Sentenced to Marriage

Chapter 17

Half an hour later, I was sitting on a black leather sofa in the “Lune de Diamant” wine bar, holding a glass of fine Shiraz. Mr. Edmond was sitting in front of me, watching me drink wine while he enjoyed his espresso.

“Now can I learn more about Mr. Lan?” I asked, swirling the red liquid in my glass. He took a deep breath and finally started speaking, “First of all, I want to officially introduce myself… I’m Neil Edmond, Mr. Lan’s assistant. Since you’ve just become my boss’s fiancée, you should call me by my first name. It could sound awkward otherwise.” “All right… Neil.” I smiled nervously.

“Ms. Bell… You need to know that you will marry Mr. Lan in a month. It will be a private ceremony for only selected people invited, and no press allowed. There won’t be any official announcements until you two are married to avoid potential problems like those you caused us yesterday.” He smirked.

“Seriously?! I’m not some bimbo multi-dating with rich guys!” I roared. “Perhaps you are not,” he tossed with a sigh and quickly added, “but Mr. Lan will not risk something going south. Besides, do you have any idea how much it cost to keep everyone’s mouth shut and force all of them to pretend that this engagement party has never happened?” Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

I gulped. All the time I was focused on Liam’s revenge and Nicole as the main villain of the story, and I completely forgot how it could affect Aren’s image. I bet that it was Neil who handled all the press, and seriously, if I were him and had to deal with this situation, I would have strangled me for yesterday’s mess. “I’m… I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I only wanted the bitch who hurt my friend to be punished.” Neil smiled wryly and let out a deep exhale. “It was impressive though. We couldn’t find any evidence of hacking into the hotel’s system. You have some skills.” An awkward laugh escaped my throat. “Thank you… I guess.” “Stick to your talents. They can help you survive this marriage.” Somehow, Neil’s voice sounded a little too serious for a joke.

“What do you mean?” I asked before taking a deep sip of wine.

“Well… Mr. Lan is in the middle of a war of influence. He is fighting with his father and stepbrother in the States, as well as his mother’s family in China. Of course, it is nearly the beginning of the long list of people who would love to see Mr. Lan dead…” He laughed coldly. My lips stretched into a thin, nervous smile. “I can imagine that he has a lot of business

competitors and” “No, I don’t think you can imagine that. When I mentioned a war, I meant a real battle with casualties. Certainly, you will get our full protection, but you need to understand that from now on, you will have a target on your back,” he said with a deadly serious expression. I swallowed, emptying my glass. “I think I may need more wine to process it…”

About Àren lan

About Aren Lan…

By the time I finished the third glass of wine, I knew the basic information concerning Aren Lan and his family. Truthfully, it sounded like a soap opera script, a story of love, betrayal, and big money, and I would have even found the story fascinating if it weren’t for the fact that sooner or later I would have to deal with that story’s main characters. Should I feel fortunate that a few of them had died already? Neil was right about the necessity of drinking while listening to the story, though; the alcohol had done wonders with my ability to process the information.

I learned that Arents mother, Lan Liling, fell in love with Atnerican student James Winton. James was the son of Augustus Winton, the owner of Winton Corporation. Back in the day, Augustus’s company was on the verge of bankruptcy and needed huge investments to survive. James knew that Liling was a daughter of a wealthy Chinese family and decided to persuade his girlfriend to help him. Unfortunately, Liling’s father, Lan Jing, disapproved of her relationship with the young American and was even more unwilling to offer his family any money. Yet, what Lan Jing didn’t know was that Liling was already pregnant with James’s baby. The young girl decided to risk everything for love and her baby. She had

stolen the Lan family’s money and escaped to live with the one she loved. When Lan Jing found out what his daughter had done, he disinherited her, forbidding her from going back home ever again.

