Chapter 6

"Celeste," I heard as I was walking past the kitchen, heading towards my bedroom after the long tiresome day I've had. 

I rolled my eyes but sighed, I've been ignoring them for three days and I'm not used to not speaking to them and being angry at them. I`m still very much upset at them but it`s getting old now. Instead of ignoring them, it would be much wiser to sit down and talk about this so called arrangement of theirs so that I can make it crystal clear that I won`t accept it.

"Yes," I replied blandly as I walked into the kitchen and straight to the sink where I started to wash my hands, hoping to get the smell of raw meat off me. 

My mother was sitting alone by the kitchen island, eating watermelons and I looked at her as she looked at me and patted the extra stool besides her, "we need to talk, my child." 

I licked my bottom dry lip and sighed as I walked to her and sat down beside her, taking a watermelon and eating as I looked at her. 

"I understand that you're upset," my mother said as she looked at me, "and I understand that us saying what we did was offensive to you." 

"Ma-" 

"Let me talk and you'll talk when I'm done," she reprimanded and I sighed, scratching my forehead as I looked at her with tired eyes, "your father and I have supported each and every single decision of yours. When you said that you wanted to drop out of university and go straight into working, we let you and we supported you. Whatever you did, we were there and we supported you. We love you, and we want only the best for you," she said to me as she held my hand but I pulled my hand back. 

"We wouldn't be where we are right now if it wasn't for the Aebischer family. Celeste, that Mercedes that you bought with your "own" money, would've never been here if it wasn't for them." 

"Mama, it doesn’t matter how hard you try to sell this to me, I still won`t say yes. You're literally selling me. You're giving me away to some ma-" 

"Celeste." 

I bit my tongue as I looked at her. 

"We have a good relationship with them. Even when the business started to fail, that family still supported us and helped us. They helped us expand the business," she cleared her throat, "Celeste, I know...this sounds bad and looks bad because it is. But I've always wanted the best for you. I want you to wear the best clothes, I want you to have the best jewellery, I want you to have the best cars, I want the best for you and I've done so. I've given you everything to my ability. You know that, you know that I only want the best for you!" 

"Celeste...I would never look at a man after everything you've expressed to me, after everything I've gone through myself, I would never lead you to the same thing unless he was different and I was sure of it. This man...this man is different, Celeste, he's not like the rest. The first time I saw him and spoke to him...it just hit me, and I was like, this is the man that I want to marry my daughter." 

I shook my head, "you're unbelievable you know that?" I asked my mother, "really? This is how you're trying to sell this to me?" 

"Yes, because that's the way it is." 

"That's the way it is? Mama, I stick to my decision. You can't force me to marry this man," I said to her, standing up, "you can't force me to do something I don't want to do. You claim to love me so much but here you are, treating me like I`m some sort of a business deal, and don't even argue because it is selling me, and I refuse to be treated like an object and not a human being," I attempted to walk but she grabbed my wrist and I stopped as I looked at her and at the tight grip she had on me.

"I've done all that I could to make you happy, and it is time that you make me happy," she spat out venomously and I looked at her in shock, "I have given you everything! Everything that you've ever wanted and it is high time you returned the favour. Stop with this foolishness, Celeste, you can`t run away from men forever and you sure as hell won`t ruin this for our family. Your father and I have not worked this hard for you to just bring down our empire like this. Listen to me, you will marry this man, whether you like it or not. I don’t care how you feel, life is a bitch to all of us but we have to do what we must in order to be able to live the life that we do." 

I pulled my hand back from her, looking at her like it was the first time I've ever seen her. 

My mother's never spoken to me like that, she's only done so with my siblings and I never got involved. But now that I was on the other side, I was feeling victimised and guilty. 

"I've told him that you'll be available for Friday so you both can go and have dinner together and get to know each other," she said as she fixed her Chanel suit and then cleared her throat, "I hope you and I have an understanding." 

