One

“No, grandfather. I will not marry her or anyone else.”

Grandfather Dominic sipped his coffee and raised his face to look at his protesting grandson, Damien. In a voice as calm as summer breeze, he responded,

“You have no option, no say. The wedding will be held this weekend. Be ready.”

Damien’s face greased into an even deeper frown. His grandfather’s indifference and calm demeanor at that time infuriated him the most. Well, that was his style; he didn’t need to raise his voice to give his orders.

“We need the Miller family to get this business deal. Think about the fame and power that will be yours. No one has ever gotten there.”

“Grandfather, I’ve done literally everything you ask me to do. I’ve always obeyed you but this.. I refuse! You took away the one I loved. I’m not getting married to any girl you arrange for me. If you are so eager to have a granddaughter in law, have that bitch marry Alex. After all, he’s your grandson too.”

Damien’s words seemed to have struck a nerve as a light frown appeared on the old man’s originally calm face.

“If Alex marries her, consider your position at the company as well as your inheritance his, too.”

“What? Grandfather…”

“This weekend. Now, be gone,” Dominic said in a voice that brooked no argument, dismissed him and returned to his coffee. Damian stormed out of the house in anger.

Damien Sterling, the favourite grandson of Dominic Sterling, was the most powerful Ceo and the richest man in the country. He was cold hearted, mean, feared and respected by all.

This mighty CEO in turn respected only one person, his grandfather, and obeyed him despite all odds.

He did everything the old man instructed him to do but this was an exception. A marriage to some random woman, and he was sure she was some gold digging slut, who agreed to marry him for his money.

“If Alex marries her, consider your position in the company and inheritance his too,” Grandfather’s words played in his head.

“Fuck!” he yelled, slamming his hands on the steering wheel.

Alex was his step brother and greatest rival. He would be a sore loser if he lost everything to him. He could imagine the smug look on Alex’s face as he took over the company, a position that was supposed to be his.

He loved a young girl, Charlotte, dearly and was willing to marry her but his grandfather kicked against it. He even went as far as sending the girl to a distant country, away from him.

Now, the old man was insisting that he marry a random girl for his own selfish reasons and was threatening him with losing his inheritance. Not just to anyone, but to Alex!

“Never!!” he swore, pressing his foot down on the accelerator, as if the solution to his problems lay in doing that. He would rather go ahead with the damned marriage than give Alex the last laugh.

The office was spacious and well lit, one that befitted his status as the CEO of a very popular company, Sterling Enterprise.

He had a pen in his hand and was endorsing his signature on some documents. The air around him was still and stiff, and his assistant knew better than making a careless move or comment.

“Sir…” he began, carefully choosing his choice of words.

“This is the picture of the woman whom your grandfather prepared…”

Damien put down his pen and gave him a look that spoke volumes.

“Are you tired of your job here? Do you want me to relieve you of your duties?”

“No sir… please, forgive me sir,” he apologized and hurried away.

Damien didn't want to hear anything about this lady. He was only getting married to her for his grandfather as well as to save his inheritance. He didn't care who she was, her name, or even the minutest detail about her.

The coming days were filled with his grandfather giving the final instructions and preparations for the wedding, all of which Damien showed no interest in. He insisted on having a silent marriage registration in court and nothing more.

The courtroom was quiet with only a few people present, and they were immediate family members. The bride, Sophia Miller, wore a simple Ivory sheath dress instead of a wedding gown. She chose that because she said this wasn’t a wedding but an exchange.

She sat beside her father who had the brightest smile on his face.

“Good child, now, you can be useful to your parents and repay us for all the good we’ve done for you all these years.”

Her mother, Clara, joined in, agreeing with her father.

“Your father is right. It’s time to contribute to this family for the first time, I’m sure it feels good to be productive. Now, put a smile on that face of yours.”

These were the people she called family. They were so eager to get rid of her for their personal gain.

Sophia was the third and last child of her parents, but they had never loved her since she was born. They wanted to have only two children so she was seen as a mistake.

Her mother loved her elder brother more while her father loved her older sister. She was in the middle, left unloved and treated as an outcast in the family. She was seen as the one that ruined the perfect number the family had.

When the offer to redeem the family business by marrying one of their children to the cold hearted CEO, her parents didn’t hesitate to push her off. It didn't matter to them in any way that this man was ruthless and would treat their daughter with indifference.

Thirty seven minutes had passed since the time for the wedding but there was no sign of the groom.

The judge checked his watch twice and grandfather tapped his walking stick on the floor in anger. He had come to personally witness the wedding but his brat of a grandson decided not to show up. Not only that, he wasn’t answering the old man’s calls.

It was pretty clear that the groom had pulled back and abandoned the bride in the courthouse.