Sentenced to Marriage by MadlainQ

Half an hour later, I was sitting on a black leather sofa in the “Lune de Diamant” wine bar, holding a glass of fine Shiraz. Mr. Edmond was sitting in front of me, watching me drink wine while he enjoyed his espresso.

“Now can I learn more about Mr. Lan?” I asked, swirling the red liquid in my glass. He took a deep breath and finally started speaking, “First of all, I want to officially introduce myself… I’m Neil Edmond, Mr. Lan’s assistant. Since you’ve just become my boss’s fiancée, you should call me by my first name. It could sound awkward otherwise.” “All right… Neil.” I smiled nervously.

“Ms. Bell… You need to know that you will marry Mr. Lan in a month. It will be a private ceremony for only selected people invited, and no press allowed. There won’t be any official announcements until you two are married to avoid potential problems like those you caused us yesterday.” He smirked.

“Seriously?! I’m not some bimbo multi-dating with rich guys!” I roared. “Perhaps you are not,” he tossed with a sigh and quickly added, “but Mr. Lan will not risk something going south. Besides, do you have any idea how much it cost to keep everyone’s mouth shut and force all of them to pretend that this engagement party has never happened?”

I gulped. All the time I was focused on Liam’s revenge and Nicole as the main villain of the story, and I completely forgot how it could affect Aren’s image. I bet that it was Neil who handled all the press, and seriously, if I were him and had to deal with this situation, I would have strangled me for yesterday’s mess. “I’m… I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I only wanted the bitch who hurt my friend to be punished.” Neil smiled wryly and let out a deep exhale. “It was impressive though. We couldn’t find any evidence of hacking into the hotel’s system. You have some skills.” An awkward laugh escaped my throat. “Thank you… I guess.” “Stick to your talents. They can help you survive this marriage.” Somehow, Neil’s voice sounded a little too serious for a joke.

“What do you mean?” I asked before taking a deep sip of wine.

“Well… Mr. Lan is in the middle of a war of influence. He is fighting with his father and stepbrother in the States, as well as his mother’s family in China. Of course, it is nearly the beginning of the long list of people who would love to see Mr. Lan dead…” He laughed coldly. My lips stretched into a thin, nervous smile. “I can imagine that he has a lot of business

competitors and” “No, I don’t think you can imagine that. When I mentioned a war, I meant a real battle with casualties. Certainly, you will get our full protection, but you need to understand that from now on, you will have a target on your back,” he said with a deadly serious expression. I swallowed, emptying my glass. “I think I may need more wine to process it…”

About Àren lan

About Aren Lan…

By the time I finished the third glass of wine, I knew the basic information concerning Aren Lan and his family. Truthfully, it sounded like a soap opera script, a story of love, betrayal, and big money, and I would have even found the story fascinating if it weren’t for the fact that sooner or later I would have to deal with that story’s main characters. Should I feel fortunate that a few of them had died already? Neil was right about the necessity of drinking while listening to the story, though; the alcohol had done wonders with my ability to process the information.

I learned that Arents mother, Lan Liling, fell in love with Atnerican student James Winton. James was the son of Augustus Winton, the owner of Winton Corporation. Back in the day, Augustus’s company was on the verge of bankruptcy and needed huge investments to survive. James knew that Liling was a daughter of a wealthy Chinese family and decided to persuade his girlfriend to help him. Unfortunately, Liling’s father, Lan Jing, disapproved of her relationship with the young American and was even more unwilling to offer his family any money. Yet, what Lan Jing didn’t know was that Liling was already pregnant with James’s baby. The young girl decided to risk everything for love and her baby. She had stolen the Lan family’s money and escaped to live with the one she loved. When Lan Jing found out what his daughter had done, he disinherited her, forbidding her from going back home ever again.

James Winton wasn’t a saint, and poor Liling soon

good relationship with his father and had always sought a way to get closer to his mother’s family. He moved out of the Wintons’ mansion when he was eighteen and used the money he inherited when his mother died to pay for his education and start his first company. His business grew fast, and when he was twenty

to his mother. However, he put one condition: he needs to get married. Certainly, the old man wanted Aren to marry one of the girls he suggested, but Aren kept refusing. Eventually, Lan Jing allowed Aren to make his own choice as long as he would marry before his 80th birthday, and that gave Aren only two months to find a proper bride. No wonder he chose a marriage contract instead

to say that they hate each other’s guts. His father keeps accusing Mr. Lan

About Arenlan

three uncles and his cousins would like to get their hands on the shares Mr. Lan was offered. I bet they wouldn’t hesitate

bride?”

need to move into the penthouse. It will be easier to keep you safe in Mr. Lan’s territory,”

exclaimed as my head began to

a family that was able to protect her... As you realize, it’s a little different in your case. That is why you need to be extra careful whenever you meet someone new or even with people you already know. There’s a lot that people are willing

a chance to step into his world. I had seen them allowing themselves to be humiliated, wagging their tails around Callan and waiting for him to drop them a bone. I knew that Callan needed to be strong and act harshly to refuse them, but he had often abused the power he had over those who wanted his money. I was just too blinded with love for him to see that he enjoyed acting this way a bit too much. I still couldn’t tell why I

encounter. The restlessness grew within me as I realized the price I would have to pay for my two years of financial stability, but if I could slowly raise the money for Grandma’s operation without needing to pay the rent and other bills, then

we left the wine bar, Neil drove me to Park Avenue to show me my new home, a magnificent two-thousand-square-foot penthouse with wall-size windows and a view to die for. It was a two-story apartment with a huge hall and guest rooms on the lower level and the master bedrooms exiting to the roof patio upstairs. I was amazed when I saw the room that was prepared for me, but it

place was beyond

bed. I quickly shook that thought away and decided to focus on the delectable privacy the separate bedroom was giving me. I loved that bedroom. It was bright, spacious, and cozy. From the ebony flooring and silky velvet rug to a large white bed, a bed cabinet, a desk, and a vanity table all ornamented with white and a touch of silver, I loved every detail of it. There was a glass door in my bedroom that led

piece of paper with a list of names and phone numbers on it. “Please save those on your phone. As you can see, this is Mr. Lan’s business and private number. There is also mine and your private driver’s number. He will

About Arenlan.

is Benjamin Morris. Call him if

were justified. I nodded, acknowledging his words. Neil walked out of the penthouse soon after,

working on Liam’s revenge, I hadn’t had a day off in two years. I was either working at the