My eyes sharpened and I clenched my jaw but I didn't reply. 

 ~~~

Daddy Aebischer Point of View

I struggled to hold back my groan as I threw my head back, my hands tightly gripping this brunette woman's hair, to force her to swallow my manhood even deeper. Alice may be an airhead, but she could put her throat to good use. 

I could feel that I was close and her playing with my ball sack was just taking me to the limit and I could feel my eyes roll to the back of my head as I came into her mouth and forced her to swallow every last drop. 

She lapped at it like a hungry dog and then licked my cock clean as she looked up at me with excited eyes, "did you like that, Daddy?" She asked me, her need to make me happy clearly making her insecure. 

I just ran my fingers through her weak hair and then nodded, pushing her away so that I can tuck myself back into my underwear. 

"Is there anything else that you need?" She asked me, as she stood up nervously, her legs wobbling and I shook my head, "your 12:30 appointment will be here soon, sir," she stated sadly as she pulled down her leather pencil skirt and walked out of my office. 

Alice was the usual bubblehead personal assistant that I kept around and messed around with. I know they say to never mix business with pleasure but one can most certainly have the best of both worlds. 

I smoothed out my tie and then reached for the brandy that I had been drinking before Alice walked into the room and dropped to her knees. 

I heard my office door opening and I remained silent, taking my glass into my hand as I leaned back into my chair and then finally looked up to be met with the very people I didn't want to see but had to see. 

"Uh, Mr Aebi-" she began and I shook my head. 

"There's no time for pleasantries, Gugu. You've been wasting my time ever since I got here and you know I'm an important man with important matters to attend to back in Switzerland," I said as my eyes met her brown ones and she looked away quickly and looked at her husband. 

"Have you told your daughter about our deal?" I asked them, even though I already knew everything. 

Her husband looked at her and then swallowed, nervously before he nodded. 

This couple was one of the families my parents had oh so graciously helped. Don’t be fooled, my parents do not give anything to anyone if they don’t have an ulterior motive which now, 17 years later has surfaced. They could have simply found one of the daughters of their other acquaintances or business partners instead of…this woman. 

I don’t like Celeste and I didn’t even know she existed until two months ago when my mum sat me down and practically ordered me to marry this woman. To make matters more frustrating, Celeste is throwing baby like tantrums that I do not have the patience or desire to deal with. Which was why I needed her parents to step up and put her in her place because I have a lot riding on this arranged marriage. 

"She doesn't seem to be on board," I said to them as I tilted my head at the elderly couple and I saw them visibly shudder and shake in fear.

"Uh, she'll come around, Mr Aebischer. It's just hard, uh, hard for her to accept it," she stuttered out and I fought to not reach for my gun that was neatly tucked into one of table drawers and shoot her in her mouth. 

I hate when someone sounds unsure, I hate people who stutter and I hate people who don't get straight to the point. 

"I didn't fly all the way from the other side of the world to deal with your family drama," I said to the two as I brought my glass to my lips and took a much needed gulp, "I came here for one thing and one thing only, your daughter. As stated in our agreement," I paused and they both kept their eyes to their feet and refused to meet my eyes. 

"Yes, we understand, Mr Aebischer." 

"Of course you do," I said blankly. 

"She'll… she'll be there tonight," Gugu whispered as she looked at me, finally. 

"She better be," I just said as I looked at the two of them, "your daughter better be there tonight, or it's game over for you, her, and your whole family. I know I'm understood." 

Her husband seemed unsure and I raised an eyebrow, "is there anything you'd like to add, Steven?" I dared. 

"Uh," he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck, "I just...it's..." He sighed and I waited impatiently, "please don't hurt her, my daughter. She's...she's our youngest child and she's all we have left." 

I blinked slowly, having the urge to roll my eyes but I stayed silent and looked at them until they both nervously looked at each other. 

"As far as I'm concerned," I paused, placing my empty glass on the table and ringing my fingers together, "your daughter was sold to me...by you. So, I get to treat her, the way I want." 

I smiled, a cold smile, "now, excuse me, I have an appointment in thirty minutes, and you must leave." 

~~~

I groaned, doing a weird stretch to help with my back muscles because my back was aching. I'd just come back from the butcher, cutting my day short because I had to go to dinner with this strange man that my parents want me to marry. 

I wasn't going to go but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go so I could tell this man that whatever my parents promised him, it wasn't going to happen. 

I fumbled to get the house keys out of my Prada handbag, checking to make sure I locked my car and walked to the glass door, putting in the key and unlocking it. 

I heard the sound of the TV and knew that my mother was home. She's the only one who watches TV in the living room, unlike the rest of us normal lazy people who watch in our bedrooms. 

I turned and closed the door behind me, looking down at my wristwatch to see the time and make sure I wasn't falling behind. I just needed two hours to get ready, so by 19:00, I'll be all done and dolled up. 

"Celeste," I heard my mother's voice and I turned to find her coming from the living room, "two packages came for you," she said to me, and I smiled. 

"Two? I only ordered one thing," I said to my mother and she nodded. 

"The second is from Mr Aebischer," she said nervously and I sighed, rolling my eyes but nodded as I walked to the stairs, "Celeste," she stopped me again and I turned and raised an eyebrow. 

"Yes, mama?" 

"Thank you," she just said, "I know I'm asking a lot from you." 

"You are," I agreed as I looked at her, and she bit her lip, "but then again you didn’t give me much of a choice, did you?" 

I didn't wait for her to reply as I walked up the stairs to my bedroom. I found the door already open and stepped in. I slowed in my walking as I saw what was placed on my bed. There was a big black box with a red bow that was the packaging for the dress that I had ordered but besides it were red roses. I walked to the bed, dropping my Prada handbag on it as I looked at the bed of roses, a smile unknowingly coming to my face as I picked up the card. 

I'm excited for our first dinner together, hope you like the roses.

-D. Aebischer

I flicked the card and it flew from my fingers and my attention moved from the bed of roses, to the black box. I grinned at the box, too excited to open it. 

"After I shower," I said to myself, leaving my fingers tingling in excitement as I thought about the red ball gown I knew would be sure to be breaking necks and hopefully, breaking a heart.