𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 | ✓

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩 𝟐

I haven't stopped walking since I stepped out the front door, and my tears haven't stopped running down my face. It's dark out now, so the only thing making me visible is the city lights around me.

My phone has been vibrating in my bag, but I don't bother looking at it, whether it's my parents or my boyfriend, I can't bare talking to either.

How am I going to tell my boyfriend I'll be marrying another man? How am I to tell him, that it's no longer possible for us to run away and get married like we've been planning since we were kids. Luka and I aren't big fans of the "rich and business" lifestyle, but I don't have much of a choice yet — not anymore anyways.

Now I find myself chained down for life, without him.

It was once possible for me and Luka to get married together, even with my father's permission, our fathers would talk about it all the time, though that was before everything happened.

Thinking of him instantly makes me feel guilty, but as I was going to grab my phone and call him myself, it started vibrating in my bag again. I shove my hand inside and pull it out, but only to see an incoming call from my father.

I don't want to answer, I want to call Luka. I almost decline the call but knowing my father, he'll get me home one way or the other, and neither he nor his men are gentle. After a little pause, I lift the phone to my ear and answer, "Hello?" with a sniffle.

"Vivienne, we must talk, please be on your way home." He's back to his calm, dulcet yet demanding tone; he's probably had a few more drinks and is already ready to argue again. Though, I feel like there's nothing to argue about, I really do feel useless in this situation. He's way more powerful than me, and he always gets his way when it comes to his job.

I sigh in defeat, "Okay." my easy cooperation must have shocked him because he let out a slightly surprised chuckle before thanking me and ending the call. He's used to my refusal and arguing, but honestly, I've just accepted this, there's nothing I can do.

I pull my phone down from my ear and scan my phone, fifteen missed calls and countless messages from Luka, all displayed on my lock screen. My heart clenches and another tear rolls down my cheek as I unlock my phone.

I scroll past his contact and search for Benny's and the phone rings a couple of times before he eventually picks up, "Yes, Miss Whitlock?".

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I didn't say a word the whole ride home, but Benny could tell something was up. After I thanked him and said goodnight, I walked up to the wide front doors and took a deep shaky breath, it feels so odd walking into my own home now, knowing i'm not wanted.

I push myself through the door, entering the quiet dark foyer, the only light coming from my father's office, at the top of the stairs. I quietly shut the door behind me before making my way to his office, trying to go as slowly as possible, still unprepared for this.

"Vivienne, come in." he must've heard me standing outside the door, too hesitant to walk in. I let out another sigh and slowly creep around the door. "hi, father." he gestures towards the double velvet chairs in front of his thick wooden desk. "please, come sit."

I sniffle and try to shake away the emotions away. I must appear stronger, stronger than my mother and stronger than his other weak pushover business associates. Which is all he see's me as now, not his daughter, not his little girl, but business and dollar signs.

I slowly sit down on the edge of the seat, with my bag sitting on my knees. He gives me a soft smile while piling papers on his desk. "So, I know earlier things got a little — emotional." I frown at his words but decide to keep quiet. "Vivienne, you must try and understand where I am coming from, this is a huge thing for the business, I know you don't know much, but I've kept it that way for a reason—"

I frown at that too, he doesn't know how much I actually know.

"But you must know, this is important to me, and it's for the safety of me and my family. We don't want to end up like the Stones now, do we? You know what happened with Luka's father." I scoff in response, I hate that he talks so low of them, they were once successful and rich like him, it was out of their control.

"Leave them out of this." I say quietly, he nods in response, leaning further back in his chair with his glass of whiskey in his hands. "You also must know, this isn't entirely what I want, but you're my only child, my daughter at that, maybe if I had a son to take on the business, you wouldn't be in this situation, but we can't have everything we want, right?"

As much as I know about my father's disappointment that he has a daughter and not a son, it still takes a knife to my heart to hear him say it. I believe that's another reason why he's never had much to do with me growing up. I guess this is the only chance I have to show him I'm worthy of something and be useful to him in some way. Will this make him less disappointed if I just agree?

I slouch further back into the chair and I find myself half considering this, I stare down at my boots not listening to any more of my father's rant about how a son would do better for the business, but only becoming more and more okay with the idea. I've always wanted to be enough for my father, this could be my chance.

"okay yeah— I'll do it." my words cut him off, causing the room to fall silent. His face eases up and he gives me a relieved and a slight proud smile, "Thank you, Vivienne. Ryder Forbes is an excellent gentleman, you'll love him, I'm sure of it." I cringe at the thought of 'loving' someone other than Luka, but for my father's benefit, I won't correct him.

After an awkward silence, his voice cuts right through, "Tomorrow night, eight sharp." I look up at him confused, "The dinner with the Forbes, don't be late please, we need a good first impression." Tomorrow night?, that's sooner than I thought, they really just want to get this over with.

I don't even know how I'm going to tell Luka, it's impossible. I don't want to break his heart, I can't, he's the last person to deserve that. "Okay." I stand up off the chair and make my way towards the door, "Goodnight, Vivienne." I don't respond, instead, I keep walking out of the office, closing the door behind me.

I hate that he thinks so low of me, that money would be enough for me to throw my whole life away, but I refuse to tell him the real reason to why I've agreed to this.
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I'm nervously standing at the end of my long driveway, waiting for Luka to arrive. The words "I'll do it" have been circulating my brain, and the guilt has been eating at me ever since I agreed to this.

How could I have done this to him, to me, and why. All for what, some measly validation from my own father? I'm pathetic.

Suddenly, headlights catch my attention and his car rounds the corner of the street, before stopping in front of me. I take a breath before opening the passenger door, and I'm met with Luka's worried face.

I slid into the warm car, unable to find the courage to look at him, so I keep my head down. "What happened?" His voice is barely above a whisper, filled with worry and uncertainty. It's as if he knows what I'm about to say or that I'm going to be breaking some bad news at the least.

I avoid eye contact with him, I can't bare to watch him break into a million pieces. he's the last person to deserve this. "Viv?" I suddenly feel his warm hands wrap around my cold ones, and I sink into his touch.

I manage to peer my eyes up and look into his, the ones that will soon break, one's that I'm sure I'll never see the last of the remaining sparkle in. I've seen many tears in Luka's eyes, but I've never imagined I'd be the one who'd cause them.

When I feel like I can form a sentence, I take a deep breath, and in an attempt to rip off the band-aid, I let it out— "I'm getting married Luka."

When I don't receive a response, I raise my head a little. He looks so confused, his left eyebrow raised a little as he studies my face, searching for an explanation. I wasn't expecting him to understand straight away, but I was still hopeful, so that I wouldn't have to explain it myself.

I turn away from his face, unable to bear to stare at it any longer. He remains quiet, as if he's still trying to figure it out. I save him the time and clarify, "Arranged married." I mumble, that seems to be enough for him, because he's pulled back and has sunk into his chair.

I can hear shaken breaths beside me, but I can't tell if he's crying or not. I lift my head and turn towards him, he has his head down while fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "I don't plan on leaving you, Luka." it's true, I don't plan on having anything to do with my 'future husband', I don't even know him, and I don't plan on getting to know him either.

He doesn't look up from his lap, "That's not how it works Viv, you know that. plus, who's to say you won't fall in love with him, we both know how this will end."

I shake my head in disapproval, "You know that'll never happen Luka." I reach over for his hand, and this time he allows it, he slowly looks at me, his eyebrows slightly knit together, "Promise me." I frown, and tilt my head slightly to the side in confusion, "Promise me you won't fall in love with him."

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AN/word count- 1800