You, Just You | ongoing

ii. occurrens tibi

ii. occurrens tibi

[ meeting you ]

Jenessa stared at her reflection and forced a smile on her face.

No. She still appeared exhausted and drained.

At least she looked the part of playing the reluctant bride, she thought cynically.

Sighing, she turned away from the mirror and left her room, the hem of her maroon dress brushing slightly below her knees as she left her room and headed down the grand staircase.

It was the day.

The day that she would meet Victor Ashford formally and sign the betrothal contract that tied them together for the rest of her life.

At that thought, she paused midway on the stairs, briefly wondering if it was possible to run back to her room and refuse to leave.

No. She couldn't. If she jeopardised this arrangement, Lyra would pay for it. Unlike her, her younger sister had a bright future ahead of her.

Even though a week has passed since she was informed about this, Jenessa still couldn't wrap her mind around the whole idea.

She inhaled slowly and continued to descend down the stairs, head held high.

No matter what happened today, she would still have her pride and dignity. No one could take either away from her.

With every step she took towards her father's study, her heart sank. Before opening the double doors, she paused and drew in a deep breath and opened them to see—

—her father waiting impatiently at his desk.

"The Ashfords would be a little late," he informed her curtly and eyed her appraisingly. "Good that you dressed up. We can't have them seeing you in any lesser state."

Jenessa really shouldn't be hoping for any words of endearment or reassurance from her father that everything would be alright. But she was.

Disappointment and bitterness curled up in her gut. She had been a fool to think that her father actually cared.

Edward waved dismissively. "Take a seat while we wait for them." He arched a brow. "I trust that word of this has not spread? Not even to Miss Harrison?"

She shook her head.

She didn't dare risk her parents' wrath to inform her best friend and it had been hell not having anyone to talk to.

"Good."

Jenessa stared at her hands, mind racing as the ticking sounds made by the antique grandfather clock drew her ever so close to the edge.

Hell, she was going insane.

There weren't any words to describe how she felt and thought. Her every thought was coming up with various escape scenarios and how she could possible execute them.

Apparently, she'd been so lost in her thoughts that she'd missed her family's butler announcing the Ashford's arrival.

On auto-pilot, she got to her feet and raised her head—

—and was met with ice blue eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before they glanced away.

Jenessa watched wordlessly as the man she guessed was Victor Ashford was preceded by a older man she presumed was Philippe Ashford.

If she ever thought that her father was the most intimidating man on the planet, she was now wrong. Her father didn't hold a candle to the patriarch of the Ashford family.