With the money Liling invested in Winton Corporation, the company was revived, making the Wintons one of the richest families living in Manhattan. Certainly, James and Liling got married, and when Aren was born, it seemed like the couple had found their happy-ever-after. Unfortunately, James Winton wasn’t a saint, and poor Liling soon found out that Aren wasn’t James’s only son. A month later, Liling was found dead; it was said that she had strangled herself in her bedroom. Three months after her death, James remarried a woman named Vanessa, who moved into the Wintons’ mansion with her son, Aren’s stepbrother…

Aren’s childhood must have been far from idyllic. Neil didn’t give me any details, but I could easily deduce from his words that Aren had never had a good relationship with his father and had always sought a way to get closer to his mother’s family. He moved out of the Wintons’ mansion when he was eighteen and used the money he inherited when his mother died to pay for his education and start his first company. His business grew fast, and when he was twenty two, he bought one of Lans’ companies in China. That was what finally gave Aren his grandfather’s recognition…

Lan Jing decided to acknowledge Aren and give him the Lan Wang Corporation’s shares that were supposed to belong to his mother. However, he put one condition: he needs to get married. Certainly, the old man wanted Aren to marry one of the girls he suggested, but Aren kept refusing. Eventually, Lan Jing allowed Aren to make his own choice as long as he would marry before his 80th birthday, and that gave Aren only two months to find a proper bride. No wonder he chose a marriage contract instead of building an emotional relationship…

“Summarizing…” Neil took a final sip of his second espresso. “Mr. Lan’s stepbrother and he are serious business competitors. It’s easy to say that they hate each other’s guts. His father keeps accusing Mr. Lan of trying to destroy Winton Corporation while his grandfather wishes to reunite with his grandson, but it’s most likely to get a little control of Mr. Lan’s business.

About Arenlan

His relationships with the Lan family members aren’t simple either. Lan Jing had three sons and a daughter, Mr. Lan’s mother. All three uncles and his cousins would like to get their hands on the shares Mr. Lan was offered. I bet they wouldn’t hesitate to kill his bride to get the money.” He let out a dry chuckle.

“K-kill the bride?” I mumbled breathlessly.

“Yes. That is one of the reasons you need to move into the penthouse. It will be easier to keep you safe in Mr. Lan’s territory,” he explained.

“But this is insane!” I exclaimed as my head began to spin.

“Mr. Lan initially chose to have a wife that had a family that was able to protect her... As you realize, it’s a little different in your case. That is why you need to be extra careful whenever you meet someone new or even with people you already know. There’s a lot that people are willing to do for a large sum of money.” Neil’s words sounded as indifferent as a washing machine instruction manual, but I knew it was meant to be a warning.

I wasn’t an idiot. I had seen many people who tried to become friends with Callan even though they seriously hated him. I saw people breaking their boundaries and going beyond just so they could get a chance to step into his world. I had seen them allowing themselves to be humiliated, wagging their tails around Callan and waiting for him to drop them a bone. I knew that Callan needed to be strong and act harshly to refuse them, but he had often abused the power he had over those who wanted his money. I was just too blinded with love for him to see that he enjoyed acting this way a bit too much. I still couldn’t tell why I thought he would treat me differently when I asked for his help…

I had drunk nearly a whole bottle of wine by myself, but I was as sober as if I had been drinking pure caffeine. My brain was busy calculating all the odds and possibly dangerous situations I could encounter.

The restlessness grew within me as I realized the price I would have to pay for my two years of financial stability, but if I could slowly raise the money for Grandma’s operation without needing to pay the rent and other bills, then it would be all worth it.

– After we left the wine bar, Neil drove me to Park Avenue to show me my new home, a magnificent two- thousand-square-foot penthouse with wall-size windows and a view to die for. It was a two-story apartment with a huge hall and guest rooms on the lower level and the master bedrooms exiting to the roof patio upstairs. I was amazed when I saw the room that was prepared for me, but it was the swimming pool built on the roof that made me speechless.

This whole place was beyond incredible!

