HAZEL’S POV
“Marry my son, Hazel.”
I nearly choked on my coffee.
“Aunty, what?”
Eleanor Thompson sat across from me, perfectly calm, as though she hadn't just asked me to marry a man I'd barely spoken to in my entire life.
“Damien,” she clarified. “I want you to marry Damien.”
I stared at her, waiting for her to laugh and admit it was a joke.
She didn't.
“Aunty, have you lost your mind?”
Her eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”
“You just asked me to marry your son! Your son, whom I barely know!”
“I know what I asked, baby girl.”
I stood, pacing my tiny living room.
“Marriage isn't a game. You can't decide two people should spend their lives together just because you think it's a good idea!”
“Sit down, Hazel.”
“No. I need an explanation.”
Eleanor sighed. “Your parents were very dear to me. Your father was one of Richard's closest friends, and your mother was like a sister to me. After losing them, I promised myself I'd always look out for you.”
My anger faltered.
My father had died of cancer when I was a teenager. Three years ago, my mother died in a car accident, leaving me alone with memories and a loneliness I still struggled to hide.
Eleanor had stood by me through both losses. She checked on me, called me, and sometimes showed up with food when I was too exhausted to cook.
But asking me to marry her son was something else entirely.
“I appreciate everything you've done for me,” I said, sitting down. “But why Damien?”
“Because I believe you could be good for each other.”
“You can't possibly know that!”
“Then meet him and find out.”
“And what if I don't like him?”
“Then you tell me.”
“What if he's arrogant? What if he's controlling? What if he thinks marriage means owning a woman?”
“Damien can be difficult,” she admitted.
I gave her a disbelieving look. “You're not helping your case, Aunty.”
She smiled faintly. “I'm not asking you to fall in love with him tomorrow. I'm asking you to give him a chance.”
I looked away.
I'd always dreamed of a love marriage. I wanted a man who would choose me because he loved me, not because his parents had selected a suitable wife for him. I wanted affection, late-night conversations, and someone who would make me feel loved without my having to beg for it.
Was that too much to ask?
“Aunty, I don't want to marry a stranger and spend the rest of my life hoping he'll eventually care about me,” I whispered.
Eleanor reached for my hand.
“You deserve to be loved, Hazel. But meeting someone doesn't mean you've agreed to spend your life with him.”
I swallowed.
“Does Damien even know about this?”
“He knows his father and I want him to meet you. He hasn't agreed to marry you.”
“Good. At least one of us hasn't lost our mind completely.”
She gave me a warning look, and I sighed.
“Sorry.”
For a moment, silence settled between us. Then her gaze drifted towards the bills scattered across my coffee table.
“Are you having trouble paying your rent again?”
My stomach tightened.
“No.”
“Hazel.”
“I'll figure it out.”
My working hours had been reduced, my electricity bill had nearly emptied my account, and my rent was due in two days. I had exactly $127 left.
I hated admitting when I was struggling. I was tired of being the girl who always needed help.
“Baby girl, you shouldn't have to struggle alone.”
“And I shouldn't have to marry someone because I'm struggling.”
Her expression softened.
“That's not what I'm suggesting. I would never want you to feel obligated because you need help. I'm asking you to meet a man who might be right for you. Your financial situation shouldn't decide whether you accept him.”
I studied her face. She sounded sincere, which somehow made the decision harder.
I was exhausted from pretending everything was fine, from smiling at customers when I wanted to cry, and from returning to an empty apartment every evening.
But security without love?
I didn't know if I could live with that.
Perhaps meeting Damien wouldn't hurt. I could hear him out before deciding anything.
I took a shaky breath.
“Fine.”
Eleanor blinked. “Fine?”
“I'll meet him. That's all. If we don't like each other, that's the end of it.”
“Of course, baby girl.”
“And please don't start planning a wedding.”
She laughed. “I promise.”
I wasn't entirely convinced.
After kissing my forehead, she collected her handbag and headed for the door.
“I'll speak to Richard and arrange everything. I'll let you know when you're meeting Damien.”
When she left, I remained on the sofa, staring at the closed door.
I had agreed to meet a man who might become my husband.
My phone buzzed.
LENA: Are you alive? You've been ignoring me all morning.
HAZEL: Unfortunately, yes.
LENA: What's wrong?
I hesitated before typing.
HAZEL: My aunt wants me to marry her son.
Her reply came almost immediately.
LENA: I'M SORRY, WHAT?!
For the first time that morning, I laughed.
But the moment I put my phone down, my smile faded.
Soon, I would meet Damien Thompson.
And I had no idea whether I was walking towards a beautiful beginning or the biggest mistake of my life.
DAMIEN’S POV
“I have no intention of getting married.”
My mother stared at me across the dining table. My father slowly lowered his glass, while Bella, my younger sister, looked as though Christmas had arrived early.
“Damien,” Mother began patiently, “you haven't even heard me out.”
“Do I need to? You're talking about marriage. The answer is no.”
“Your answer cannot always be no!”
“Watch me.”
Bella burst out laughing.
I shot her a warning look, and she immediately became fascinated by her plate.
Mother sighed. “Richard, say something.”
My father leaned back in his chair. “Son, we're not asking you to marry someone tomorrow. We simply want you to meet a young woman.”
“Why?”
“Because we believe you might get along.”
“Based on what? Your friendship with her parents?”
“Her name is Hazel Rossi,” Mother said. “Her parents were very dear to us. I've known her since she was young, and she's a wonderful girl.”
I picked up my glass.
“Wonderful girls exist everywhere. That doesn't mean I need to marry one.”
“Must you make everything so difficult?”
“Must you interfere in everything?”
Silence fell over the table.
My father's expression hardened. “Enough, Damien.”
I set my glass down. I respected my parents, but I wasn't going to let them choose my future.
I'd spent years building Thompson & Co. into a successful company. My days were filled with meetings, negotiations, and decisions that affected hundreds of employees.
I didn't have time for unnecessary complications.
Marriage was a commitment I'd never wanted. Love was unpredictable. People changed, expectations grew, and promises eventually became disappointments.
I preferred things I could control.
“I'm not asking you to fall in love with her,” Mother said more quietly. “Just meet her. Have dinner. Talk to her.”
“And if I don't like her?”
“Then you don't proceed.”
I studied her face. She genuinely believed this was a reasonable request.
Perhaps to her, it was.
But I wasn't the kind of man who agreed to things simply because someone wanted him to.
“Why Hazel?” I asked.
“Because I know her character. She's independent, kind, and hardworking. She's been through a great deal, but she hasn't allowed it to change the good person she is.”
Something in Mother's voice made me pause. She wasn't discussing a business arrangement. She was talking about someone she cared about.
That didn't mean I had to agree, but refusing her suddenly felt a little harder.
“Does Hazel know about this?”
“Yes. I spoke to her today. She's agreed to meet you.”
I frowned. “So you've already involved her?”
“We discussed it with her. She can still change her mind.”
At least they hadn't forced an answer out of her.
I pushed my chair back.
“Fine. I'll meet her once.”
Mother's face brightened. “Really?”
“One meeting. Don't mistake that for an agreement to marry her.”
“Understood.”
I stood and adjusted my jacket.
My father chuckled. “Try not to scare the poor girl away before dessert.”
“I make no promises.”
Bella laughed again.
I ignored her and walked towards the door.
One dinner. That was all.
I'd meet Hazel Rossi, make my position clear, and return to my life.
Whatever my mother imagined might happen between us, she needed to understand one thing.
I wasn't looking for love.
And I certainly wasn't looking for a wife.
END OF CHAPTER ONE
