chapter 7

Chapter 7

My mom held out more pictures for me and I frantically snatched them up. It could be seen that danike was fucking another girl?

But did he cheat on Rivers?, but he looked like a nice guy.

It did take a genius to know what people would think when they saw these. In every picture their face was in full view.

I looked at my parents in utter shock.

"What's going on? Where did you get these pictures? Grandma…. " The voice died in my throat with the glee I saw on her face.

She gestured for me to return to my seat.

Then she turned to the Blackwell's "I want a diversion from the issue at hand. And if you don't agree to my proposition, I won't think twice about publishing those pictures even if it means dragging your family name in the process. Who wouldn't think that your son was the main reason behind his finance disappearance"

"G-grandma"

"Enough of this"

My grandmother merely laughed at Mr Blackwell outburst, I turned to my parents but the bored expression they wore as they watched these scenes unfold told me all I needed to know.

I looked at Danike next, what about him? What if this story goes out?.

If this story goes out his reputation would be in shambles.

I saw his hand fist over the table but he maintained that smile that mocked me. Why?

I shook my head as I turned back to the head of the table. "Grandma, what's going on? I—"

"Shut up Irene, don't you think you have shamed this family enough already?"

My mother cut me off mid sentence.

Tears sprung to my eyes but I had to blink them back.

"Danike, you already have a reputation to keep, don't you?" My grandmother explained calmly.

"You have been with a number of socialists and models but you were smart enough to hide it from the media and the general public. It just takes one word to bring you to your knees when I publish these pictures"

Mrs Blackwell smiled then " so as not to brand our son a manhore, you want to wed your granddaughter off and quickly announce that to the public to diffuse what happened last night? Is that it, Isabel Porter?"

What? What marriage?

My grandmother matched her stare "precisely, a marriage between both families on exchange for your son's reputation"

Mr Blackwell shook his head " this is lunacy"

I agreed completely, but at that moment I lost my voice.

It was all these being suddenly thrown at me, I had no words for what was happening.

My dad scoffed, " Mr Blackwell, I know you've been having difficulties putting your son into management, maybe the general public would like to know why?" I have never seen my father with this look on his face. Triumph. Dark malicious triumph

My grandma nodded " isn't that the reason you wanted to rush and marry him off to his current runaway fiance?Marriage brings stability, a picture of responsibility and maturity in a person. And a good family name added to that would put you at ease. The porters are already a big name in the industry, it's a win - win situation for the both of us"

I expected Mr Blackwell to rebut but he fell silent then.

My grandmother must have hit a mark.

I couldn't do that, this was my best friend's fiancee. I couldn't do that

"But grandma—"

"Fine. I will get married then"

All eyes turned to danike. My mouth falling open with the words dying on my lips.

The smirk was gone and somehow the smirk he gave me was as cold as a blizzard.

Thoroughly confused Mrs Blackwell turned to her son, " Danike you don't have too…."

Danike waved his mother away. " I'm okay with getting married. Why not? He laughed dryly as he faced my parents. "But are you sure you'd want to leave your daughter with me after seeing those pictures?"

His words were like final nails to my coffin.

My heart shattered as I turned to my parents.

Nothing in the way they looked back proved any concerns to his words, any concerns to me.

Dad picked up his wine glass and drank from it.

"As long as you are married, I have Nothing more to say".