Chapter 88
“When will you be getting married?” Sophia asked Shane as they sat in the living room, causing Shane to turn and look at her.
“Why?” he asked, not answering her question cause he didn’t even have a girlfriend. Without a girlfriend in his life, how could he get married?
“You are growing old. Also, this is your sister’s legacy, you have to continue it,” Sophia said, causing Shane to roll his eyes.
“She had already chosen your future wives, do you know that?” Sophia asked, and Shane fell into deep thought.
“Yes, but it has been more than ten years. How sure are we that those people she had chosen didn’t change? Don’t you think we have to rethink everything?” Shane asked, and Sophia bit her lip.
“She had chosen for me the eldest, youngest master of the Whites family from our country. They are Scarlet’s godparents, but…” she said, and Shane sighed.
“They have been helping the Jenkins to hide your whereabouts cause they were afraid that you would take the shares your mother had in their company? I do. However, that’s where you are wrong; she never chose that family for you. That is what you thought cause that guy was close to her and to you all those years,” Shane said, surprising Sophia. She lifted her head and stared at him, expecting him to tell her more.
“Mom’s ambition was never for us to marry or get married to any rich family. It was marrying the daughters of the wealthiest family in the world. It was the same for you; she had targeted a young master from Country Y. You can conduct your own research and find out who it is. I have already told you what you needed to know,” Shane said, causing Sophia to frown.
“She didn’t want me to approach the guy, right?” she asked, and Shane chuckled, feeling amused by her thoughts.
“Naah. She had already taken care of everything. They will be here for the burial also. Let’s see what their thoughts will be after what has happened, cause you know that people tend to change. You are already betrothed to that family. Stop thinking about Oscar. He took over the family businesses a long time ago. If he wanted to find you and help you out, he would have. You'd better start thinking of your future in-laws,” Shane told her.
He had wanted to wait for some years before telling her about that, but since she had asked, he didn’t see any reason to hide anything. It was better for her to know than to think of that guy. Also, though Sophia was adopted under their grandparents' names, she was more like a sister to them, and that is how they saw her. He had to make sure that she was happily married.
“You want me to get married when you, the oldest, haven’t gotten married, huh?” Sophia asked with a smirk, making Shane glance at her, then turn around and look outside, and Sophia couldn’t see the expression on his face.
“Have you met with the young lady? Sister’s official and the company’s headquarters are here, so she shouldn’t be from here, right?” She asked, and Shane shook his head.
“The richest family in the country doesn’t have a female child. They are all men. As for the one adopted, she doesn’t have anything under her name, nor cannot even make any decision. As for the skills, she is just so-so,” Shane replied.
“So, which family and from which country did your sister choose for you? Also, will she leave her family?” Sophia asked as she was curious about what kind of woman would spend the rest of her life with the man.
“She is from Country Z. Mom saved her life when she was there more than twenty years ago. She talked to the lady’s grandmother, who convinced her family, as they thought that we were poor. Haven’t heard from her, but the time for the wedding is so soon, so you won’t wait for long before you see her,” Shane replied after thinking of the picture that was in his wallet, which his mother had forced him to always carry.
Sometimes, he wondered what his mother was thinking. The picture was of a little girl of ten years old. It has been more than twenty years since then. The girl was now a grown woman who was already more than twenty-seven years old. Cause he had been told the name, the family’s name, and the country, it wasn’t hard for him to get what he wanted.
“You are already thirty-three years old. She had thought that she would stay long and see you getting married, but she…” Sophia stopped herself, but they both knew what she was saying.
“We are already married, you know,” Shane said with a chuckle.
“There was a time she needed an escape, and they reached out. We got married in the Philippines. I took advantage that she didn’t know more about the laws to get married there, as we can’t get a divorce. I was afraid that she might ask for a divorce. Though I don’t love her, she is the one mother chose for me, and I have to keep her,” Shane said, startling Sophia.
“She believes that we are not rich, so she even sometimes sends me some money,” Shane said, then chuckled. “We seldom meet as she believes that I always follow my boss around the continent.”
“Shane, are you kidding me?” Sophia shouted, making Shane frown.
“How many people know?” Sophia asked.
“Just grandpa, grandma, and Martin,” Shane replied. “Why are you shouting, though?”
“She is part of the Singh's family, so shouldn’t she be here? Also, why do this to her?” Sophia asked.
“I was afraid that she wasn’t the way mom thought, so I never told her the truth. I let her continue thinking what they thought. As for her being here, I had even forgotten that I was married,” Shane said, making Sophia speechless.
“Call her at this instance. You've got to be joking. She is the eldest daughter-in-law, thus she is more qualified to receive guests. It’s high time she knows of your identity. Luckily, she is from a wealthy family, so she can deal with these kinds of people,” Sophia said, and Shane frowned as he thought.
“Shane, it’s the last time we will be with our sister, thus she should be here. Also, shouldn’t she join us in the mourning? Call her; she can get angry at you for hiding your identity, but you never lied in the first place. You just let her continue thinking that, cause she never asked, so no need to feel guilty or afraid,” Sophia said, making Shane glance at her as if she was crazy.
“Okay, I heard you. Go to your room. I am living,” Shane said as he stood up.
“Are you chasing me out for real?” Sophia asked angrily.
“You are the one who chose to stay with them and not with us or your courtyard, which is beside us. You have to deal with it,” Shane said as he chuckled before walking away.
He went to his bedroom, took out the tie, and felt frustrated. He took a cigarette and walked to the balcony to smoke. Sophia’s words kept ringing in his head, causing him to be more frustrated, and he even extinguished the cigarette and then threw it on the ground.
He walked back inside, took his phone, and called his wife.
“Hello, why are you calling?” a soft voice asked from the other end. She was used to talking to him two or three hours later. This hour, it was shocking.
“Are you in the country?” she asked when she didn’t receive anything from Shane.
“No. I am with the family,” Shane said, then remained silent. The woman didn’t hurry him as she could tell that something was bothering him.
“Is everything okay?” she asked after some time of waiting and not receiving anything.
“I will be sending Thomas to pick you up and bring you here,” Shane said, startling the latter as the man had always rejected her every time she wanted to visit him in America.
“What is going on?” she asked worriedly.
“You are the eldest daughter-in-law, so you should be receiving guests. Mother will be buried in three days, so we are all busy here. You should be here also,” Shane said, startling the woman.
“Aunt Shanaya is dead?” she asked in a trembling voice.