章 2: Your wedding is today!

"Preparations for my WHAT!!!?" Crystal exclaimed.

This has got to be one of Karen's classic jokes, because there was no way in hell her father was making plans for her marriage, I mean to who?

She never left the house and was always locked away in her room whenever there were guests over. Neither has she introduced anyone to her father before or even gotten to know someone long enough to make such introductions. So whose marriage could he possibly be planning?

"Ha ha very funny." Crystal says in obvious pretense.

"I wish it were Crysty, but I overheard your mom and dad talking about it downstairs before I was instructed to call you down. He sounded pretty serious." Karen says, her previously taunting voice is laced with pity.

She decides to see for herself and abandons her sketchbook to head towards the living room. She nods in acknowledgment to both her bodyguards who were always situated at the front of her room and hurries down the flight of stairs, oblivious of the several servants who bow in respect, the moment she passes them.

"Certainly there isn't any cause for alarm." Crystal thinks to herself. Although if she truly believed that, Karen's words wouldn't have made her legs move faster than they normally would have.

As she walks towards the dining area, she sees her dad sitting at the head of the table in his usual spot. Her mom is seated to his right, and the rest of the important staff members like Madam Rosa and Mr. Felix, a skilled fighter who headed the security team and often stayed at a reasonable distance from Mr. Pembroke, sit at the other end of the dining area.

Without hesitation, she makes her way to the left side of her father, opposite her mother. As she sits down, she looks over at her mom, trying to get some form of intel from her first before having to ask upfront but gets a weak smile in response.

"Good Afternoon Dad, Mom. I wasn't expecting to see you at this time." Crystal says to her dad, as an attempt to start a conversation.

"Yes, I had to fly over to handle something very important sweetheart." Ryan responds to her.

It was obvious he had a lot on his mind and at the tip of his tongue but struggled mentally on how to voice them out.

Crystal feared Karen might have been right after all. Ryan Pembroke was not a man to hesitate with his words or his actions. If he wanted something, he went hard for it.

"Oh-oh, the last time you had to fly in for something important, we had to live in the safe room for nearly a month." Crystal reminds them.

It had happened during the last election four years ago, her father had put in a lot of energy and a huge amount of money and was obviously leading the race. Unfortunately he received disturbing news that his opponent had sent a spy into the Pembrokes mansion, whose exact intent or identity had not been identified.

Mr Ryan didn't wait to find out and hid his entire family in the safe room, only allowing them out after the election was well over and the results were called.

The dangers of his profession made Crystal wonder why her father was adamant on pushing forward in his career.

She knew very well that the Pembroke's wealth had been accumulated and passed down several generations and that her father's political revenue didn't amount to two percent of his actual net worth.

What she couldn't understand was the reason he had refused to stop despite the risks involved.

"What did I say about bringing such dark memories up?" Aubrey asks with a warning tune, shivering slightly.

Aubrey hated her husband's choice of profession but not as much as she hated when Crystal talked about traumatic incidents such as this one quite casually.

The last thing she wanted was for her precious daughter to think hiding in an underground safe room was a normal occurrence in a family of three.

Aubrey ignored the heavy pang that followed the thought of being only a family of three. Her darling Ashely should be here with her too. If it were up to her, she wouldn't have let her daughters experience any form of hardship. Sadly, Aubrey knew more than anyone that duty meant doing what one's heart may well regret.

Crystal Doesn't reply to her mother's rhetorical question but lowers her head, partially sulking.

"Honey, there's no easy way to say this so I am just going to say it." Ryan spits out, finally addressing the elephant in the room.

"Your wedding is today." He completes, releasing his breath slowly.

Crystal stays silent for what felt like forever, looking from one parent to the other before bursting into an immense stream of laughter.

"This is serious Crystal! Do not act like you're not already aware of it. I know that no good maid of yours must have been eavesdropping again." Aubrey says to her daughter in the midst of her laugher, totally unapologetic about calling Karen a no good in the presence of Rosa, her mother, who was close enough to hear her.

Crystal finally stops when she realizes she was still the only person laughing at the table.

"What do you mean I'm getting married? And today even!" She fires at her parents, refusing herself from believing it.

"What else would it mean? You are a grown woman, It is not uncommon for you to be making plans for your wedding." Ryan fires back in a harsh tone but avoids his daughter's eyes nonetheless.

"I'm only twenty-four for crying out loud! I haven't achieved half of the plans I have for my career and my whole life even. Getting married is the last thing on my mind." Crystal explains, already starting to panick.

"That doesn't count as an excuse. I was about your age when I married your father." Aubrey responds to her in a much calmer tone than Ryan.

"That was a different time, this is the twenty first century for heaven's sake!" Crystal cries.

"A different time? How old do you think I am?" Aubrey questions a little bit offended.

"Look guys, I have been in my workshop for over an hour and I still haven't been able to come up with something new." She starts to say, drawing circles on her temples to calm down.

"And although I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, it's really freaking me out." Crystal deadpans, surprised that she almost fell for her parent's scheme. Her getting married? Oh please.

"She just needs more time to process this." Aubrey ignores Crystal and says to her husband who is clearly very worried.

"Some more time? The Kellington's driver is already parked outside, her father states defeatingly.

"Hold on, the Kellingtons?!!!!!!" Crystal cries in horror.