CHAPTER 30“Look, my friend's forgotten all about me. You're married now, and don't mingle with us singles?"
I grab her and give her the tightest hug I can afford. She was still wearing her Love Spell cologne, as
always. "Thank you for coming,"
"I must give it to you, you look amazing, glowing, if I may add. Is marriage the secret?" She says as
she hugs back.
We break the hug. "You can say that." I smile.
"Well, I guess, that's a good thing. I should be expecting that." She says as she waves her hand, an
engagement ring visible on it.
I gasp in excitement, "Bloody hell! When? Who? Congratulations!" I say as I pull her in for another hug.
She shrugs but dismisses it immediately. "David." She says as she looks at me, directly in the eyes.
That was exactly what she did when she felt bad over something—looking you in the eyes to avoid any
form of guilt or burden.
"David? You mean, David Jackson?" I ask in complete shock an amazement, not just because he was
to be my fiancé, but because of the terrible decision she had just made. "You know what he's like, you
know what their family's like—how could you make such a reckless decision?"
"It's purely business. Political. It's just a year, or two. There's no dowry, no prenup and my freedom
after a year or two is finalized. My family needs him and his family needs us. It's a win win, right?" She
says.
novelbinI hold her hand, "Don't walk the same path I walked, Lydia. Don't let them use you in such a horrible
way." I plead, my heart, genuinely breaking for her. It dawned on me that our parents were all just thesame. Cut from the same cloth. Suddenly, but not the first time, I wished I was born poor. I would've
been hungry but happy.
"Just as much as I'm being used, I'm using them too. My family is using the Jackson's and I'm using my
family. Although, they have no idea, but they'll find out soon enough."
I raise my eyebrows in confusion, "How so?" I ask her. She tells me her plan and I look at her in awe.
Lydia had a quiet personality and a shy personality too, but what she had just said made me see that
even the most gullible person could be as cunning as a fox or even worse. A voice inside my head
begged me to take notes on scheming from Lydia so at least, I'd beat my mother in her own game for
once.
The party had begun, and people are socializing. I occasionally steal glances of Luke as I speak with
Lydia. Things had really changed since school and I'd realized I'd missed out on a lot. My friend Anna
had moved out of London to Germany to start a new life. Tracy had moved to Scotland for school, and
would occasionally return and Verónica was still here, in Shoreditch.
That's your husband? You can't take your eyes off him." Lydia states.
I blush, "I never thought I could love someone as much as I love him. It's just so surreal."
"What really happened? I mean with Rocket? We all thought you guys would end up together."
I sigh, "At some point, I did too, but I am glad that it didn't happen. I would never have been truly happy
with Rocky, you know? Lucas is the one, my soulmate."
"But it was an arranged marriage?"
I nod, "It was forced on me. I wouldn't say I was deceived but it was all deception. My mother
manipulated me into marrying him, but it all turned out for the better.""I'm glad it did, Natty. You truly deserve happiness."
I smile at her, "So do you, and marrying that arse, is not where you will find it."
"If marrying him will be how I can get what I want, then so be it. I'd marry him a hundred times if I had
to."
"Speak of Devil, and he shows." I say, as my focus is fixated at the entrance.
"Correction; they show." Lydia says as we both look at Senator Jackson and his son, David enter.
I watch my mother hurriedly rush over to welcome them in. Lydia and I are irritated. I see David look at
Lydia and she responds with a fake smile. He blows a rich-playboy kiss to her with his index and
middle finger. She catches it in the air and throws her hand down almost immediately. I chuckle. David
and I stare at each other. He gives a smirk and I turn sideways.
"I've got a really bad feeling about tonight." I say to Lydia.
"So do I, the only difference is whatever's happening, won't be happening to any of us." Lydia assures
me as she smiles.
Where's José by the way?" Lydia asks. I scan the room in a bid to find him. My eyes fall on him,
champagne in hand and a woman by his side. "Well, he's doing his thing, I guess." I chuckle, pointing
towards his direction.
"He's always had his way with the ladies. I wonder how we could even resist him." Lydia says. I laugh.
"What's the joke?" A third party chimes in and I turn to see David. The smile vanishes from my face.
"I don't know." I say in response. Lydia is quiet. I begin to wonder if her whole quite, calm behavior is a
charade because with me, Lydia was a very different person."How's my fiancé doing?" He asks, as he wraps his hands around her waist. She wraps her hands
around his neck. "I'm fine, thank you." She responds. Disgusted by the entire thing, I take my leave.
I begin to look for Luke but it doesn't take a while and I find him. He's talking to Senator Jackson. I
approach them. "My love," I say as I hug my husband. "What's happening? I missed being close to
you." I say.
Senator Jackson interrupts, "New marriages are always like this." I ignore him.
"I saw you with your friend so I thought you were having fun without me. I thought you needed the time
to socialize without me being there."
I caress his cheeks, "Always so thoughtful."
"Won't you say hello to the senator? I thought you were familiar?" Luke asks. I turn to face the senator.
"Oh, we are and not in any way positive." I say, a fake smile on my face.
"My dear, I'm afraid you'll have to put your old grudges aside. Your husband and I just got acquainted
and he's interested in becoming a co-owner of my new club."
I look at Luke, waiting for him to tell me what a big lie it was. Luke nods his head, but when he looks at
me, he can see the shock and disappointment on my face. "Yes- I've shown interest, but interest
doesn't mean I'll become your partner, Mr. Jackson." I look at the senator, wondering his motives for
approaching Luke. If only Luke knew that the man standing right in front of him tried to manipulate my
family into marrying me off to his son, he wouldn't be as entertaining as he was being to him.
"Maybe you could come over for Lunch at the manor in Shoreditch. We could talk real business there
and then." Luke says and my heart begins to beat. That wasn't an option, that could never happen.
Rocky was still in the manor and the senator and his son knew Rocky. Everything would fall apart ifLuke found out. "Why don't we go over to the senators house?" I say to Luke, desperately hoping he
would agree.
"I'm bringing the proposal so I'll do the visiting. It's not a problem." The senator says and I almost loose
my balance.
"Hey," I hear Lydia speaking and taking my hand. "May I steal her for a moment?" She asks and next
thing I know, we're far away from the crowd.
"I know that look. You're panicking. Why?"
I begin to cry, "I don't know what to do."
"About?"
"Rocky! He came over to Shoreditch, changed his identity, changed his hair color, everything. He's
acting like a mad man!" I whisper, anxious.
"And?"
I get up, "He's staying with us. He's living in my home, Lydia."
Lydia looks confused, "And?"
"The marriage between Luke and I was just a contract, it wasn't for love, it was for money and that's
why I left Rocky. Now, I don't know if he's back for revenge or if he truly wants me back but he's made
friends with my husband, and now has an excuse to live in the same house as us. Lucas hates him
because he caught me severally trying to run away with Rocket."
"So Luke doesn't know Rocky? He doesn't know the person pretending to be his friend is actually your
ex?" Lydia asks.I nod. "No."
"That's very dangerous, Natty. Have you guys. . .?"
I gasp, "No! I would never cheat on my husband. . . but he did kiss me and he did touch me, but it was
nothing more than that, I swear!"
"You let him. I'm not judging you, but if your husband ever finds out— "I know." I interject. "Luke is
perfect, he's good, kind, loving, but when he's offended, he becomes a beast, and I fear for Rocky if
Luke ever finds out."
"We just have to ensure that never happens."
"How? Your father-in-law is coming over to the manor for a business lunch with Luke and he will
definitely recognize Rocky!"
"Then Rocky has to leave, what the hell is his problem?" She asks as I bury my face in my hands.