The CEO's Second Choice novel Chapter 3

Elena

A knock at my bedroom door draws me out of my reverie. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide in here forever. “Elena?” came the voice of my father. This made me frown. He hardly ever came into my room. I would have expected it to be mother or Eliana to run after me.-

Not the head of our family.

“Come in, father,” I called out, then I sat up, straightening myself out as a lady should. He then opens the door and pokes his head in. “May I come in?”

I nod and grab a tissue from my bedside table to dab my eyes with. Did he honestly expect me to tell him he could not enter my room?

My father takes a seat on my bed and takes my hand in his, “Elena, I do not wish for you to go through with this marriage.” he starts abruptly, causing me to stare at him in surprise. Didn’t he just agree with everyone downstairs?

“What do you mean by that, father? You just agreed with everyone downstairs that I should go along with this marriage to Sebastian.” I say, echoing my thoughts.

He sighs, but gives me a sad nod, “Yes, but it does not mean that I am happy with the whole thing. Eliana has shamed us with her actions, so we would need to make it right. We owe the Dumont’s that. This is the only way to right the wrong.”

Instead of facing the scandal, they would prefer to marry me off in my sister’s place. That’s how little I mean to my family.

I look up at my father and offer him a tight smile, “I got my acceptance letter from Harvard today,” I say wistfully, “I wanted to study law and got accepted without the Wilshire name’s sway.” I was so proud of this when I had received my letter earlier today. But now even this would be taken away from me, along with my freedom and Nicholas.

Oh my gosh, Nicholas. What would I tell him? He was to be my betrothed when I returned from Harvard, now we would not be. Instead, I would have to marry a man who basically called me fat the first time he saw me.

My father pats my hand, “I am afraid that won’t be happening right now, love. But perhaps we can ask them for an extension, for say 5 years?” He suggests, causing me to frown.

An extension for 5 years?

“What do you mean by that, father?” I ask him, not quite grasping what he was saying.

He offers me a warm smile, “Marry Sebastian Dumont, stay married for at least 5 years then you have my blessing to go study abroad.”

My eyes widened. Was this what the light at the end of a tunnel felt like?

“Do you really mean that, father?” I ask him, elated. I knew this was nothing, but a cleverly disguised bribe, but my dream and freedom were hanging mere inches from my grasp.

My father gave me a smile, knowing he had won, “Yes, poppet. I promise. After 5 years, you will be free to study abroad and make a name for yourself.”

My mind had already agreed to his conditions, but my heart was stuck. I loved Nicholas; He was the love of my life and my best friend. I would be choosing my career over him if I did this.

Sebastian was the last person on earth I wanted to be married to, but if this meant my freedom and studying abroad, I would go through with it.

Peering up at my father, I give him a small nod, “Okay, I will do it. I’ll marry Sebastian Dumont if I can study abroad after 5 years.”

This seemed to appease him, so he gets up and walks towards the door, “I will inform everyone downstairs. Join us for a nightcap when you’re ready.” And with that, my father leaves my room.