Chapter 4

I stirred awake, squinting as a sliver of sunlight cut through the curtains and stabbed right into my eyes. My head felt heavy, like I’d had one too many drinks, even though I hadn’t touched a drop. As I came to, I noticed my wrists and legs weren’t tied up. That threw me. I mean, who kidnaps someone and doesn’t even bother to tie them up?

I blinked a few more times, letting my eyes adjust, and took a look around. The room had this weird mix of familiarity and strangeness, like a half-forgotten dream. The walls were painted in these soft, earthy tones—not at all my style—and the furniture was… well, old-fashioned, definitely not what I’d choose for myself. Where were the sleek lines, the modern décor I was used to?

Then it hit me. I did know this place.

This was my old bedroom. The one I’d grown up in. Except it looked nothing like it used to. Gone were the bright colors I’d loved, replaced by the dull, “elegant” tones my father preferred. No doubt he’d had a hand in redecorating it once I’d left. He never liked my taste anyway.

I sat up, rubbing my temples as it all started to sink in. Of course, it was him. Who else would pull off something this dramatic just to get me home? My father always did have a flair for the over-the-top. If a simple phone call wouldn’t work for him; kidnapping was not something he wasn't capable of.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open. I looked over to see a young maid peeking in, wide-eyed like she’d seen a ghost. The moment she realized I was awake, she bolted, not even bothering to close the door behind her.

“Great,” I muttered. “She’s probably running off to tell him I’m up.” I knew how this was going to go—my father would swoop in, all stern-faced and ready to lecture me about being an “ungrateful daughter.”

Sure enough, he didn’t keep me waiting.

He walked into the room, looking just like I remembered him. Same stiff posture, same neatly trimmed beard, same disapproving glare. It was like he’d been practicing that look his entire life.

“Good morning, Father,” I greeted him, trying to keep my voice as neutral as possible.

He crossed his arms and gave me a once-over. “So, you’ve finally decided to wake up.”

I sighed, already bracing myself for the scolding I knew was coming. “Did you really have to kidnap me? A phone call might’ve worked just as well.” Okay, that was a lie—he had called, but I hadn’t exactly been eager to pick up. Still, he didn’t need to know that.

“You wouldn’t return my calls,” he replied, his tone clipped. “You’ve become an unfilial daughter, ignoring your own father. What was I supposed to do?”

I rolled my eyes, though I tried to keep it subtle. He was trying to make me the bad guy and I was going to do the same “Well, maybe if you hadn’t blacklisted me from every company in the city or blocked me from working in the family business, I wouldn’t have had to move to another city. Then I’d still be under your roof, wouldn’t I?”

He looked at me, unimpressed, his face hardening. “A princess doesn’t need to work. A princess spends money.”

I let out a short laugh, unable to help myself. “Same old argument,” I muttered. No matter what I did, I was never going to get through that thick, old-fashioned mindset of his.

He continued, as if he hadn’t heard me. “I wish you were more like your sister,” he added, his voice full of that familiar, infuriating disappointment. “She never gives me this kind of trouble.”

I clenched my jaw, refusing to let him see how much that stung. “Why am I here, Father? What do you actually want?” I for sure knew that he didn't bring me here just for a meaningless conversation that would lead us nowhere.

A small, almost smug smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “To get married.”

I almost choked on the air I was breathing in. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he said smoothly, as if announcing something like that was the most casual thing in the world. “You’re getting married.”

I stared at him, mouth open, mind spinning. Just a few days ago, I’d ended things with Benson, and now he was telling me I was about to be married off?

“This is a joke, right?” I asked, already knowing it wasn’t. My father didn’t do jokes. I doubted he even understood the concept.

“No, it’s not. Your fiancé will be arriving shortly, so I suggest you prepare yourself.”

Before I could even begin to form a response, he turned and walked out, leaving me alone in my own room that no longer felt like mine.

'Fiancé?' I didn’t even have a boyfriend anymore, and now I was supposed to meet some stranger my father had deemed “suitable”? My heart was pounding, my thoughts racing. Whoever this guy was, he had to be someone who checked every box on my father’s impossible list. The list being the reason my father had never brought up the topic of marriage. He hadn't found a suitable person before now. No wonder he’d never tried to set me up before.

The idea of running away crossed my mind, but I dismissed it just as quickly as it came. Knowing my father, he probably had people watching every exit. There was no escaping him. Not unless I wanted to start a new life on some remote island.

Maybe… maybe I’d just meet this guy. I couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit curious. I mean, anyone who had my father’s approval had to be something, right?

An hour later, a soft knock came at the door, and the same maid from earlier peeked in to announce that my “fiancé” had arrived. I took a deep breath and decided to keep things casual. I wasn’t about to put on a show for some stranger. Throwing on a sweatshirt and joggers, I made my way down to my father’s study, nerves buzzing in my stomach.

As I approached the door, I could hear low voices inside. One was unmistakably my father’s, but the other... it sounded familiar. Unsettlingly familiar.

The door creaked open, and as I stepped inside, I was hit by a scent I hadn’t smelled in ages—a scent that brought back too many memories I’d tried to bury.

He was standing with his back to me, but I knew. I would’ve known him anywhere. The slope of his shoulders, his straight and elegant posture, the way he held himself... it was all too familiar.

My heart felt like it had stopped, and I struggled to keep my expression neutral, but inside, I was anything but calm. This wasn’t just anyone. This was someone I’d hoped never to see again, someone I thought I’d left behind.

I couldn’t believe He was back.