Heir of Deception | (for mature audience)

Chapter 4: Christian

Christian

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Earlier, when I arrived at the Carter estate, I brought back the contract that Anthony had set up for me. I had my lawyer comb through it a million times, looking for any loophole, but it was airtight. The only fucking way that land will be mine is if I marry his daughter. The moment the marriage papers are signed, the land is mine, and I can finally start building my fucking apartment complex. The sooner I get married, the sooner I can kick off construction.

But now I have to deal with Alexandria and her family arguing amongst themselves. She had no idea about the arrangement her father had orchestrated, so I could understand why she felt blindsided. They were treating her like she was incapable of making her own decisions, as if she were still a child. Her family were real pieces of work.

"The wedding will be held in six months from now," Anthony announced, completely ignoring his daughter's feelings. "We will announce your spontaneous engagement soon."

"Do you want people to think I knocked your daughter up?" I snapped, dropping my fork onto my plate with a clatter. "Getting married that fast will have people talking, and we have a reputation to uphold-and so does she."

"When do you want to make the announcement?" he countered, unfazed by my tone.

"We can get married in the spring. It'll give us enough time, and people won't suspect anything." I answered, leaning back in my chair, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on me.

We were only at the end of summer, heading into autumn, and spring was nine months away. That would delay the project for nine months, but it was also the perfect time to start construction. The weather would be ideal, with little to no delays, and I could begin securing the necessary permits now.

"When will you announce the engagement?" Anthony asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"What do you think, Alexandria?" I turned to her, finally bringing her into the conversation. She looked up, her expression blank.

"Whatever date suits you," she replied, forcing a straight smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"A month?" I suggested, shutting out Anthony's presence and focusing on her. "Is that good with you?"

"Yes, that works for me." She answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"The engagement will be announced soon, and the rest of the details will be discussed between me and my fiancée," I said, looking directly into Anthony's eyes, asserting my authority in this arrangement.

"Okay, good. Shall we have dessert?" he asked, as if he hadn't just orchestrated a life-altering decision for his daughter.

"No, we need to get on the jet and head back to New York as soon as possible," I said, turning back to Alexandria. "I'll have your stuff sent to my penthouse by tomorrow. For now, you can just pack the necessities."

"I live in New York, so most of my things are there," she replied, a hint of defiance creeping into her tone.

She stood up and called one of her maids for assistance before heading upstairs. I could be anywhere right now, but instead, I was here, dealing with this despicable man and his pretentious family. They were dressed like they were attending dinner with the President-old money types, all pretentious smiles and judgmental glances.

A few minutes later, Alexandria came down the stairs, dragging two suitcases and a carry-on bag behind her. I took her larger bag and carried it to the car, opening the door for her as she said goodbye to her family. The moment we drove away, the weight of the situation began to settle in.