The Unwanted Marriage: Dion and Faye's Story (The Windsors)

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For a moment, I wonder what might happen if I told Eric the truth. Would he run away with me? Would he protect me? Or would he be horrified if I told him I’m technically, albeit unwillingly, engaged? I look into my sister’s eyes, taking in her sincerity. How could she possibly believe that with such fierceness, such conviction? How could she sit here without blaming me for everything I’ve taken from her, from us? She’s my girlfriend,” he says, his voice soft, perturbed, as though he’s finally realized something is wrong. All across the USA, people are showing up dead. The deaths don't appear to be connected in any way until one particular death occurs and gets the Secretary of Defense's attention. He arranges for a task force to investigate. Arranged marriages are a Windsor tradition, and I’ve known for years that this day would come. Out of all my siblings, I’m the only one who’s been engaged for years, the only one who’s known who I’d marry for over a decade now. That never made it easier. No — if anything, it’s felt like a slow walk toward the gallows, until, at last, my fate is sealed.

I stare at myself in the large mirrors inside Raven Windsor’s bridal boutique, my heart hollow. There’s no denying that the wedding dress my stylist chose for me is beautiful, but it isn’t me. The intricate beading and heavy lace look priceless, and it’s exactly the kind of thing a Windsor bride would wear.Dion's character was also supposed to be a tortured soul, but the author never managed to sell that. All of his weird hangups and nightmares reminded me of that John Mayer lyric: She currently makes her home in Hong Kong, even though she has lived in Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. On the other hand is Amara who is working on her doctoral degree while running her business dealing in sex toys. She is studying engineering and is determined to make it on her own even though she has a very powerful grandfather. Did he change his mind about keeping quiet, or is he just keeping tabs on me? I can’t determine his motivations, and that unnerves me. My father is predictable, and there’s a certain measure of solace in that. I prefer to know when to expect pain — it allows me to take calculated risks. Romance Billionaire Romance Erotic Young Adult Crime Fantasy Vampires Science Fiction Thriller Horror Classics Suspense

I tense when she clears her throat, my stomach sinking the moment those cold green eyes settle on me. I knew what she’d ; say before she even parted her lips, but that doesn’t lessen the weight of her words.He sighs. “She disappeared again shortly before we could apprehend her. It’s obvious she’s enjoying the kind of protection only money can buy. Raven’s father swore that they aren’t helping her, and truthfully, I can’t find any proof that he’s lying. Not yet, anyway.” I hold her just like that, one hand in her hair and the other cupping her cheek, my eyes on hers as she finally breathes in deeply. I’m equal parts glad and fearful that my two younger step-sisters haven’t had to learn how to adjust their behavior to our father. It means there’s still hope for them, that their spirits aren’t quite broken just yet — but it also means his actions hurt them more than they do me. I’ve become used to it now, but I hope they’ll never have to. Not much longer now. Just a few more months, and things will finally get better. Lex smiles and swipes the screen, pulling up a new slide. “If you want your inheritance, you’ll need her to remain faithful to you while you’re married, or you’ll breach Grandma’s terms. You know what that means, right? You need to steal her away from her boyfriend. Just because she broke up with him doesn’t mean she’ll stay away from him.”

Faye’s always reminded me of a porcelain doll — beautiful, but devoid of emotions. Every interaction I’ve ever had with her seemed eerily practiced, robotic even. I now realize she’s been putting on an act for me, hiding the best parts of herself. What I don’t understand is why. Eric?” I shout as I walk up to them, calculating my next moves. He looks over his shoulder and smiles when he recognizes me, but my attention is on the tiny, beautiful brunette he’s holding. My thoughts are still reeling by the time we walk into the hotel lobby. I can’t even fully appreciate the splendor of The Lacara, because with every step I take, I second-guess myself more. Kenya Higgs has the perfect life, at least from the outside looking in. Her husband Boston is handsome, wealthy, and he showers her with extravagant gifts like every day is Christmas. Kenya gets to rub elbows with the most affluent people in the community and take vacations at the drop of a dime. Kenya’s life is perfect, that’s if you don’t consider the unspeakable things going on behind the arched doors of their breathtaking mansion.She is now known for her penchant for penning some angsty stories that can be very intriguing. She currently lives in Hong Kong but given her wanderlust, she has at some point made her home in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. The melody turns darker, rougher, the acoustics of this room still as perfect as they’ve always been, but it does nothing to soothe my aching heart. The final note echoes, and I exhale shakily as I rest my forehead against the music shelf. Dion,” she whispers, placing her hand on my chest. I glance down at her empty ring finger, something akin to remorse washing over me. I spent so much time running away from her I didn’t consider what my absence would invite. Hardly anyone knows I’m even engaged, much less to whom. I should’ve put a noticeable engagement ring on her finger, like my grandmother told me to. My stepmother, Abigail, carries the same expression that I undoubtedly do. It’s fake pleasantness born from fear. We’re both eerily calm, having learned the hard way that any other behavior will set my father off.

Knowing that he’s just as nervous as I am oddly puts me at ease. He treats me with such care. Dion would never be this patient, this sweet. He’ll take what he thinks I owe him, with no care for my feelings. That’s what it’s always been like. Whenever Dion is forced to interact with me, he does the bare minimum with no consideration of my thoughts or feelings, like he can’t stand to be around me for a second longer than he has to. A pang of longing settles deep in my chest, and I take a shaky breath. I only just graduated, but unlike my younger sister, I was never allowed to live on campus. I don’t begrudge her the experience, but a small part of me wishes I could’ve had that too. Eric pulls my chair out for me and shoots me a worried look, but thankfully, he doesn’t say anything. I’m not sure I could explain myself if I tried — not without ruining everything. I hear a few soft gasps from the front row as I begin to play Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit, but then everything fades away, until it’s just me and the beautiful Steinway I have the honor of playing tonight. This specific piece is so difficult to play that it requires all of my concentration, and for a little while, my thoughts finally still. For seven minutes, the heartache fades away, and I stop worrying about what the future might bring.It’s not what I think?” I repeat. “So you aren’t dating one of my family’s lawyers?” Eric and I aren’t as close as we were when we were younger, but once upon a time, I’d have called him a friend. Raven is a famous model and designer, while Valentina, Luca’s wife, is the COO of Windsor Finance. They’re both so powerful in their own right, and I could never measure up. I’m scared standing next to them will make the difference all the more obvious, and I’m not sure how Dion might respond to that kind of embarrassment. Powerful men rarely handle any level of humiliation well. Her breathing becomes less labored, her body relaxing against me as she finally manages to focus. “Dion,” she whispers, her voice breaking. We’re all just waiting for it — waiting for Father to snap at us over something. Will it be the food today? Perhaps he’ll think we’re chewing too loudly. Whatever it is, something is bound to give. Normally, he’d already have left for work by now, and the fact he hasn’t does not bode well for any of us. Linda,” Father says, and she tenses. For a split-second, dread flashes through my sister’s eyes, but then she controls it, pasting on the smile we’ve all perfected. So far, he hasn’t hurt the girls, but how much longer can I protect them?