Chapter 1

It was the middle of January, and all of Elora was covered in thick, white snow. A few middle-aged people with their children could be seen roaming the streets while enjoying the soft snowfall.

Celeste, who was standing by the window, sighed as she gazed at the scene in front of her. She wanted to go out and enjoy the snowfall, but her grandma wouldn't let her because they were expecting some important guests.

"I don't think they’re coming today, Grandma. It's already so late. Don't you think?" she asked, turning towards the old woman, who was leisurely sitting on the sofa with a patient look on her face. She put the book she was reading aside and took off her thin glasses. She wiped them with the corner of the thick brown sweater she was wearing before putting them back on again.

"Don't worry. They will come," Brielle, Celeste's grandma, replied as she got up from the sofa. She sighed, looking at her impatient granddaughter. She'd always been this way, even though she had grown up and turned into a wonderful lady.

"But I still don't understand why they would choose me to be their son's bride. Do they know me somehow?" Celeste asked in a soft voice, looking towards her grandmother. She was still in shock at the fact that soon she was going to get married to some stranger. It was truly distressing her fragile heart.

Eleven days ago, a man dressed in an elegant suit and a woman in a sophisticated dress came to their house and talked to her grandma about something. They asked her a few questions, like how old she was, where and what she studied, her future plans, etc, etc. It kinda creeped her out, but she managed to stay calm and answer all of their questions. That year, she was going to turn 24. She had recently graduated with a degree in economics and was looking for a job while taking care of her grandma. Her parents died when she was just a child, leaving her in the care of her grandparents. They were her mother's parents. She didn't know anything about her father's family as he was an orphan. Her parents met each other in high school, fell in love, and got married. She didn't have any memories of her parents. She was just four years old back then. Her grandfather died of heart disease a few years back, and since then, it had been only her and her grandma.

"Andrew loves his mother a lot, so he will definitely fulfil her last wish. Your father once saved Rosemary's life in an accident, so she wanted to repay him by taking care of his daughter. That's why she asked her grandson to marry you, so he could take care of you for the rest of your life. I do not have many days left to take care of you. So when I'm gone, I want someone I trust to take care of my darling," Brielle told her granddaughter in an emotional voice, making Celeste a bit upset. It was true though.

"Oh, Grandma! Don't say things like that. You're so strong and healthy that you'll live at least 30 more years," Celeste said while hugging her grandma tightly. Brielle chuckled at her antics. All of sudden, they heard a car honk outside. They immediately knew it was the Rodriguezes.

~*~

"This is your room, dear. You will live here until the wedding. You can rest now. We will meet again at the dinner table," Mrs. Rodriguez said while showing Celeste to a big room; it was twice as big as her previous one.

She nodded softly, and Clarissa smiled before exiting the room. Celeste examined the room closely. It was luxurious, with a huge bed, a huge closet, an attached bathroom, a big-screen TV, and some other fancy furniture. It turned out that Rodriguezes were really rich. She sighed before pulling her luggage aside and sitting on the bed. The whole room was painted in white and purple, giving it a warm colorful vibe.

Celeste freed her hair from her ponytail and laid down on the bed, letting her legs hang off the edge.

In just the span of a few hours, her whole life had changed dramatically. She had been brought to Toronto, away from her beloved Elora, to marry some unknown man. Though Elora was only a two-hour drive from Toronto, she still felt it was too far. She didn't want to leave her grandmother alone. But it was her grandma who wanted her to marry so she could live out the rest of her life in comfort and safety. She had been raised to be an obedient girl, so she couldn't just argue with her grandma and say no. In the end, she agreed meekly. She'd never left Elora before. This was the first time she had traveled beyond the borders of that small town of hers.

Earlier that day, when Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez arrived to pick her up, she didn't know what she was getting into. It wasn't until her grandma told her to pack her luggage that she learned she was to be married to Liam Rodriguez in seven days.

She was a bit shocked. She knew she was going to get married, but she didn't expect it to be so soon. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez were good people, so they comforted her as if they were her own parents. She felt a bit relieved that they weren't snobby like other rich people. They were polite and warm. They didn't make her feel unwanted or low. She was sure they would treat her well.

But she didn't know anything about her future husband. It scared her a bit. She had no way of knowing if he was happy with this marriage or not. What if he didn't like her?

Sighing, she pushed her thoughts aside and stood to freshen up. It was already getting dark outside. She quickly picked out some clothes and went to get changed in the attached bathroom.