Chapter 2: MELANCHOLY

 Adonijah had ventured into production and selling of Jewelries due to its importance. It was a lucrative business believed to never die but Lustre was dying 

He single handedly raised the company to an enviable height. With such effort, he has refused to merge it with FM group. The Fashion and more group of companies has been the highest grossing fashion industry headed by the Franklivanias. The Franklivanias held the highest shares in the industry making them the lord of the Group. However, they wished to extend their prowess by merging with Lustre, the only single company that amassed great strength and value and yet, stood on it's own without help from any company, beating rivalry companies to be the number one in all of Vancouver, Canada.

They climbed the ladder of world recognition, competing with single companies from France to England and so on. There is high possibility that they can throw more feats if they join the FM Group as FM Group happens to be, by judgement, the best with different global chains of distribution but that won't be under the name Lustre but a general glory for the Group. That, Adonijah never wanted!

FM Group was already big, bigger than Lustre that's a single company on it's own but they knew the benefits Lustre would add to them. Not that they didn't deal on Jewelries also but Lustre waxed strong. First, they needed Adonijah's brain and business mindset and then, they needed Lustre's prowess as a company altogether.

That in question, they have literally tried everything possible to Adonijah's agreement but all to no avail until the Tiffany and co business deal happened. Lily had regretted deeply for modeling for the Tiffany and co, an event that brought her into the lime light. Even on the road, people request for her autograph. Her beauty cannot be undermined. It was a business deal with the great jewelry company in U.S.A that really uplifted Lustre but since then, the Franklivanias has tried to use it as a means to get Lustre. Since they have tried everything possible, they resolved to a marriage proposal, a bond of blood.

To that also, Adonijah did reject until things started taking a U-turn. The government of Vancouver, imposed serious taxes on Lustre for the stupidest reasons. Lustre had to pay or shut down. How could they pay much than what they profited. They started going bankrupt!

This time around, Lustre as an independent company cannot do it alone. That was when he started having a change of heart. Lily has prayed fervently that he won't consent to the marriage proposal and it was working perfectly. Marrying into such a big group meant forsaking her passion as road safety corp. But as things took a different path, she knew. That her father will eventually consent. *

"This shouldn't be happening now" she wept. Floria has already cried a bucket at the hospital. News flash, the mother had given up the ghost long before they could even reach the hospital. Lily was clouded with mixed feelings, everything was happening so fast. They, she and her sister, waited patiently for the doctor to tell them the fate of their father.

"Sir" they cried as the doctor surfaced.

"Calm down, flowers" he consoled.

"Why's everyone referring to her as flower today" she thought to herself although her sister was included this time around.

"What happened with him sir?" 

"Mr Adonijah is stubborn. He will fight it"

"Fight what!" Floria screamed.

"Calm down Ria" lily wrapped her hands around her shoulders. She had to play the big sis even when she, herself was loosing it.

"Your father is in comma"

The statement pierced like a snake venom. Although it wasn't dead, but now is not the time to sleep for so long even without the certainty that he will make it. Floria left a loud cry. Lily rolled her eyes in disbelief. She doesn't know wether to cry or be happy that at least, he's not dead. But for a man of his figure, what matters is his company. Lustre is in a perilous time for crying out loud! 

At home, she was lost. In thoughts as deep as Pacific ocean. She knew what this implies. Everything now rests on her. For some time in the past weeks, her father had given in to FM Group, begging her to marry the heir to FM Group whom she doesn't know of. The marriage would grant them aid to escape government's stings but she didn't want to do that.

"Marriage is for love!" She had barked.But now, she's put in a tight situation. Wether to allow the company crumble cause of her own selfishness. She staggered to her father's room, opened the drawer and brought out the white envelope that lay undisturbed. 

She stared at it for a while before opening it, reading it as if she hadn't read it before. The words were crafted beautifully but in them she could see ridicule. It was written as if Lustre needs the marriage more than them. But does that matter now? 

She retired to her own room, finding Floria who has actually grown tired of crying. How can she take care of her little sister. She patted her back and as she did, her thoughts retired to her mother who is now an image of the memory. She wept silently, ensuring her sister doesn't hear.

"Ria?" She called, about to tell her to retire to her own room but she was already asleep. She allowed her, stretching her legs and covering her with blankets.

She herself needed sleep. Tomorrow, they would bury her mom, so she decided to get some.Mornings has never been so gloom. She woke her sister and also started to prepare . Vehicles arrived, her distant relations had come to mourn with her, even heaven growled and cried.

It rained heavily, so they carried umbrella, black as well in color, entered their cars and moved to bury the dead.

As they returned, these relations spent the night before returning to their bases. The siblings were left alone once more.

Now, lily meant business. She wished to obey her mother's dying wish. They had given her everything, now she has to show them appreciation.

She brought out the letter once more. All it needed was her father's stamp and signature. She signed hers, stamped the letter and sent it back to the FM group.

Curiosity got a better part of her. She has to know who she was about to marry. So she took out her laptop, and typed his name. 

There it was, her eyes however, didn't go to his images but to the information about him.

' _He had fired a servant for accidentally dropping her watch on the ground and almost hit a friend to death for making caricature of his hairstyle. He has a terrible temperament_ !'

She couldn't believe she had agreed to marry someone like that. She felt a chill run down her spine as she thought about being tied to him for the rest of her life.

Just then, Floria walked into the room, her face sad and gloomy.

Lily took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. She couldn't let her sister see her fear and uncertainty. "We'll figure something out, Ria. We always do." She said to comfort the look on her face.

But as she looked more at her sister, she knew that this time, it was different. They were in over their heads, and she had just made a deal that could change their lives forever.

Glancing once again at the laptop in front of her, she gasped.

NEW CHAPTER DROPS EVERYDAY