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Meeting is adjourned
Mia couldn’t believe her ears.
“Listen, you’re doing this for our family, for your father. The Andrews have agreed to form an alliance with us, but only if you marry their son. I had no choice. It’s for the sake of this family. You understand, right?”
“What?!” Mia struggled to comprehend everything the woman was saying, her face turning pale.
Barbara’s anger flared at Mia’s reaction. “What’s with that look?!” she snapped.C0ntent © 2024 (N/ô)velDrama.Org.
“You shameless thing! You should be grateful they’re interested in someone like you! They’re rich and will take care of you! All you need to do is bear children for your husband. You should be grateful and show appreciation!” She sneered.
In a rushed manner, Barbara added, “There’s just a small problem. Your husband is epileptic. But don’t worry, it doesn’t matter. It’s a sacrifice you have to make for our family. Now, behave.”
Without allowing Mia to respond, Barbara forcefully dragged her back and pushed her towards the waiting guests.
Grinning, she gestured with her hands, “She’s all yours now.”
Mia was dumbfounded. She struggled to find her voice but felt as though it had vanished. She couldn’t believe everything that was happening and the cruel words that had been spoken to her.
“Very well, Madam Thompson. We’ll take our leave now with our bride,” Mr. Andrew said, offering a curt smile to Barbara
“Very well,” Barbara grinned.
“I’m not going!” All of a sudden, Mia screamed. “I don’t want to go!”
“What are you doing? Stop embarrassing this family!” Barbara snapped. “You’re getting married, you should be happy!”
“But I’m already married.” Hot tears streamed down Mia’s face.
“What?” Barbara laughed.
“That’s not true,” She said to her in-laws. “I apologize; she’s just overwhelmed by the sudden news.”
Barbara then ordered two male servants to forcefully carry Mia into the guests’ car.
“No! No! I don’t want to!” Mia cried earnestly as the servants bundled her into the car.
“We’ll proceed with helping your husband’s company as discussed. Have a lovely day, Mrs. Thompson,” Mr. Andrew said, smiling curtly at Barbara, before leading his group out.
As the car drove away, Barbara mouthed to Mia, “Be good. Don’t worry, you’ll be well taken care of,” and waved.
Barbara then returned upstairs and unlocked the door to her room.
“Mom! What was that for?! It’s getting late already!” Her daughter whined and immediately headed downstairs.
But to her surprise, the living room was empty. “Did Mia leave already? Where’s Mia?”
Barbara responded from behind her, “You don’t have to worry about that girl anymore. She’s married now. Her father-in-law came for her a while ago.”
Vivian had a hard time processing what her mother had just said. “What do you mean she’s married, Mom?” She squinted suspiciously and added, “Mom, what did you do?”
Knowing her mother’s character, Vivian couldn’t believe that Mia had gotten married without saying anything.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?!”
“Listen, I did it for us,” Barbara snapped.
“What did you do? What exactly did you do?” Vivian felt a headache coming on.
“I married her off. I had no choice! Don’t worry about her; she’s in safe hands!” Barbara waved off her daughter’s concern.
“Mom!” Vivian couldn’t believe her ears.
Barbara was enraged. “What would you have me do? Your father is seriously ill, the company is now failing. Something had to be done. The Andrew family offered to help, and in return, they wanted that girl for their imbecile heir. I had to do something!”
Vivian was rendered speechless. She couldn’t comprehend the full extent of her mother’s actions. Imbecile? She married Mia off to an imbecile? That was just too much!
“But we could have found another way! Why Mia?” Vivian was on the verge of tears.
Barbara’s anger flared even more. “What other way is there?! You ungrateful girl.”
Ungrateful? Vivian was confused.
“Do you know who they wanted? You! The eldest daughter of the Thompson family. You! Should I have offered you to them instead? Should I call them back to come and take you?” With that, she angrily went upstairs.
Vivian was dumbstruck by everything she had heard. They wanted her? So, it was her they wanted, and Mia went in her place. Slowly, she settled on one of the chairs, tears flowing freely from her eyes.
Poor Mia, what would become of her now?
***
Shawn had been in a foul mood throughout the day, and as usual, everyone in the corporation bore the brunt of it as if they were responsible for his mood.
The CEO was in the conference room, unleashing his anger on the higher-ups when his phone started buzzing on the conference table. Initially, he ignored it, but the incessant buzzing irritated him.
Annoyed, he glanced at the screen and saw that it was Jasper calling. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he raised a finger, signaling for Lucas to pause reading the blueprint.
Jasper knew better than to call the CEO unnecessarily. Usually, when he had a message to pass, he went through Lucas. So, for him to call directly, Shawn immediately knew it was an important matter.
Could Jasper’s call be related to the girl? Shawn wondered. The room fell into an eerie silence as everyone watched the CEO pick up the call.
“Yes?” His magnetic voice echoed through the large room, sending shivers down everyone’s spines.
A few moments later, Shawn’s face darkened, and he abruptly stood up, striding out of the meeting room.
The stakeholders were left perplexed.
“What’s going on?”
“Why did he leave?”
Even Lucas was unsure of what was happening. “The meeting is adjourned,” he quickly announced to the stakeholders, packed his belongings, and hurried after his boss.
He managed to catch up with Shawn in the elevator, just as the CEO was ending the call. “Send me the address and stay there. Don’t do anything until I arrive.”
He then ended the call.
Lucas, who was completely unaware of the situation, silently followed his boss as they headed to the underground car park. The cold and dangerous aura emanating from the CEO confirmed that something terrible had occurred.
Lucas’s phone chimed, and he checked the new message. It was an address from Jasper. He quickly noted the destination.
Closing the back seat door for the CEO, Lucas rushed to the driver’s side and zoomed off.
—
After the CEO hung up, Jasper parked the car in a hidden corner and remained seated behind the wheel.
FLASHBACK:
After leaving Beats Corporation and dropping off the CEO, Jasper made his way back to the school where Mia attended. He parked the car in a secluded area, intending to review Mia’s personal file that Lucas had sent him a few minutes earlier. Sitting inside the car, he delved into the documents, trying to gather as much information as possible.
As the school day came to an end, students began pouring out of the premises. Among them, Jasper caught sight of Mia in a rush, holding hands with another girl who he recognized as her sister, Vivian. It was evident that they were in a hurry to go somewhere important. Jasper squinted his eyes, observing their swift movements.
Initially, he wondered if Mia had forgotten that he was now responsible for driving her home from school. He contemplated stepping out of the car to remind her, but his attention was drawn to Mia and Vivian quickly entering a taxi. Jasper swiftly started the car and followed them.
It soon became clear that Mia and Vivian were heading to their family’s residence. Upon their arrival, Jasper parked the car in a discreet spot nearby and discreetly watched as the two sisters hurried into the main house.
After a while, another car approached the Thompsons’ compound, and a group of people emerged from it, swiftly entering the house. Within a short span of time, Jasper witnessed Mia being forcibly dragged out by two men. Shocked by the unfolding events, he watched helplessly as they forcefully stuffed her into the car and locked her inside before returning to the house.
Confusion gripped Jasper as he silently observed the group of people from earlier on entering the same vehicle that Mia was now confined in, speeding away from the residence.
It was evident that Mia had been abducted, and he felt a surge of urgency to take action. Without wasting a moment, he ignited the car engine and began trailing them.
After a tense while, Jasper swiftly dialed the CEO’s number, knowing that he needed to update Shawn on the distressing situation at hand.