"Natalie, come here my dear." Ava called her over, just as she dreaded.

She walked over in her high heels and sat impatiently. "What is it mother? I have to go out."

"You look beautiful. Who are you going out with?" She asked curiously, even though she could already guess that the latter was going out on a date.

"Who else will I go out with if not my man?" She shrugged at the silly question, to which Ava raised her eyebrows. That was a lie, she was certain of it.

She did not expose her daughter and looked overjoyed instead. "It's awesome that the two of you are not planning to let your spark fade." You and Desmond… what are you planning exactly?"

"Why do our plans concern you so much?" Natalie asked indifferently. She knew what her mother was driving at but tried not to think about it. A small part of her hoped that she was wrong, but she quickly realized that the situation was just as she thought.

"I want the two of you married soon." Ava dropped the bomb.

"You want us married soon?" Natalie was amused.

"Are you a parrot?" Ava was annoyed.

"Your mother and I want you to get married soon. Our business is in trouble." Owen finally spoke his first statement, which was just as terrible as Ava's.

It took a while for her to take in what her father had just said and when she did, she wanted to burst out laughing." What trouble is this that I have never heard of?"

"Are you doubting us?" the impatient Ava was on the verge of detonating.

Natalie shook her head with a shrug. "Of course not. That's not what I said. You insinuated it yourself."

However, that did not mean that she trusted what they were saying. Why did it seem to have happened too suddenly? She stared at her mother as though trying to read right through her heart. "I am involved in every matter involving the company business. How come I didn't know about it when something arose? Have you been hiding things from me?"

"No." Ava frowned at the direct accusation.

"Then why are we suddenly in trouble? I have every right to know what happens in the business that I'm part of. Don't I, mother?" She insisted in annoyance. She couldn't believe that while trying to use other people to achieve their goals, her parents were trying to use her as well!

Seeing that her daughter was starting to misunderstand, Ava was nervous. "Let's explain it slowly. Do you know Lucy Roatta? Have you heard of her?"

"I have. Why?" She asked listlessly. Was she the next person they wanted to use?

"She is the owner of Twilight." Ava explained.

"And?" Natalie probed.

Ava was irritated by her nonchalance. "I heard about her new project and it is going to cause us a lot of trouble."

"And what's that got to do with me?" She still didn't understand. "Are you planning to marry me off to her son so she gives up on her project?"

"She doesn't have a son." Ava facepalmed, and Natalie frowned when she caught onto the main point. Did this mean that if Lucy Roatta had a son, they would not hesitate to sell her off to the tycoon's son just to Curry favor?

"Look, the point is, for some reason, she is on good terms with Desmond. She even became the COO of Preston and Fort Group." Ava continued to explain, wondering why her husband was leaving it entirely to her to explain the matter to their daughter. It was almost as though he didn't care.

"That's up to them." Came yet another infuriating response from Natalie which Ava had to tolerate. If she knew that raising a daughter would be this difficult, she would not have given birth to one. She would have simply adopted a little girl and brought her up as a slave.

At least an adopted child would not question everything she was told to do. Natalie, on the other hand, was getting more difficult to deal with by the day.

Her head hurt just from trying to explain why Desmond could control Lucy now and how well it would work out for them, but she had to because she had no other choice." Desmond is her superior no matter the reason." She explained.

"And what makes you think Desmond will force Lucy to do his bidding just because of our marriage?" She asked to know what exactly her parents were thinking. They must have discussed it, and her father probably echoed her mother's thoughts which was why he was watching silently.

Ava leaned over to her to whisper. "That is why there is such a thing as convincing. As a woman, how can you not get your husband to do your bidding?"

Natalie was bewildered. "Are you asking me to seduce Desmond?"

"Don't put it that way." Ava rolled her eyes. "There is no such thing as seducing your own husband. It's only right for him to do as you ask." She glared at her daughter who seemed too innocent despite her age. No wonder the mistress became Desmond's in the first place.

"Of course, if you have to use such 'extra-special' tactics, it's alright too." She added.

Natalie narrowed her eyes, disgust building up in the pit of her stomach. She was not disgusted by Desmond, but the thought of seducing a man just to help her parents was too unsettling. The fact that the said man was another woman's boyfriend made the thought even more uncomfortable.

She was baffled by her mother's train of thought. "According to your logic, Zaria can order around everyone at Preston and Fort Group. Including the Board of Directors, right? She is Desmond's girlfriend after all."

___

AN

I will mass release the chapters for the mass release event at different times throughout the day. Please be patient if I have to update the last chapter(s) after reset. I've been so busy T_T

2/5