Chapter 2:

“You’re really not going to tell me what this is all about?” Dara asked Teddy. They were four hours into their flight and she was getting restless wondering what the reason was for her being summoned back. “Did I do something wrong?”

“What makes you think that?” Teddy asked, smiling gently at her. At 29 he was five years older than Dara. His father and Dara’s father were brothers. Teddy was an only child, the eldest grandchild, and stood to inherit the position of CEO of the family company. Dara and her younger brother Thunder were like siblings to him.

“The fact that Grandfather sent you to get me, that’s what,” Dara answered drily. “You’re no errand boy, Teddy. Grandfather has greater need for you at home. So what’s so important that he would allow you to leave his side to come fetch me?”

Teddy broke out into a laugh. Dara always was a sharp girl. Like Teddy, and now Thunder, Dara had attended the top schools in Seoul. He recalled too that she always took the number one spot amongst her classmates. Of the grandchildren, Dara was the one that took after their grandfather the most. She loved math, numbers, and figures and she had a natural knack for making money. In grade school when most kids were concerned with play Dara was taking her allowance and investing it. By the time she was fifteen Dara already had an impressive financial portfolio and had already made her first million all on her own.

“Actually I was in New York for a meeting already," he informed her. "Stopping off in D.C. to pick you up was not the inconvenience you think.”

She was silent as she regarded this bit of information. “What were you doing in New York?” she asked. Teddy spent time telling her about the project he was working on and she sat attentively, listening and asking all the right questions. He smiled secretly as he watched her. She would be a great asset to the family business if only their grandfather would give her the chance. Unfortunately their grandfather was old school and believed it was the man’s role to be the bread winner while the woman was to be the wife and a mother. Dara knew this too and she hated it. It was one of the reasons she was working so hard was to prove to her grandfather, father, and Teddy’s father, that she was more than capable to take a leading position in the family business.

After a while Teddy advised Dara to get some sleep. “When we arrive a car will meet us and take you to get ready for this evening.”

“Will you be in attendance?”

“No. It’ll be just you, your parents, and grandfather from our family.”

Her eyes suddenly widened and Teddy silently cursed his slip up. He tried to act nonchalant as he leaned back to close his eyes, but Dara’s voice stopped him.

“Oh – !” She swore loudly and glared at Teddy, who was now glaring back at her.

“What did you say?” he asked, surprised at her cursing.

“He’s going to marry me off, isn’t he!” Dara was livid. She fumbled at her seatbelt and was halfway up out of her seat when Teddy restrained her.

“Sandara!”

“That’s it, isn’t it!” She was yelling and the attendant, surprised at the noise, stuck her head into the cabin to see what was going on. Teddy switched to sit in the seat right next to Dara. He had his hands on hers, physically restraining her, his face close to hers.

“Listen to me, Dara,” he said, keeping his voice calm. There were angry tears already forming in her eyes. “Just remain calm.”

“Calm?” She sounded and looked hurt as she stared back at him. Her breathing slowed but her voice still shook slightly with anger when she spoke. “I’m right aren’t I, Teddy? That’s what this is about. That’s why he sent you to get me. He needed to make certain I’m there because he’s planning to marry me off to someone, isn’t he?”

She could see it already in her head. She would be wedded off to some family as part of a business deal that would be of benefit to both families. Much like how Teddy’s wife, Bom, had been promised in marriage to him. “I don’t believe this,” she muttered.

Yes she had wanted to be an asset to the family business, but not like this! Ever since she was young she had envisioned herself working in the business, not marrying some stranger who would then take the position that should rightfully be hers! Just the thought of it was getting her riled up again.

“I’m sorry,” her cousin said, sincerity in his voice.

“Who is he?” Dara asked, her anger barely controlled as she stared at Teddy. “Tell me his name.”

Teddy sighed and sat back. “You know him actually. You and he attended the same high school.”

Her brows furrowed as she thought back to school and all of the boys she could recall who had been her classmate. But there were too many to process through. “Who is it?” Dara demanded.

Teddy silently hoped their grandfather would forgive him for divulging the information to Dara before the actual engagement dinner. “It’s Kwon, Jiyong of the Kwon group.”

Dara didn’t utter a word as she took in the name and dug through her memories to place a face with it. Suddenly her mind clicked on one particular individual, one of the high school bad boys who had tons of fangirls, smoked, drank, skipped classes, and in her memory was a manwhore. He was also a damn idiot – she couldn’t even remember what place he ranked amongst her classmates, but it certainly wasn’t anywhere near the top. Her eyes grew wide in horror.

“Kwon Jiyong? Oh hell no!”

**

Jiyong stalked into the study and stood across from his father. “Do you think you can blackmail me into agreeing to your plan by taking away my credit cards and cars?”

“I also froze your accounts, turned off your phone and blocked you from using any of the family charge cards or store accounts,” his father replied, not bothering to look up from the report he was reading.

Jiyong narrowed his eyes. “I still won’t agree,” he said stubbornly. His father merely shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s completely up to you. I’m just giving you a taste of what your life will be like without all of the privileges of being a Kwon heir. And mind you that it was your grandfather that told me to do this. So don’t think you can weasel your way out by going to see him. Frankly I’m not a big fan of arranged marriages but unfortunately that’s the way things are done with families like ours. In case you forgot, your mother and I had an arranged marriage as well.”

“How can I forget?” Jiyong mocked, “We all know how well that turned out.”

“I thought it worked out very well, all things considered," his father replied. “The merger between our family and your mother’s family helped increase our net worth, and you were born. What’s not successful about that?”

“Well let’s see,” Jiyong stated, pretending to contemplate his father’s question deeply. “Oh, how about the fact that you and mother live in two separate homes, rarely speak to each other, and lead completely separate lives?”

His father turned the page of the report he was reading, still not bothering to look up. “Some couples do better not spending so much time together. That’s what your mother and I are like. It doesn’t mean that we don’t respect each other or are not there for each other when needed. I’ve never cheated on your mother nor she on me.”

Jiyong smirked as he placed both hands on his father’s desk and leaned forward. “But do you love each other?”

His father raised his eyes to look at him. “Son, a lesson you would do well to learn now is that marriage is not only about romantic love. There must be mutual respect, and compatibility as well. Your mother and I may not be head over heels in love with each other, but we care for one another in our own way. If not we would never have lasted the 27 years we’ve been married. We also understand each other and know and accept what is expected of one another because of our similar backgrounds.”

The older Mr. Kwon then opened a drawer and withdrew a folder that he slid across the desk towards Jiyong. “That is the girl that your grandfather has picked out as your future wife. Read through it and be prepared to meet her tomorrow night. Your mother and I have both reviewed the file and approve of her as well for you. You probably already know her since she went to the same high school as you.”

This piqued Jiyong’s curiosity as he picked up the folder and opened it. He saw the picture of a brown haired girl, with chocolate colored eyes staring back at him. His first impression was to admit reluctantly that she was pretty, but contrary to what his father said, he didn’t recognize her. His gaze dropped to the information provided with the picture and read her name. Suddenly his eyes widened as the name triggered an image of a girl he vaguely recalled. She was class president for the last three years of high school and class valedictorian. One of those real ‘goody-two-shoes’ girls that had her nose in the air and thought she was above him and his friends. A real Miss Know-It-All. He’d caught her on more than one occasion staring at him with a look of disdain in her eyes. He thinks he remembers flipping her the bird one time too and how she had glared at him and turned red with anger. ‘Sandara Park, the Ice Queen…’

Jiyong shook his head and declared, “Oh hell no, I am NOT marrying her!”

**