Engaged

Parents POV (before the engagement)

John and Sarah were walking back to work from a café when glass started shattering all around them. They quickly ducked behind a vehicle for cover and waited for the shooting to stop. All the sudden a brick was thrown and landed a couple feet away from them. They could see a note attached, but didn't want to check it out until they were sure the shooting was over.

Once they heard the vehicle zoom off they hesitantly stood up enough to look around the car to make sure everything was okay again. Once they were sure John walked over and picked up the brick.

The note attached was a warning to him and his family.

It didn't take news long to travel that the Howards had been threatened. This didn't surprise John because he knew how the media was, but what did surprise him was the visitor he had in his office the morning after the news had come out.

"Chapman, Come to gloat?" John questioned.

"Actually quite the opposite. I came with a proposal."

"Pft, what could you possibly have to offer?"

"Understanding."

"Come again?"

Bill pulled out a note that was the exact same as the one John had been left. John was confused on how Bill had come up with this note. There was nothing in the media about John being left a note, nor was it in the police report because John had already taken it before they came, and not mentioned it in his interview. "How? Where did you get this?"

"I was in Allandale last week for a meeting, and when I came back out that had been thrown through my window and my seats had been torn to shreds."

"I did not report it because, like you, I didn't want the media or the authorities to catch wind of the note."

"Why are you here? Why are you showing me this?"

"Because I'm fairly positive that you got one of these notes as well, meaning that the same people are after us both. I would like to call a truce on our rivalry. I want to find a way to show people a united front, in hopes that it will scare off whoever is after us. Think about it. We are two of the most powerful families and it is known that we do not get along. This was probably a ploy to pin us further against each other, but I would like to instead use this to our advantage."

"And how do I know you're not making this all up? How do I know you haven't faked this and are actually trying to weasel your way inside for insider info?"

You don't know. But, the same can be said on my end. I can't prove that you weren't behind this. That's why I don't just want to work together on one project because people will see right though that. I want this to be a lasting partnership. Something that will be seen as unbreakable in the eyes of everyone else."

"What do you propose will serve this purpose?"

"I don't know. I was hoping to get you on board and us brainstorm together. I didn't want to come in here with everything all planned out because I want this to be a 50/50 partnership."

"You're here alone?"

"Yes, my wife and kids know about the car incident because I wanted them to start being more careful, but only my wife knows that I'm here today."

John nodded. "I would like to keep this from the kids until absolutely necessary."

"I agree, but I would like for my wife to be involved."

"Sounds good. Can you get her here in 20 minutes?"

"I will call her now and see what we can do."

~~ 2 hours later ~~

"I don't trust them!" Sarah, John's wife yelled at him.

"I don't trust them either, but that doesn't mean we have much of a choice. He has a note Sarah. I saw the pictures of his car. I believe his story. I have known and been at odds with Bill my entire life. I know when that man is lying to me and this is not one of those times."

"I still can't believe you think forcing our daughter into marriage, with a girl you've forced her to hate all these years, no less, is the only possible way. Doesn't the Chapman girl have a boyfriend?"

"She does, but Bill said he would take care of that."

"What is he going to do? Kill the guy?"

"No, he's going to offer him money and whatever else he wants to break things off and not say anything about being paid to do so."

"And you think this guy is actually going to do that? How could someone leave the person they love for money?"

"I don't know Sarah, but Bill seems to think that's all it will take."

~~ 3 days later ~~

"Scott has been taken care of. I offered the boy $150,000 and a house wherever he wants it so long as he breaks up with my daughter and doesn't mention anything about my influence. Have you gotten your wife on board? I know last time we spoke she seemed less than enthused to be doing this."

"Oh, don't worry about her. At the end of the day I have the last word in my family so that woman will do it whether she likes it or not."

"Great, so all we need to do now is tell the girls. How do you suppose we do that?"

"We buy them a house to live in together, and tell them over dinner at said house. We will then leave, and the girls will stay."

"You really think this is going to work?"

"It has to work. Like you said, we need to show a strong, unbreakable, united front. Whomever is threatening us needs to get the message that we are together and will be pursuing other avenues of suspects, and not each other."