Clara POV

My annoying alarm blared at 4 AM, abruptly ending my deep sleep. Fumbling to turn it off, I accidentally knocked it off the bedside table. Despite being an early riser for my passion-driven work, recent stress has been getting me down lately. I got up still feeling kinda sleepy and tired, I turned on some music, and went through my morning playlist while humming a song. As a small cafe owner and chef, I tried to spice up my appearance in a pink maxi dress and a bandanna. Despite my best effort to look happy, the sadness in my eyes betrayed my smile, a feeling I feared customers would pick up on throughout the day. I was sad because I had been given an unexpected and unpleasant news that I was going to marry my dad rival son so that their companies could merge.

I am not a merchandise, I said out loud in annoyance to the empty room.

The amount I am getting from my cafe's profit is enough for me. And yet, I, Clara Kingston, have agreed to marry my father's future business partner's son, Bryce Jefferson. I have never met him in person, but did my fair share of research on him. He is quite attractive, and that's the only positive thing I could find in the articles written about him. For a while, I couldn't take my eyes off of my laptop screen. When I finally did, I came to the conclusion that he was everything a girl's parents dread about. The pictures I found on the internet are from several parties where he is posing with a different girl every time. No parent in their right mind would want their daughter to be even friends with him, let alone dating. And here my parents are going, head over heels, for our marriage. Why wouldn't they? After all, this business merger/arrange marriage would provide them with profit. Both families will finally reach their billionaire titles. Who cares if it means putting my future on the line. I maybe nothing in their eyes, but I respect myself enough that I won't allow my future husband or his family to look down upon me.

I got the news about the marriage about four days ago when my mom called me while i was in my cafe with my best friend and assistant, Allison. When i saw the call, I was going to say something silly but my lips sealed as I saw the caller ID. I couldn't really believe my eyes, I thought it was a mistake from her so I ignored the call at first. When it rang again, my face fell and Allison stiffened beside me looking at the caller's ID. Hesitantly, I receive the call.

"Hello." I said already dreading whatever she was going to say.

"Hello Clara, Good Morning. How are you my child" Mother greets me. All the red flags hoisted around me because my mother's nasal voice has a comfortable calm today. Something really fishy is going to happen I could already feel it in my bones. Because it isn't often when Vivian Kingston bothers to call me or is awake at 8 in the morning.

"I am fine, mother. How are you doing? I haven't seen you in a while." I answer dreadfully while also motioning Allison to go ahead so as to be able to talk to her in private, however knowing how well I dreaded talking to my mother, she stayed with me for some kind of emotional support.

"Yes, daughter. 6 months to be exact..." She says. And now I am concerned. Stopping what I'm doing and I glance at Allison. She shook her head while giving me her best intimidating glare. When I did not answer, my mother continued. "...I was hoping we could meet. Will this evening be good for you? We can go to dinner together" Her voice may indicate that she is asking me. But I have spent enough time with her to know that she is just summoning me. Like she always does.

"Okay, mother. I will call you then." I agree quickly. Allison's shoulder sagged dramatically, she then gave me a sad smile, knowing full well that she will be in charge of everything in the cafe today.

I spent my day pacing back and forth in the kitchen and messing up all the customer's orders before Allison finally kicked me out to go meet my mother. But leaving me alone with my thoughts is never a good idea as I overthink easily. I let all the possibilities wash over me.

What could it be.? I muttered to myself

What could be so important that my mom who we haven't spoken or seen in six months suddenly wants to see. The last I've met her was around 6 months ago. When she came to order me to bake for her kitty party.

For our meeting today, she had chosen one of the finest restaurants in Manhattan. My mother arrived quite late, just when I was relieved that she was not going to show up. The temperature went down like in the horror movies.

Dear mother is here. I scream "fuck" in my head.

I stand up smoothing my clothes, a full-sleeved dress that ends just above my knees pairing it with the best knee-high boots I own. Mother hates my maxi dresses more than she hates me. My lips twitched in a smile at her approach. I am still appalled that she decided to bother to step inside the cafe today, instead of making me wait a block away from the cafe.

"Oh hello, Clara. How are you, my dear. Have you lost some weight darling? You have been eating well, right." Said Vivian Kingston in the fakest voice possible without taking a breath. It is like a rhetorical question for us. She doesn't wanna know if I'm starving myself to death. But she did eye my cake belly before I could suck in a breath to tuck it in.

