ARIANA POV

I felt it again. That strange, unsettling awareness that someone was watching me.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, I lifted my head and looked toward the neighboring house, the one beside ours. Grandpa Ronan’s house. I had always known it was occupied, but I had never really paid attention to who lived there.

Until now.

A man stood on the balcony. He was tall, broad-shouldered, dressed simply, yet there was nothing ordinary about him. He stood with a quiet authority, his posture straight and commanding, as though the space itself bent slightly to his presence.

His face was sharp, handsome in a way that didn’t feel gentle but powerful. His eyes, dark and unreadable, even from this distance, seemed to pierce straight through me.

He was looking directly at me. My breath caught in my throat. Who is he? Why is he there? My mind raced. Could he be Grandpa Ronan’s grandson? A visitor? Someone important? I had heard rumors that influential people often stayed around Crest Town, but this, this felt different.

The moment stretched uncomfortably. Then, suddenly, he looked away. As if my shout earlier had disturbed him. Heat rushed to my face, embarrassment flooding me. Oh God. That was so embarrassing. I didn’t even know someone was nearby when I shouted like that.

Without thinking, I turned and ran back inside, closing the balcony door behind me and throwing myself onto the bed. My heart raced wildly, my chest rising and falling as if I had just run miles.

Wow. That man… he was handsome.

Not just handsome, he looked powerful. Dangerous, even. The kind of man who didn’t need to raise his voice to command respect. The kind people listened to.

If only I had met him earlier, before I met that scumbag Cole.

The thought slipped in uninvited, and I found myself giggling softly, covering my mouth immediately as guilt followed. When did I turn into someone who imagined herself with a stranger?

“Stop it, Ariana,” I muttered, knocking lightly on my forehead. “You’re someone whose heart was just broken, remember?”

I exhaled deeply, trying to steady myself. Attraction didn’t mean healing. It didn’t mean forgetting. It was just a passing thought, nothing more. Still… handsome men truly were a cure for many things.

Shaking my head, I stood up and went into the bathroom. The sound of running water filled the space as I stepped under the shower, letting the warm water cascade down my body. It washed away the lingering tension, the embarrassment, and some of the heaviness in my chest.

After my bath, I dressed in a simple gown, nothing fancy, just comfortable, and headed downstairs.

“Grandma! Is the table set? I’m hungry,” I shouted as soon as I reached the living room.

“Yes, dear. Come to the dining table,” she replied.

“Coming!” I said, jogging toward the dining area.

“Come, sit here, my dear,” Grandma said, patting the seat beside her.

I paused.

That seat was usually Lyra’s. I preferred sitting beside Grandpa, while Lyra sat with Grandma. The change made something tighten in my chest.

Maybe it was because they knew I was hurt.

“Alright,” I said softly, taking the seat.

I served myself quickly and began eating. In our family, meals were quiet, no talking, no distractions. Just the soft clinking of cutlery and the occasional glance exchanged.

Soon, we were done and moved into the sitting room.

“Ariana, my dear,” my grandmother said gently, folding her hands on her lap. “We would like to talk to you.”

My heart skipped.

“Alright,” I replied, forcing a small smile. “I’m all ears. I’m listening.”

“As you know, you are the first child,” she began. “Lyra is the second.”

I nodded slowly, confusion flickering through me. I knew this already, why was she saying it now?

“She is already engaged and will soon be married to the man introduced by us,” Grandma continued. “We can say it was an arranged marriage meant for you originally. But you didn’t like him because you were with Cole.”

My stomach tightened.

“So we introduced him to Lyra instead, and they liked each other.”

I swallowed hard. What is all this? I already know this, so what is she insinuating?

“We have always let you do what you wanted,” she went on. “We supported you. Trust your decisions.” Her eyes softened. “But this time, we have also arranged your marriage with someone.”

The words hit me like a slow, creeping wave.

“But the decision lies with you,” she added quickly. “We will not force you into anything.”

I sat frozen, my hands clenched tightly in my lap.

“You will meet him tomorrow night,” Grandma said. “At the party we are all attending.”

A party. A man. An arranged marriage, again. My mind spun as a thousand emotions crashed into me at once: shock, confusion, fear, resistance. Cole’s face flashed briefly in my mind, followed by the image of the man on the balcony, silent, commanding, watching.

I didn’t know what scared me more.

ARIANA POV

I burst out laughing, the sound sharp and hollow even to my own ears.

“You must be joking, right?” I asked, shaking my head as if this were some badly timed prank.

My grandmother’s face didn’t change. She looked at me calmly, too calmly, then asked. “Do we look like we are joking?”

The laughter died instantly. A heavy silence settled in the room, pressing against my chest. I swallowed hard, my fingers curling into fists at my side.

“Grandma… you can’t do this to me,” I said, my voice shaking despite my effort to sound firm. “I have the right to choose. I want to be with the man I love, someone I know, not someone I barely know and don’t love. I’m telling you right now, I am not going to any party, and I am not meeting anyone.”

