Chapter 3 Decision

Chapter 3: Decision

The next morning in the old mansion, Annabella woke up with dark lines beneath her eyelid.

Since yesterday, her rest has never been peaceful. Getting a cold divorce yesterday from Louis Calvin, her ex-husband, and now, her uncle wants her to marry a stranger she doesn't know about.

Standing from bed, she sauntered downstairs, but she bumped into a strange figure in the living room.

Gripped by fear, Annabella took some steps backward watching the figure in the living room. His features were rough-hewn and masculine with a dominating irresistible charm.

“ Who are you?” Her voice struck from afar uninterruptedly scrutinizing the man’s demeanor.

The young man looked up from the book he was holding, narrowing his eyes to Annabella who was standing ghost-stiff on the stairs.

“ I am not here for you so don't mind me” he replied and flipped to the next page of the book in his hands, focusing more.

His response did not sit well with Annabella.

He sounds dominating or what Annabella could not just spontaneously figure out. How can a stranger like him feel so relaxed in her uncle’s living room?

“ How did you get in here?” She calmly asked after running a full scan on him that he was a responsible young man.

That was how Annabella was. She can read people’s moods by scanning them with her eyes.

“ You don't seem to get tired of seeking attention” His words were succinct but powerful without a trace of friendliness in them.

Annabella swallowed hard and walked down from the stairs flattened in defeat. It was just hard reading his personality, especially from his unfriendly voice that contradicted his congenial looks.

As Annabella approached him, he shrugged at her aura that seemed possessive of everything around him.

He scoffed.

“ You are not a thief. Are you? Do you want to see my uncle?” Annabella asked him and he sighed, taking the book off his face again.

“ Pretty loquacious lady” he muttered to himself, palming his head from Annabella’s inquisitiveness.

This action irked Annabella already. In her heart, she has given him a code name ‘ The arrogant man’.

His words and attitudes always deflated her like a balloon but she was going to let him keep defeating her.

“ I will call the cops on you if you don't tell me how you broke in here” She threatened in her fragility and he cast a cold gaze at her.

Turning back, Annabella’s gaze catches a glimpse of Logan walking out from one of the rooms downstairs.

“ Doctor Romero, sorry for keeping you waiting “ he giggled

“ You know him, Uncle Logan?” Annabella asked her uncle, surprised.

“ Yes, this is Romero Remighton, a general surgeon in Stanford Hospital” Logan introduced and Annabella froze within.

A general Surgeon? She kept staring at Romero.

She could see him cringe at her inability to read people correctly as he sat dominantly on the couch.

“Mr Logan, I came here because of the new mandate of ARGSON. Uncle Edwin told me you know about it” Romero cast a curious gaze at Logan.

Logan winked at Romero, signaling him to quit the conversation because of Annabella who stood by them listening

“ Ummh, Doctor Romero, please meet my niece, Annabella Whales. She is the lady I told you about '' He said and looked at Annabella” Anna, this is Romero Remington, the young man I want you to marry” he introduced, smiling progressively at them.

The two young adults glanced at each other at once and Annabella turned her eyes back to her uncle.

“ What? Him?” She protested wanting to decline immediately but suddenly remembered her inheritance.

She already hated Romero because of his arrogance and besides, she was not interested in marrying any man again.

Why is this too hard for her Uncle to understand?

“ You don't have an option, Anna. Remember?” Logan bombarded Annabella and her tantrum dropped.

Romero was not surprised to hear what Logan said. They have discussed it before in ARGSON but he was just meeting Annabella for the first time.

He scanned her from heads down. She was beautiful and alluring just as he wanted.

But something is wrong somewhere. Annabella looked too innocent and naive like some frail hedgehog.

Looking at her and remembering the mission ahead cursed Romero’s heart to flutter.

But he has a plan.

Standing up from the couch, Romero walked gracefully to Annabella in the place where she stood.

“ Hi, Miss Annabella” He extended a friendly handshake to her but she bluntly refused to shake him.

“ It's okay, Doctor Romero. We are getting married anyway so no need for the formalities” She snapped laconically.

“ C’mon, Anna, show some courtesy to your husband,” Logan interrupted.

The way Uncle Logan spelled the word ‘ husband ‘ made Annabella spiteful.

“He is not my husband even if I would marry him” She snapped. “ Please excuse me, I'll be in my room now, uncle” She walked out.

No need to be dramatic. The case is simple. Annabella has decided to marry Romero and divorce him after one year of their marriage when she gets her inheritance back from Logan.

Shortly after Annabella left the living room, Romero slumped on the couch to face Logan. No woman has ever intimidated him the way Annabella just did.

“ Mr Logan, I am marrying your niece right away” replied Romero.

Logan smiled faintly. He was glad Romero accepted the deal without objecting.

“ I'm glad you are Romero. ARGSON is proud of you” he smirked.

Romero glanced at Logan with a face that suggested betrayal and stood up to his feet to leave.

He shook Logan's hand and said to him” We are striking this deal now! ”

With hands clenched firmly against each other, Logan glanced at Romero.

“ No betrayal, Romero, And remember the rules of the game”

“ I don't betray people, Mr Logan. You will see the results soon” With this, Romero stood to leave with another backed-up plan.