The Royal Contract

"John, we are so glad that you are here. We were talking about you just now." A group of his comrades stopped him on his tracks and greeted him.

"Dad, would you mind if I look for my friends?" Tyra asked, needing to get away from her father's company. 

They had been here for an hour, and it felt like he was trying hard to find her a date. It was a bit humiliating, and she did not need it. She was more than capable of finding herself the man for her.

She was in no hurry. She wanted to heal her heart first, and once she was whole again, she knew that love would find a way. It would come unexpectedly, and happiness would follow.

"Go ahead. Have fun." John said to his daughter, letting go of her arm. "Find me when you want to go home." He added, but they both knew that they would only leave when he said so.

He knew he was desperate to find a husband for his daughter. But not just anyone, the man needed to be wealthy enough to help him with his company. 

He knew he had to give up Alex because he did not have much ammunition to force him to take his daughter back. But he could still use his connection with him to find a suitable man for his daughter.

"Thanks, Dad." She quickly moved away before her father's mind changed.

The last thing she wanted was to stand beside her father and talked about her achievements in life. It was as if she was auditioning for a part in a movie. What role? An arranged wife for their sons.

She had no plan to be another part of his business dealings. She loved her father. But she would not tolerate his plans this time. It was clear to her now how manipulative her father had become.

"Of course, Alex would never forget our long-standing relationship. He would want me and Tyra to be here." He pointed out to the men as soon as Tyra was out of earshot, still using her daughter's old association with the host of the night.

He knew what these men were talking about, and it had nothing to do with his association with Alex. Blind rumors were now circulating about some companies that were about to go under soon.

If he was not careful, they might suspect that his company was on that list. But from the way they were whispering earlier, they might already know about it.

"Well, it was just a shame that Alex is marrying someone else." One of the men stated. "I always thought that your daughter would marry the prince." Another of the men added.

"I also thought so, but we could not force what the heart wants." He answered them, excusing her daughter's wish to break it off with him. Although he left off the part that she now regretted her action dearly.

However, something caught his eye. He did see a young gentleman showing some interest in his daughter. His eyes continued to follow his daughter until she was out of sight.

This night might not be a lost cause after all for him. He recognized the man as the son of the oil tycoon in the south-central region. Maybe it was time that he introduced himself to this young man.

On the other side of the ballroom, Tyra walked with no particular direction. Her only goal was to escape her father and be alone. She loved parties. Who did not? But not this one.

"Hi, Tyra. Join us." A group of people she knew called to her, but she declined them, making her excuses. She continued to walk on until she reached the end of the room.

She did not want to bump into Edward. But most of all, the last people she wanted to see were the happy couple. She was not up for another heartbreak of seeing them blissful together. 

It did not mean that she had any plans of tearing them apart. She just wanted to be left alone in her agony. She did not need a knife to cut into her heart again and again.

After asking the people in charge for a place where she could be alone, they ushered her to a room on the other side of the big hall. It was a lounge room for guests who needed some time to rest.

"Miss, will you need something more?" The man in the black and white uniform asked her. When she said no, he immediately left her by the door.

She slowly walked into the room and found the couch empty. It was a spacious room, with a few couches around and decorations to brighten the place. 

But she was not interested in any of it. All she wanted was to be away from the prying eyes of all those people. She wanted the silence that would drown the buzz that kept penetrating her mind.

"I should not have come." She mumbled to herself as grief crept into her mind. She buried her face in the palms of her hands, trying to erase the memories that were breaking her heart.

Being in this building, in the same place as Alex, only brought back memories of the good times they shared. And the betrayal she had done. Finally, the pain of what she had lost.

"It was a mistake to be here." She told herself as she continued to cover her face, sitting on the long couch, unaware that another person had beat her to the idea. 

He stood on the far end of the room, standing at the large windows, staring far outside in the darkness of the night, trying to forget why he was also here.

The man clung to his glass in a vise grip. If it had been some cheap kind, it would have shattered at the force he had applied on it. Finally, he slightly loosened his hold on the glass, feeling the pressure on his knuckles.

"I should not have come." The same thought was going through his mind as he regretted setting foot on this occasion. 

He should have waited for her at his home as he initially planned. He should not have come here to see her. To convince her to let go of her plans and just run away with him.

Now, he could not erase the memories implanted in his head by what he witnessed earlier in the ballroom. He could not stop watching her. He could not turn away from the scene that was playing in front of him.

"I should have left." He kept telling himself. He drank the remaining content of his drink and was about to get more when he noticed the girl crying on the couch. 

He walked towards her and tapped her on the shoulder, gently not wanting to frighten her. "Are you ok?" He quickly removed his hand, seeing she recoiled in his touch.

He could not see her face since she buried it in her hands, but he could tell that she was still young by her stance and her built. Maybe not that young, but not old either.