Mom and Dad turn to me, their expressions grim. “You have to marry Ares,” Mom says.
A nervous laugh escapes my lips, and Dad clenches his jaw. They can’t be serious, can he?
“Mom,” I murmur. “Is this some kind of joke? Hannah and Ares have postponed their marriage several times. This isn’t something new. We’ll handle it.”
Grandma Anne smiles at me and shakes her head. “This is not a joke, sweetheart. I will no longer accept Hannah into our family. If this merger is to proceed, the bride must be you.”
I run a hand through my hair, confused. “Have you spoken to Hannah and Ares? I’m not sure what’s going on, Grandma Anne, but this must be some kind of misunderstanding. How about I speak to Hannah?”
She shakes her head. “Even if she were to change her mind, I’m no longer willing to accept her. The woman I wanted Ares to marry has always been you, and perhaps this is just life’s way of allowing me to correct my mistake before it was too late. The wedding will go ahead, and the bride must be you.”
I glance at my parents, but neither of them can face me. This… this can’t be real. “Does Ares know?”
Grandma Anne nods. “He’s been informed. The Windsors have a history of successful arranged marriages, and he’s well aware of that. He knows what is expected of him.”
I frown, my stomach churning. What exactly is going on? Hannah never even told me she’d ended things with Ares again, and now I’m being informed that I’m marrying him in her stead? This is ridiculous, and there’s no way either Hannah or Ares would accept this.
I rise from my seat and walk toward the door, my thoughts reeling. I need some time to think, to speak to Hannah and Ares. I’m sure it’s a mere misunderstanding that’s resulted in Grandma’s radical decision-making.
“Raven.” Grandma’s voice stops me in my tracks just as I wrap my hand around the doorknob. “Your efforts will be futile. Should you wish for this merger to proceed, you’ll have to do your part. You will have to marry Ares.”
I glance back at her, noting the determination in her eyes. I nod politely before I walk out, her words resounding in my mind. Grandma is the sweetest woman I know, but once she’s made up her mind, there’s no changing it. She rules the Windsor family with an iron fist.
I’m absentminded as I walk through the house, unsure of what to even think. “Sweetheart!”
I turn at the sound of my father’s voice and find him walking toward me, an apologetic expression on his face. “I’m sorry to overwhelm you with this so suddenly. The Windsors only just informed us of this change. I wish I could’ve broken the news to you differently.”
I nod as he falls into step with me. “This… Dad, you do realize that this is ridiculous, right? Ares and Hannah love each other.”
Dad shakes his head. “I’m not sure that’s enough anymore. Now that they’ve decided that they’ll no longer accept her as Ares’s wife, love can’t save them. She made her choice, Rave.”
I pause in the hallway and turn toward him. “She made her choice, but I’m the one who has to pay the price.”
Dad inhales deeply, a hint of reluctance in his gaze. “I’m sorry, Raven. They won’t change their minds. This deal always entailed a marriage between Ares and you. The only reason they made an exception is because Hannah fell in love with him. She lifted the burden you were meant to carry, but it was always yours.”
My heart twists painfully, and I shake my head. “If I was always meant to marry him, she should’ve stayed away from him. You can’t expect me to marry my sister’s ex, Dad. You can’t do this to me. Do you understand how messed up this is? You can’t condemn me to a marriage with someone who is in love with my sister.”
Dad inhales shakily and looks to the side. “I’m sorry, Raven, but you have no choice. Throughout the years, we’ve relied a lot on the Windsors. If this merger were to fall through, it’d mean bankruptcy for us. If you want to keep your company and the investment funds I promised you, you’ll marry him.”
My eyes widen as disillusionment washes over me. “Are you threatening me?”
Dad sighs. “I’m not, Raven. I’m just telling you the truth. If you do not marry Ares, we’ll lose everything. Everything the Windsors have done for us… it would take me several lifetimes to repay that. Think through this carefully, sweetheart. He would treat you well, and the Windsors love you. It’s a small price to pay for everything we’ve been given, everything we stand to gain from this merger. Don’t forget, you marrying Ares means the company will fall into your hands, not Hannah’s. I will ensure it. You’ll inherit my shares, even if your mother gives hers to Hannah.”
I frown at him in disbelief. He can’t be serious, can he? He can’t truly think that this seems even remotely appealing to me. I grit my teeth and walk away, my heels clicking loudly on the marble floor.
I need to find Hannah. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but I refuse to take responsibility for her mess. I might love Ares, but I have no intention of accepting her sloppy seconds.
Chapter Sixteen
Raven
I pull up in front of Hannah’s apartment and walk straight in. Whenever something major happens, Hannah always hides away at home instead of facing the consequences of her actions. She looks up from her seat on the sofa, her eyes red.
I sigh as I take in the panda onesie she’s wearing and the popcorn on the table. Of course she’s watching The Notebook. Part of me sympathizes with her. The choice she made isn’t an easy one, and for her to do this a week before the wedding means she’s serious. It must have been heartbreaking, knowing she couldn’t have both her career and Ares.
“Raven.” She holds her arms up and I bite back a smile as I sit down next to her, giving in to her silent plea for a hug. I wrap my arms around her and rub her back as she rests her head on my shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she tells me. “I know how much time you put into this wedding, but I can’t do this. I can’t sacrifice my career, and even though I love Ares, I’m not willing to abide by his family’s suffocating rules for the rest of my life. I can’t live like that, Rave.”
I pull back to look at her, my gaze searching. Dad hasn’t told her, has he? “Hannah,” I murmur. “You have to do this. It’s too late to walk away now. There really is no going back anymore, Han. If you walk away now, that’s it. It’s the end of Ares and you. Do you really want that? I know you love him, and he worships the ground you walk on. I know he makes you happy, Han.”
She shakes her head. “I can’t, Rave. I really can’t. If I marry him, I’ll just end up resenting him for everything I’ll lose in the process.”
“Hannah.” My voice is soft yet chastising. “This isn’t just a love marriage, though. It’s an arranged marriage. Have you thought of what will happen to Mom and Dad? The company and everything we own? Without the Windsors’ support, we can’t survive.”
She wraps her arms around herself, a hint of insecurity in her gaze. “They won’t harm us. You know they won’t.”