A loud bang could be heard when Camellia slammed her bedroom's door close. She tried her best to calm herself but it didn't work. For nine years, she had been holding everything inside. Her dad asked her to cooperate and make peace with Christie as they had become family.
Recalling when she was thirteen, her dad, Andrew went back home and informed that he would use the money that Michael gave her as living expenses for that year. Michael started giving her living expenses as he saw how hard her dad was making a living. He even offered her dad a job at one of his sub companies seeing how good her dad qualification was. Andrew accepted the offer, but he only worked for three months before he resigned because he fell madly in love with Pamela, Christie's mom. After hearing about that, Michael stopped giving the money directly to him.
She didn't know how much her dad got from Michael that year, but that money was enough to help Pamela's company to survive for a while before Andrew used his brain in business to make Pamela's company stand back on its own again. Reminiscing how messed up her dad was when her mom passed away, she scowled in exasperation. How could he fall madly in love with someone that easy when he swore to love his wife to death before?
At first she was quite happy having a sibling that was two years older than her but it only lasted for a year. They showed their true colours after that. She didn't know if she should consider herself lucky about having a dad, sometimes when she told him about what Christie had done to her, he would brush it away saying 'She was too spoiled' or 'try to give in, you are a sibling.' Dad must have said something to Christie that made her barge into her campus. She didn't plan to tell her dad but he saw it when she rushed out to go to the saloon.
Ding!
[Sophie! I've got a new picture to make your day!]
She read the message that she got, her mood changed a little bit.
Ding!
[But I won't give it to you without an exchange! Tell me what you've got…]
Another message that came in managed to make her smile. That was from Adam. He was the only one to call her by the name Sophie. Her full name is Sophie Camellia, but she disliked Sophie, just because there was one bully girl with the same name as her when she was kid. Therefore she often introduced herself with only Camellia.
Not good at waiting, Adam sent another message.
[Did something happen?]
He was like a mind reader, as usual. When he saw the read sign but no reply after, he would wait for a while but since she usually replied within five minutes or called him right after, he would know when something was wrong. Why? She and her phone were like a magnet. It was always around her and she would answer the message or call immediately if she was not occupied at that time.
To not make him worried, she replied.
[Nothing wrong. I just got back from campus. So how worthy is the picture? In order for me to think of something for an exchange.]
[Teaser!]
He sent a sneak peak. Half cut picture of Alex, wait Alex's abs to be exact! Adam continued to bring laughter or smile to her days. It was like he put a sensor on her to detect when she was sad or upset so he would come and make her happy. He treated and protected her like a real brother and she loved the feeling of having one.
[I don't think I have anything for an exchange and to be honest I'm upset with him. He doesn't even remember his own fiancée!]
A few seconds passed and a call came in.
"Did you meet him already??" His busy body was automatically on! The cold and dominating leader of WT Group totally changed his character when it came to Camellia.
"Yeah, he is rude." She stopped when she heard laughter from Adam, "to the core!" She finished her sentences and was greeted with another round of laughter.
"Don't you know he was rude since the first time you met him?" He asked.
"I don't know, all that I could think at that time was, 'who is this handsome brother.' "
Her response made him burst in laughter once again. She was telling the truth though, at that time, for a ten years old girl, he was like an angel that was sent down from above. Exaggerated? Nope! When she met him again last time, she still felt that God made him with everything extra. Not just him, Adam too! Both siblings are works of art.
"Are you sure you want to get married to him then? The rude Alexander?" He was actually concerned. He knew Alex was not that bad but he could be harsh and hearing Camellia's family condition, he was afraid she would end up with more stress.
"Yes." Her answer was the same two years ago, when Michael asked her if she wanted to break up or proceed with this marriage plan. At that time, Michael was ready to cancel the plan, he even talked with her dad a week before to discuss it. Since her dad was already having his own life, he wouldn't even care about hers. For him that thought that money was not a concern anymore, proceeding or cancelling it wouldn't even affect him at all. For information, the business was doing well, but their level was like sky and earth.
"You still didn't give the reason why?" He asked her twice before, but both of them were answered only with a smile.
"I just don't know…" How could she explain that she fell for him at the first sight? The ten years old that was just starting to explore the world, fell in love. It sounded absurd even for her.
"If there is nothing like forcing, I am ready to welcome you into our family. Even though for now you are already my baby sister." Adam said he always loved the idea of having a baby sister.
She gulped once, her eyes narrowed, thinking about the real reason she decided to stay in this arranged marriage. Truthfully, Alexander being her first love was not a strong reason to make her stay after being left for twelve years with no certainty.
The real reason was simple, she wanted to escape her stressful life and for now Alexander was her only hope!