My grandfather’s chair scraped against the floor as he stood.

“Watch your tone, young lady,” he said sternly. “You are coming. And you will behave properly in front of the man and everyone present. Do you understand?”

His voice carried authority, the kind that had never tolerated defiance. My chest tightened, anger and hurt collided inside me.

“I understand,” I said bitterly. “So this is why my parents asked me to come here. This was all planned, wasn’t it?” My eyes burned. “I was even starting to believe you were the ones who forced Cole to marry someone else. Or why else would you be rushing me toward another man so fast?”

The words spilled out before I could stop them. My heart pounded painfully as I turned and ran, not waiting for their response.

“We are doing this for your own good,” my grandmother called after me.

Her words followed me down the hallway, echoing like an accusation. As soon as I entered my room, I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, breathing hard. My legs felt weak as I stumbled toward the bed and collapsed onto it.

“How could they do this to me?” I whispered, tears finally breaking free. “Even if Cole wasn’t worthy of me… I loved him for seven years.” My chest ached. “They can’t expect me to forget all those memories in three days. They just can’t.”

I buried my face into the pillow, sobbing quietly. My mind replayed moments I wished I could erase, laughter, promises, dreams that now felt like lies.

I didn’t want to be with someone I barely knew. I had seen what arranged marriages without love could do. I had watched my friend grow up in a house filled with silence and resentment, her parents coexisting like strangers. The pain had etched itself into her, into all of us who watched.

I didn’t want that life. I didn’t want my children growing up in a loveless home, carrying wounds they didn’t deserve.

The thought terrified me.

“Calm down, Ariana,” I whispered to myself, sitting up slowly. “They said the decision is in my hands.” I wiped my tears. “I can meet him… and reject him.”

The realization eased some of the tension in my chest.

“Yes. That’s it,” I said, nodding. “I’ll meet him at the party, say no, and leave. I don’t even want to stay here any longer than I have to.”

The day of the party arrived faster than I expected.

Lyra and I were in my room, getting ready in silence. We had barely spoken to anyone since yesterday afternoon. I could feel her glancing at me through the mirror, hesitant.

“Ariana… I’m sorry,” she finally said.

“Please stop ignoring me.”

I didn’t respond.

“I knew about the arrangement,” she admitted softly. “They forced me to keep it from you. I promise, no matter how much they pressure me next time, I’ll tell you. Even if I have to do it secretly.”

I turned to look at her. “Really?”

“Yes,” she said quickly.

I exhaled, then nodded. “Good. Because if you ever hide something like this from me again, I won’t talk to you.”

She laughed in relief, and soon we were both laughing, hugging tightly like we always did.

“Girls!” my grandmother shouted from downstairs. “It’s almost time. Come down.”

“Coming!” We answered together.

Despite our wealth, we had always lived simply. That was the value our grandfather instilled in us, humility, discipline, gratitude. He had come from nothing, and he never let us forget it.

As we reached the door, Lyra stopped me.

“Don’t pressure yourself,” she said gently. “If you don’t like him, you can reject him. No one will force you.”

“I know,” I replied, squeezing her hand.

We walked downstairs together.

“My babies,” my grandmother said, smiling proudly. “You both look beautiful. Like queens.”

“Alright,” my grandfather said with a chuckle. “Queen mother and queen, let’s go.”

Two cars waited outside. The drive to the Coker house passed in silence, my thoughts racing. The estate was grand, glowing with lights and filled with expensive cars.

Inside, voices, laughter, and music blended together. We greeted familiar faces, exchanging polite smiles.

“Good evening, Grandpa Ronan,” we greeted in unison.

“Good evening, lovely ladies,” he said warmly. “It’s been a while. Have you forgotten us old men?”

“Never,” I said, smiling as I held his hand.

“Come,” he said suddenly. “Let me introduce my grandson.”

My heart skipped as he gestured behind us.

I turned, and froze. It was him. The man from the balcony. Tall, composed, commanding. His presence alone seemed to quiet the air around him. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

“Good evening,” he said, his voice calm and distant.

“Good evening, dear,” my grandfather replied.

“This is Ariana and Lyra,” Grandpa Ronan said. “The girls I told you about.”

“Good evening,” Lyra and I said together.

“Evening,” he replied.

“Stop looking so cold,” Grandpa Ronan laughed. “No one owes you money.”

A corner of his lips twitched, barely.

“Roman,” Grandpa Ronan said. “Take Ariana around.”

My grandmother nudged me gently. “Go.”

I followed him.

We walked in silence until we reached the balcony. The city lights stretched before us.

“We both know why we’re here,” Roman said quietly.

I nodded.

“Good,” he continued. “Are you ready for an arranged marriage?”

I stiffened.

“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” he added calmly. “As long as there’s loyalty and respect.”

I looked at him then, really looked at him.

And for the first time since my heart shattered, something inside me stirred, uneasy, unfamiliar, dangerous.

Because the man standing before me didn’t look like someone I could easily say no to.

And that realization terrified me.