"Hello, mother. How about we leave for dinner. Allison will look after here" I said.

Allison gave her a courteous smile but my mother rolled her eyes. For mother, Allison is just a waitress here, the girl from the other side of the tracks. I mouth 'I'm sorry' to her. And my darling Allison waived it off like was nothing. One day, she will get the respect she deserves from everyone.

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The restaurant looked no better than mine. Except for the starting price here is where mine ends. After giving our orders. It was finally time for her to tell me why we are here.

"Clara, We have arranged for your marriage. The wedding will take place in the next two weeks. I thought I should give you a heads up" Mother says in one go like she's reading a weather report.

My brows rose as I recall her words in my head. "A heads up...??? Mother, are you serious right now this is-"

"Keep your voice down, Clara" She whisper yelled at me looking around if anybody noticed us. And my body shook with fury, I hadn't raised my voice and even if I had it would be justified. Yet I took some deep inhales before speaking again.

"Mother, this is my life we are talking about. You cannot just tie me up with a stranger and show up to give me a heads up, I will not allow that." I whisper yell back, matching her tone from earlier.

"Enough with your drama, Clara, you are not a child. And just listen to me without interrupting, will you..." I nod stiffly, swallowing the saliva rising in my throat. "....His name is Bryce Jefferson, son of Chad Jefferson"

Chad Jefferson...? My lips parted in disbelief.

"I know what you're thinking. Yes, they're the same Jeffersons," she said, reaching over to place her hand on mine. To an onlooker, it might seem like a supportive gesture, but I felt the warning in her grip, urging me to stay put and listen.

"A few weeks ago, they proposed a merger. We were hesitant at first, but after some pondering, we agreed to merge our companies and, apparently, our families too. We initially wanted Maeve to marry Bryce, but they're both not interested in settling down. You're supposed to stay married for at least two years."

"So you sold me?" I almost screamed out in disbelief. I can't believe, they would do this to me. Tears threatened to surface but I tired my utmost best to hold them down. She has never shown me an ounce of love. If I create a scene now, she will rush out like she doesn't even know me.

"Shut up, Clara." She hissed at me, tightening her grip on my hand.

"You are hurting me mother" I said in pains.

"How dare you talk to me like this after everything your father and I have done for you. And this is not just for our benefit. It's for yours as well. We've convinced your café's partner to sell his share, but he's asking for a huge sum of money. If you say yes, we'll buy the café for you, and you'll be the sole owner like you've always wanted. Think about it, Clara," she speaks through gritted teeth.

When the waiter brings our food, she dives in like she hasn't just flipped my life upside down. Avoiding the food, I weigh her offer. What she's saying is right but cruel. My family is dangling the thing I want most in front of me – sole ownership of my café. If I agree, I'll never have to split my profits again. I can pay Allison well, hire new staff, and it's a golden opportunity I can't let slip.

"Okay, Mother, I'll do it. But I have my conditions. I want my café's ownership handed to me before the wedding, and there are some things I want to discuss with Bryce first," I say, not recognizing my own voice. Maybe this is what it feels like to do something immoral. My own soul seems to be distancing itself from me. She looked a little thoughtful for a moment before she nodded her head as if coming to a decision. "Don't worry about that. Bryce will come to meet you tomorrow. And one more thing, this shall not be discussed any further. The wedding will take place in two weeks and no one is supposed to utter a word about the contract, starting now. Because once the news of wedding is out. The media will be keeping a close eye on us. We cannot risk the news getting out in public. Do you have any other questions" She asked, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

"No, mother." I answer distantly, taking my purse to leave. My appetite is long gone now.

"Great" She answers with a smile, overlooking my state. "So he will meet you at your café tomorrow. Make sure you clear all your doubts because they must not be discussed again. Am I clear???" She warned.

"Yes, Mother." I said without any emotion.

After the dinner with my mother, I had to hail a cab as my mother left me standing there dumbfounded. At least our driver had the heart to call a cab for me so I didn't have to wait for long. When I reached back to the cafe It was already closed, only the small porch light glowed in the dark so I just went to sleep, dreading seeing Bryce the next day