My bedroom was right next to Aren’s. Sleeping a wall away from him didn’t feel like the most comfortable solution, but it was still better than sharing the bed. I quickly shook that thought away and decided to focus on the delectable privacy the separate bedroom was giving me. I loved that bedroom. It was bright, spacious, and cozy. From the ebony flooring and silky velvet rug to a large white bed, a bed cabinet, a desk, and a vanity table all ornamented with white and a touch of silver, I loved every detail of it. There was a glass door in my bedroom that led directly to the roof pool… How could I not fall in love with this place?

“Here you go.” Neil handed me a piece of paper with a list of names and phone numbers on it. “Please save those on your phone. As you can see, this is Mr. Lan’s business and private number. There is also mine and your private driver’s number. He will be there for you twenty

About Arenlan.

four-seven if you need him. His name is Benjamin Morris. Call him if you need to go anywhere; you’ll be safe with him.”

I could sense a serious concern in Neil’s voice. That only made me more nervous, but I wasn’t going to test whether his concerns were justified. I nodded, acknowledging his words. Neil walked out of the penthouse soon after, leaving me a key card and a code to my new home,

I instantly felt bored as I ended up in this huge place alone. Aside from a few days off work I took while working on Liam’s revenge, I hadn’t had a day off in two years. I was either working at the café or at the workshop and breaking that routine suddenly made me feel empty. I needed my laptop… preferably now.

I texted Liam. Fortunately, he was staying all day in his apartment in Lower Manhattan. I could use the subway to get there, but then I thought that it would be a good chance to call Benjamin. I was nervous when I picked up his number, wondering how much he knew about my situation…

“Hello, Ms. Bell. Do you want me to take you anywhere?” Benjamin’s cheerful voice surprised me.

“Um… Yes…” I muttered with an awkward laugh. “I need to go to Leonard Street, quickly if possible.”

“I will be waiting for you in front of the building. Please, come down when you’re ready, Ms. Bell.” His politeness sounded sincere and put an instant smile on my face.

As soon as I walked out, I saw a black Bentley and a tall, tanned man in a black suit and a chauffeur hat. Once he saw me, he gave me a little bow and opened the door for me. I thank him with a weirdly breathless voice as I got in. The fact that someone was hired to drive me anywhere I wanted gave me a foreign feeling.

“No need to be nervous, Ms. Bell,” he said, sitting behind the wheel.

I smiled wryly. I guess my behavior was more than obvious. “I apologize if I make you feel uncomfortable. It’s just… I’m not used to this.”

‘I knew that adjusting to this new situation would take some time. Only yesterday, I was wearing second- hand sneakers, a pair of jeans, and a T-shirt, and I mainly traveled by bus or subway, whereas now I had an expensive dress on me with a pair of heels for the price of my laptop, and I was driven in a Bentley by my personal chauffeur!

I was tense all the way to Leonard Street, to the point where I forgot to tell Benjamin to park a block away. I only realized what a mistake I had made when it was already too late. The Bentley pulled over in front of Liam’s building. I sighed heavily at my foolishness but still figured that it would be all right if I simply sneaked out of the car and ran into the building. I shifted in my seat to open the door, but Benjamin was quicker…

“Let me help you, Ms. Bell,” he said, reaching out his hand with a professional smile.

Well, was there a way to expose me even more?! Perhaps he should honk a few times and shout that the Queen had arrived! So much for not getting too much of anyone’s attention… Still, I took a deep breath to calm myself, telling myself that no one except Liam knew me here, thus no one could recognize me or even care much about my presence. I accepted Benjamin’s hand and stepped out to the sidewalk…

About Alencan

“Cora?” I heard a surprised voice. I turned around and saw Liam standing in front of the entrance of his building with a grocery bag in his hand. He stood in shock, observing how Benjamin nodded his head at me before getting back to the car, and then he scanned how I looked. Shit… how the hell was I going to explain this to Liam?!