章 21: It's now formalized

"Today would be the most historical day of my life. Not only am I marrying an old man, but a man with a wife as old... as old as his wife is meant to be," Arissa noted in her thought looking at everyone around the table with a straight face.

And to her surprise, her parents were holding a smile on their faces. Her anger tripled as she gritted her teeth and looked back at the couple who she would be a part of soon.

And then, the woman looked directly at Arissa's face after the short kiss with her husband," Did you accept our conditions, Mr. Lincoln?" The woman asked turning to Arissa's parents now.

Arissa left brow raised with the authority filled in the woman's tune. She turned her face to her parents hearing what the woman said but with one look at her mother's face, she almost lost her cool because of the strong urge to crack up, to be frank, she loves the fact that someone made her mother feel deficient.

"I thought you only wanted Arissa," her mother chimed in.

"My son can have any caliber of woman he wants," the woman said with a distrustful gaze on Mrs. Lincoln, " we accepted her not because we are in need, but because of what we agreed."

Arissa did not hear the remaining part of the woman's speech because she stopped listening after the mention of a son.

Son? Why is she getting married to the son?

Hell, don't get her wrong. She is somehow grateful for the fact that she is having a change of groom but how many more surprises await her today and why isn't that son here?

Her frown increased when she noticed how the lawyer looked at her from the other end. Like - like a look of pity or something close to that.

And then, he took his eyes off her and then to her parents.

"Mr. Wyatt, why isn't your son here?" Arissa asked still with a straight face and not letting her anxiety and uncertainty about how this deal is with her to show.

Mr. Wyatt passed her a look but said nothing to her and turned to his lawyer, "Bring out the sealed contracts they signed and the copies," he said to his lawyer ignoring Arissa's question.

The table became thick with tension as the lawyer carried his briefcase and placed it on the table.

"Am I not ought to know that also?" Arissa asked through gritted teeth as she sat up straight.

Her eyes darkened as she turned over to her parents. If they try to mess with her one more time, she would make sure their company would not see a future again even if it means losing everything she has.

"Why is_"

"He had some business to attend to," Mrs. Wyatt answered but with a less stern voice, " And what did she mean by 'is she not meant to know that also?' Mrs. Lincoln?" she asked Laura and her voice went back to the stern sound.

They both seem to be in a feud, especially with how they looked at each other as if cutting daggers," Mrs. Lincoln am asking you a question. What and what is she not cleared about?" Mrs. Wyatt asked and her glaring dagger voice made Arissa's lips curl up. It would have been so much fun if this lady was her mother.

Her father passed Arissa a hateful glare before smiling over to Mrs. Wyatt, "You see, when..."

"Let your wife speak," Mrs. Wyatt interrupted irritated with Mrs. Lincoln's attitude.

Arissa grinned looking at how laid back Mr. Wyatt is. He is not a man of many words.

Mr. Lincoln smiled awkwardly before placing his hand on his wife tight. All their tricks and plan would fall here and now if she messes up and even the marriage would no longer save their company.

Mrs. Lincoln's hand took off from the table as she placed it on her husband tight. This action did not slip through the eyes of everyone at the table.

"You see when the company started crumbling with our negligence, we kept it away from her, and that is something we regret doing because... because she is the best daughter and accepted our offer the moment she saw it would save the company," Mrs. Lincoln justified Arissa speech with a clear tongue.

Arissa crossed her legs with a polite smile as she listened to her mother's smooth lies. 'The journey of making them pay would be more interesting than I anticipated,' Arissa thought.

"Since you accept this yourself, am sure you already know that my son has lots of women and this marriage is not of loyalty, devotion, and commitment but just on name and paper right?" Wyatt asked Arissa looking in her direction and directly into Arissa's eyes which made her be in a great struggle with her emotions.

'Lots of women huh! So why did he not marry one of them?' she asked inwardly but as if like an answer, the benefits Mrs. Wyatt spoke about covered her memory.

And for the commitment part, she knows it already. It isn't something her parents need to enlighten her on. She also on her part can't promise devotion but for loyalty, she would try not to soil their names openly.

Arissa laughed politely, "Yes Mr. Wyatt. I know that already. But if I may request anything, I would want to be allowed to work with earnings,"

Mrs. Wyatt raised a brow and turned to Arissa, "You would be allowed to work," there was also a soft smile on her lips which Arissa returned with no struggle in her pretense.

"So if you would be okay with that, I think we just sign the contract. I have to go somewhere from here in the next thirty minutes," she asked with her smile not breaking down.

"We would sign that immediately," Mr. Lincoln said quickly in light of the fear that Arissa might change her mind.

Mrs. Wyatt smiled softly at Arissa, "I hope we get along and you know what you are getting into,"

Arissa's jaw tightened but her smile remained. To be truthful, she does not know in detail what she is going into but she has to say yes to Mrs. Wyatt's question and strangely, the woman's smile made her warm. She imagined her mother's face with that smoke directed at her but sadly, that is something impossibly difficult.

Her mother would never give her such a warm smile, "I know Mrs. Wyatt," she assured. She hopes that this woman would forever be this warm to her.

"Okay then, you sign this," The woman said with a calm voice taking the documents from the lawyer and passing it over to Arissa.

And after a few readings and signings, it was formalized.

"Remember what my company has in return," Mr. Wyatt said standing up followed by his wife and everyone at the table.

Arissa noticed the distrust in Mr. Wyatt's voice and he is smart to not trust her cunning parents' motive.

Mr. Lincoln smiled before stretching his hand out which Mr. Wyatt took I'm a handshake, "I would not break my promise the moment my company comes back standing,"

Arissa picked up her bag and arranged her wristwatch. She is tired of seeing that despicable smile on her father's face. His smile widened even more since she signed the contract.

Mr. Wyatt took his hand off Mr. Lincoln, "If your company fails to raise back after two years, the deal would end with you giving us our benefits because we gave ours. We are not a charity and I would add not even a second once the two years are finished off," Mr. Wyatt's cold voice spoke up with a warning and without waiting for Mr. Lincoln to reply, he took his wife's hand and walked away and to the door.