winning her back (Sample)

4

Alessa

8 Years ago

Alessa had just turned seventeen when her parents announced her engagement to Markellos Trevisio. She knew about the Trevisio name, everyone in their circle knew about them but none of that family were social or public, except for Dion, but he wasn't really part of the family.

They were eating dinner in the family dining room, sitting as usual with her father at the head of the table and her mother across from him. Unlike most wealthy families, their table sat only four which was why they had another dining room for when they had company. It was a cosy set up and their parents spend most of their dinners giving each other coy-loving looks whilst she and her brother rolled their eyes at it.

"Engaged?" Alessa asked with a frown.

"Yes, you're old enough to want to start dating now so as is our tradition we found you a match that is ideal." her father stated.

Alessa bit her lip at that, if her dad knew she'd already been dating he'd lose his mind. She glanced at her brother Andruw who knew about her dating life. His face was passive as he looked back at her. She looked at her mom and realised she hadn't told her father about Alessa's boyfriend.

"But Andy isn't engaged, why should I be?" she questioned and noted her brother glaring at her for throwing him under the bus.

"That's different." her dad stated.

Usually, Alessa went with what her dad wanted but this seemed unfair. "How, because he's a male?"

Her dad sat up straighter, his gaze becoming that much focused on her though there wasn't anything she could glean from it. He sent her mother a look that Alessa tried to puzzle out. As much as she knew her parents, sometimes they were a mystery to her.

Her eyes watered as she thought of the reason why she would be different from her brother. It was common knowledge and some people had tried to use it against her, to make themselves feel better when in reality they hated that she was an heiress who came from a stable and loving home. Her parents had never made her feel less but what else could it be?

"It's because I'm not Greek enough isn't it?" she demanded as she stood up and glared at her dad.

"Sit down Alessa." her dad said in a stern voice.

She thought about ignoring the command and leaving the room but she'd never disobeyed her father before. But then he'd never made impossible demands of her. It wasn't that she was in a great relationship with someone, she'd just broken up with her boyfriend. The issue was how unfair it was that they'd choose her future husband and not do the same for her brother.

She took her seat and folded her hands on her lap like a good little miss should, all the while hating that she was a good little miss. She kept her head down, not because she was ashamed, but because the last thing she wanted was to face them when they were ruining her life. Sure, Grecian families still arranged marriages for their children but she'd never thought her father would be one to do that. He seemed so modern.

"I had a shotgun wedding in Vegas." her brother stated in the ensuring tense silence.

Her head shot up in surprise and she met her brother's grey eyes, so like their mother's. "What?" she couldn't believe it. Andy had just come back from a Vegas trip with his friends and he hadn't said anything to her. They were close that even with their three years apart they didn't keep secrets.

"That's why they're getting you safely engaged before you do something as stupid as I did."

She wanted to ask who he'd married, where she was and what had happened. Looking at her parents and how tense her brother was she decided to leave it until they were alone and she could grill him. Not that he looked like he wanted to talk about it but if she had to get engaged because of him he owed her.