“Xiomara, what is the meaning of this?” he asked once he’d shut the video down.
“Dad, I can explain.”
“I’m disappointed in you! You’re marrying Russell Darden, Xiomara! This cannot be happening. Do you know what this looks like and what he and his father might think if they were to see this? I’ll tell you what they’ll think! They will think that you’re not the chaste woman we’ve depicted you to be and that you’re running around on your fiancé! Not a scrupulous woman of integrity! Do you know that you’ve put this merger and marriage at risk? This arrangement has been years in the making and one foolish decision with this boy! The reason that I suggested you leave in the first place and the first thing that you do when you return home is getting back mixed up with him again? How long? How long, Xiomara!” he exclaimed, smacking a fist on the top of his desk.
“Dad, I should have had this conversation with you a while ago.”
“What conversation?” he asked, standing up behind his desk, sending his chair spinning back.
“About what I want.”
“What you want? You don’t know what you want, Xiomara! You’re a foolish young woman who needs to have her father and her husband make decisions for her because if she doesn’t, she does foolish things because of her heart! This concerns me, and I’m not sure you’re ready to take the reins at Sheffield!”
“Dad! This isn’t okay! You and mom have raised two beautiful, intelligent women who have minds of their own. I know that you want us to follow our culture's norms to have our spouses selected for us to ensure our success, but we’re not living in that day and time anymore. I need you to be open-minded.”
“Open-minded? Open-minded!” he laughed. “I’ve been more than open-minded by allowing you to take a leadership position in this company at your husband’s side. That’s more than what most fathers would do!”
“By his side, Dad? The agreement and understanding were that I would lead this company. I would lead Sheffield Tech into its bright future, not run it by Russ’ side!”
“You’re not capable!”
“Dad!” “Gaurav!”
My mother rose from her position in the corner and came to stand by my side. A calmness took over me as she took my hand in hers and held onto it.
“Semira,” my father said in a warning tone.
“No, Gaurav. This is going too far. I’ve stood back and allowed this to go on for too long. Our daughter is not happy. I cannot back you on this.”
“Semira, you’re out of line,” my father argued.
“I may be, but so are you. When you married the first time, it was an arranged marriage, and you grew to love her. But you told me on our wedding night that you were thankful you’d had a second chance and that this time you didn’t want to miss out on genuine love. How can we not give our daughter that same opportunity? She was born from love, not an arrangement!”
“She has made a fool of us!”
“No, she hasn’t. You’re making a fool of yourself making this stance, Gaurav!”
My father turned his gaze back on me.
“I have one question, Xiomara.”
“Yes?” I hated the way my voice trembled.
“Do you want Sheffield Tech?”
“Yes.”
“Then you will marry Russell Darden, and we will make this right!” he declared, jabbing his finger at the floor. “Is that understood?”
I swallowed.
What if Lake didn’t feel how I did? Chasing me might have been a game to him. What if he didn’t come through for me the way I wanted to believe that he would?
The risk was too great.
Lowering my eyes to the floor, I replied, “Yes, sir.”
When I dared risk a glance at my mother, I could see the hurt and disappointment in her eyes.
Turning to leave my father’s presence, my steps felt heavier than they had before. But there was nothing I could do because Lake wasn’t a guarantee.
CHAPTER 23 – LAKE
I DIDN’T INTEND TO scare Xiomara but to free her spirit. The only thing that I could hope when this was all said and done was that she would cast off the expectations her people’s cultures had cast upon her.
My time until her wedding was dwindling, and I know that I had little of it remaining. She’d answered my calls the next day after I’d left Prestige.
It was hard, but I’d convinced her we needed to talk, one final conversation, and I would leave her alone. But she had to do it my way.
When she’d asked what that way was, of course, she’d balked at meeting me at Prestige and taking part in what I had in mind. She’d read me the riot act about what happened with her and her dad. She’d offered to meet me somewhere else.
Of course, I’d known taking her to the Christmas villa would be risky, but I’d chanced it anyway, thinking that we wouldn’t get caught. Never would I have expected that someone would catch us in the act and post it to social media or send it to the news stations. As expected, she wasn’t happy about it. And I’d had to change plans to meet at my house and make dozens of promises that no one would be the wiser.
She’d agreed to meet me on my terms. However, she’d said we would have to say goodbye after our encounter, but I knew it wouldn’t be goodbye, thanks to a conversation with her best friend, Chanda.
I now understood what Xiomara needed to feel secure, and I could give her that.
Impatience ran through me until I heard the doorbell ring.
I made my way to the door and pulled it open, my eyes drinking her in as she stood there looking so beautiful.
“Lake?” Her voice trembled.
“Hey there,” I replied.
When she stepped inside and handed me her coat, I almost lost my
