3: Running away

Nancy was in her bedroom drying her long golden hair and combing it to cascade behind her back. She walked out of her room and went downstairs to the living room to have dinner with her parents.

She could feel her stomach growling loudly with hunger, so she held on to the iron railing to support herself as she went downstairs, so she wouldn't miss a step as she finally alighted the stairs.

Nancy could see some guests had arrived at her parents' home, which made her frown, as she hated the way her father's mansion was built. The living room was connected to the dining room, making it easy for guests to spy on her family's affairs. She hated being monitored by anyone, as she loved to have her privacy too.

She saw the tall, handsome black man who exuded authority as he stood in their living room watching her as she finally alighted the stairs.

Nancy felt uncomfortable under his watchful gaze, feeling as if his black eyes were already stripping her naked with that look of desire in his eyes.

She finally looked away from the man as she glanced at her parents and saw them standing nervously in the living room.

Nancy walked up to meet her mother and asked, "Mom... Is dinner not ready yet?"

Mrs. Olivia Marlon was nervous, as she hadn't expected Charles to personally visit her home. She nervously responded to Nancy, "Nancy dear, come meet your groom."

"My what?" Nancy gasped in shock, and she swiftly turned to face Charles. She met his black handsome gaze, as his eyes didn’t avert from her for one minute while he stood in the living room watching her too.

Nancy snapped out of her shock and asked her mother, "Mom... When did I get married to him?"

"You're not yet married to him, Nancy. Here with us is Charles Alejandro, Mr. President Nolan Alejandro's only son and child. The wedding is in two days' time," her father said.

"Two days?!" Nancy gasped as she almost fainted.

"Calm down, Nancy," Charles said, and she shivered at his deep male voice.

Nancy couldn't believe that she was getting married to Charles and that their wedding was in two days. She gathered her courage and said to him, with her lips trembling, "I cannot... marry you, sir."

"Nancy!!" Her father screamed at her to hush her up, as Charles Alejandro was the most feared young man in the city.

Senator Logan warned, "Nancy! You have no right to object to this marriage. Charles Alejandro has seen a lot of pretty young women's photos before he finally chose you. You should be grateful to become the country's future first lady."

"No, Father! I cannot accept this marriage, I cannot marry him!" Nancy immediately moved backward, quickly bolting away to the stairs and dashing upstairs to her bedroom. Her hips bouncing and swaying as she ran. She went to the top floor, got into her room, and shut the door closed.

"Nancy! Come back here!" Her father called, but Nancy refused to answer, as she didn't want to marry Charles. She locked her room door and went to her bed crying.

"Hmm, let me go upstairs and call her back," Mrs. Olivia Marlon offered, but her husband quickly stopped her, saying, "That won't be necessary."

Senator Logan stared at Charles and apologized, "We're truly sorry, your excellency. We haven't informed Nancy about the arranged marriage with you, sir."

"Hmm," Charles stood speechless in the living room, staring upstairs at the second floor. He was hoping that his chosen bride would peek out her beautiful head and look down at him, especially after the way her hips had moved and swayed seductively in his view. Charles felt his dick harden, wanting to claim her.

He doubted he would be able to tame himself if he were left alone with her, as she looked even more beautiful than her photo. He finally looked back at her parents and met her mother's smiling gaze. She also resembled Nancy.

Mrs. Olivia Marlon smiled nervously and said to Charles, "Not to worry, your excellency. I will go upstairs now and speak to my daughter. The wedding will still hold."

"Hmm, that's alright. I will be looking forward to the wedding this Saturday as I came here to welcome my bride upon her return to the city. But it's so obvious that she doesn't want to see me. Please, give these flowers to Nancy, and let her know that I truly love her and want to marry her," Charles said as he handed over the bouquet of rose petals he was holding to Mrs. Olivia Marlon.

Mrs. Olivia Marlon smiled and took them, standing aside while her husband apologized again, "We are sincerely sorry, your excellency. Please forgive our daughter for her rude behavior towards you."

"That's alright. I understand her fears, but that's not a problem. Do send my greetings to her and let her know that I want her. I have to be on my way now. Goodbye, Senator Logan," Charles said, turning to leave the living room.

"Yes, goodbye, your excellency," Senator Logan escorted Charles as he walked out of their living room and went outside to his car.

The security men pulled and shut the car door closed as soon as Charles entered his Jeep. The three cars drove out of Senator Logan Marlon's residence.

++++

Nancy stood by her room window upstairs, staring down at the garage. She saw Charles walk out of her family home and get into his car before the three cars drove away.

She couldn't believe that her parents really wanted her to marry Charles Alejandro, the president's son, by force. She hadn't met Charles before, but she heard of him through the way netizens online ridiculed and abused his family for refusing to relinquish the ruling seat.

Nancy had heard about Charles's affairs with many pretty young women in their state, as he was rumored to be a playboy—not the kind of man she wanted to marry.

The sound of her room door being pushed open jolted her back to reality. She turned away from her window to see her parents angrily walk into her room.

"Nancy!! What was the meaning of that silly drama you displayed during your meeting with Charles Alejandro today? Don't you know that plenty of young women would jump at the offer with joy and even accept to marry Charles immediately?" Her father questioned angrily as he stood beside her room door, glaring at her, while her mother stood in silence, holding the bouquet of roses that she had seen earlier with Charles.

Her father yelled at her, "Answer me, Nancy!"

"Dad, that's not the kind of man I want. I don't love him, and that's the truth," Nancy said, breaking into sobs. Charles Alejandro wasn’t the kind of man she wanted to marry.

She wanted a good man who would love only her, not a cheat like Charles, who wouldn't value her as his wife either.

She was looking for the right excuse to make her parents understand that she could not marry a man like Charles or become his wife.

"Love?? What do you know about love, Nancy? You will come to love Charles with time after you both become married as husband and wife. That is how your mother and I got married, and up until now, we are still a couple. What if you sit here waiting for the man you will love first, and he doesn't love you back?

Well, I cannot reject the Alejandro family’s proposal to us, even though I know you will object to it. They are the ones ruling the country, and they will feel extremely insulted with you rejecting their only son's proposal! He chose you, Nancy Marlon, among all the other pretty young women's photos he must have seen. You will have to marry Charles whether you like him or not!"

"No, Father! I cannot marry him!" Nancy screamed, bursting out crying. She couldn't believe that her father really wanted her to marry Charles by force.

Her father turned to leave her room. He paused at her door and told her mother, "Talk to your daughter and get her prepared for all the things she will need to become Charles's wife. This Saturday, she will be going to the presidential villa to live with Charles, whether she likes him or not."