously encountered?” I asked without expecting to actually receive an answer, as I knew I may never get a direct response to it. Voicing the thought somehow made it sound worse than it had already been, and this caused the situation to be even more difficult.

A faint, fleeting smile flickered on his face.

“Well, fifty percent of the profits would go...”

I raised my hand up to the level of my face.

“Please refrain from explaining any further! I don’t give a damn what he does with the profits from his business. My only priority is that he can pay for my sister’s health care.”

He was going to be in for a tremendous shock as this thing was about to blow up in his face. I would do my best to make sure this would come to fruition. If he assumed I would be easily controlled and obedient, he was completely mistaken.

I wanted to make sure I had a knowledgeable and trustworthy lawyer to assist me before signing the documents. The difficulty I was facing was to find a person who wasn’t familiar with him or someone who hadn’t spent time playing freaking golf with him at some fancy club in their leisure time.

Maybe a lawyer of questionable morals could persuade an unknown man to purchase me like a product.

Taking that thought into consideration, I let out a long and heavy breath. As I read over the terms of the contract, it suddenly overcame me with the gravity of the situation. It seemed to possess a conscience of its own, one so powerful that it would have a lasting and devastating effect on my life.

“Does this mean you are consenting to sign the document, thereby agreeing to the terms?” he asked.

There was a sense of urgency in my father’s voice as he requested me to put the finishing touches on my existence.

“Does my mother or my sister have any knowledge of this?” I responded with a question of my own that was far more important to me than whether I would sign. When I saw the expression in his eyes, I instantly realized. “They don’t… I knew it!”

I can’t believe how foolish I was.

Paying no attention to my question and worry, father just kept going as if I had said nothing.

“He would like to discuss the matter with you first, so he suggested that when you feel ready, you come to his office and have a cup of coffee together. It is important to call ahead of time in order to avoid any potential disturbance to his meetings, as he is not fond of interruptions. He would make sure to always be available to you in whatever capacity you might need him.”

“Oh really? The man doesn’t enjoy being disturbed! What a hoax!”

The nerve this Aiden guy had. When I felt ready. Who did he mistake me for? How powerless did he think I was?

“It is his condition, Sienna,” father continued.

“Is that so? I found it incredible that a man so busy was able to make time for me, and I can’t help but just laugh at his methods.”

“What is he really asking is if you... possess all the characteristics that make you suitable to be his wife?”

I attempted to digest and make sense of the words my father had just spoken. The magnitude of my fury was too great to contain.

“What exactly does he mean by that? If he feels like he has an array of options, then he should choose someone other than me. It is not like I am so eager to become Mrs. Roberts” “

“He needs a companion to go with him to certain places which are of special importance to him, if you can comprehend my suggestion.”

My father attempted to explain his reasoning; however, Aiden’s expectations only increased my ire.

“I cannot agree to something so incredibly stupid. I am who I am and no one, not even Aiden Roberts, can force me to become someone else to meet his standards.” Suddenly, I lost my temper.

Since my father said nothing, I took the contract and put it away in my purse without hesitation.

“I am going to have a discussion with this man who has an exorbitant sense of self-importance.”

When I heard what he was asking for, I was absolutely livid, and spoke with rage reverberating in my voice. “I will also shout my thoughts in his damn face about his miserable contract while I’m at it!”