CHAPTER 2 Conditions
~Richard~
I disconnected the call, rubbing my forehead. That wasn't a call I expected to receive but I guess surprises are a part of life. The door to my office opens, and her scent filled my head. "You look stressed, my love. Who was that on the phone?" She wraps her arms around my shoulders and leans in close.
"That was Sophia." Catherine's arms wrap around me. I know she has mixed feelings when it comes to Sophia, but I had hoped that things would have gotten better by now. Catherine pushes me back and settles on my lap. I let my face fall into the crook of her shoulder, breathing in her scent.
"What did she want?" Her hand stroking the back of my neck is making it hard to concentrate on this conversation. "Love?" I pull my head up and clear my throat.
"Uh, she says she needs help with something. She'll be in tonight."
"That's not much notice. She should be more mindful." I hold in my sigh, not wanting to rock the boat. I hate the tension between my daughter and my love, but I guess I have no one to blame but myself. Hopefully, the visit goes well and ends quickly.
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I glance at my phone, tracking the time. I hope she's almost here. I hate that she wouldn't let me send a driver to get her, but what can I do when she refused so vehemently? A knock on my door has me standing from my chair, trying to straighten my clothes. "Enter." The door opens, and Sophia walks in, taking my breath away.
My daughter is so grown, making me feel like I've missed so much. I guess I have, and I can only blame myself. Sophia looks every bit the Alpha's daughter, and I couldn't be prouder. Her jet-black hair flows down her back and frames her lean face. Her cheeks are rosy, her button nose, and her eyes are big and blue. Sophia is a beautiful 5'7 that any man would be proud to have by his side.
I walk toward her and hold my arms open wide. Sophia tentatively steps forward and allows me to embrace her. She awkwardly pats my back, and my heart breaks a little. I can't blame anyone but myself, so there's no point in dwelling on it. I step back and gesture to the chair for her to sit. Instead of sitting across from her, I sit in the chair next to hers. "I'm so glad to see you. How are you? What's new?" Sophia looks around the room but doesn't say anything. It's the same office as before, but I guess there are a lot of changes. She reaches over and picks up a picture frame from my desk. It's a picture of myself, Catherine, and our kids. Sophia doesn't say anything, but the mood in the room changes.
"I came to ask for your help." She places the picture frame back and sits up tall. "Mom is sick, like really sick. We don't… I don't have the money for the hospital bills. She needs an expensive treatment and if I don't pay by tomorrow, they will make her leave the hospital," her voice cracks at the end. I sigh and run a hand down my face.
The truth of the matter is that I owe them. After everything that happened and how I handled things, I owe them all this and more. I tried to provide for them once they left, but my ex refused all of my attempts. I couldn't make too many attempts, because Catherine would get mad. I admit that I slacked off pretty quickly because it was what Catherine wanted.
I lean forward and place my hand on Sophia's knee to give it a squeeze. Before I can answer, Catherine's voice fills the room. "Absolutely not! Do you think we have money to spare or something. All these years, your mother should have been saving money for just in case."
"Catherine-"
"No, Richard. You two are divorced. You don't owe her anything." Sophia stands, her eyes on the wall ahead.
"I'm sorry to have wasted your time. I will go now." I reach out to grab her, but I'm stopped by Catherine's voice.
"If we were to give you the money…" I turn to the door where Catherine is standing. I have no idea where she's going with this, but I'm interested to find out. "If we do pay those bills, you would need to do something for us." Sophia turns to Catherine with her shoulders squared and her head held high.
"What do you want from me?" Catherine crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe.
"It's nothing major. You would just need to marry Nathaniel Preston of the Shadow Moon Pack."
Catherine! What are you doing? He's meant to marry Chloe.
Richard, stop! She wants money, and Chloe wants out. Just trust me.
"Well? What will it be? We will pay all of the medical bills first thing in the morning. All you have to do is agree to marry Nathaniel." I want to cry out. I want to scream at Sophia to walk away; she doesn't need to do it this way. I will make sure the bills get paid; it's just not like this.
"I'll do it." My heart drops at her answer. I look at Catherine, who has a gleam in her eye and a smirk on her face. I watch Sophia walk out of my office, my heart filling with dread. What did she just agree to?
~Sophia~
They kept their word and paid the medical bills the next morning. It's been two weeks, and Mom seems to be responding well to the treatment. She's asked me a few times where the money came from, but I've been able to avoid answering each time. When I'm not with Mom, I'm filling in on wedding details and getting fitted for my dress.
Now, I'm standing in front of the mirror, fluffing my gown down, scared out of my mind. I agreed to marry a man I don't know and haven't met. What the hell was I thinking? I did some digging to find out more about my future husband, and what I found did nothing to ease my nerves.
Nathaniel Preston is the youngest son of the Alpha of the Shadow Moon Pack. His older brother is set to take over the pack, and Nathaniel spends his time living the high life. There are a lot of rumors swirling around about him, and some have been on repeat for years. Those are the ones that make me feel like this is a big mistake.
Nathaniel is known for his womanizing way. He's rarely seen without a new woman on his arm. I guess that isn't so bad since this is an arranged marriage. Maybe I can get him to leave me be while he has his trysts. The other thing I've heard that has me worried is the fact that it's been said that he's abusive to his lovers. This could be a big lie, but my guy is telling me not to brush it off so quickly. I can only hope that he never becomes my lover. It isn't like he needs an heir or anything.