Stella Lockwood's eyes widened. She was so shocked she stumbled back two steps, the hairs on her arms standing on end. "What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever agree to something like that?"
"Your mother, your grandmother, and your grandfather—they all know. They're going to officially announce our engagement at the banquet today, for your grandfather's birthday..." Frank Parrish finished, his brows knitting together. "What, you had no idea?"
Stella Lockwood heard him loud and clear. A chill shot straight down her spine. She turned and scanned the glamorous, well-dressed crowd, finding her mother and grandmother. A dull ache throbbed in her heart. What hurt the most was her grandfather. She had thought he was on her side, that he pitied this child who felt she had no father or mother. But in the end, even her grandfather was deceiving her—they had all ganged up to sell her off. What century was this? Were they really still playing at arranged marriages?
