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“Hey....” Eric cupped her cheeks and kept her focus on him. This was why he never wanted to tell her about it, but it was better safe than sorry.

“Daniel is not going to get to you, I promise you, that.” He told her with a serious voice, “You didn’t fight the battles all these years only to lose at the slightest fear. Daniel is nothing but a paper tiger now. He knows that he is losing and the only way to feel in control is to make his enemies dread him. He controls through fear and you are not going to let him do that to you, again. You hear me?”

Natalie nodded her head, her breath evening out and he was able to relax.

“He was only taunting me, ” Eric assured her.

Natalie sighed, wiping away the beads of sweat that gathered on her forehead. She said, “I don’t like this,”

“I don’t like ut either. You don’t know how much self-control it took me not to lunge at him at that moment and tear him to pieces. I was almost tempted to give you the justice you deserve and everyone else that he hurt.”

“No,” Natalie shook her head, “I think death is too merciful for Daniel. Killing him is doing him a big favor,” She looked at him, “Daniel needs to be kept alive and in a condition where he regrets every bad and stupid decision that he has ever made. He needs to realize the wrong he’s done and the fact he can never make up for that. He needs to live in regret for the rest of his pathetic life,” She said.

“And you get any idea how to make that dream come true?” because Eric was out of options. He had no idea how to make a psychopath live in regret for the rest of his life. Heck, he wasn’t even sure Daniel had the heart to feel remorse.

.....

“Let’s get married,”

Eric blinked at her in confusion, “Urm..” He sat up better, “Isn’t that what we plan to do? I’m a little bit confused here.”

“No, I mean, let’s get married as quickly as possible. Tomorrow is fine if you want to?”

“Excuse me?” Eric coughed, nearly choking on his saliva. He scrutinized Natalie, trying to see if this was a joke or something and she was merely pulling his leg, to combat the stress and all. But then, her expression was grave; she meant it.

The look on Eric’s face shifted and he shook his head in abject denial as he told her sternly, “If you’re trying to marry me because you’re under the pressure of Daniel getting to you, then I suggest you forget about it, Natalie. If you’re going to marry me, it would be at your willingness and comfort.”

“No, Eric, you don’t get it,” She tried to explain to him, “We have come too far now to be distracted by the crisis around us. I know how this works and while you claim that we would get married at my ease, what if that time never comes? What if things get so bad that we have to wait? What if Daniel happens?!”

“That is exactly -”

“I am not afraid of Daniel. I am not afraid of fire yet I don’t stupidly step into the flames. We can see what’s going on and both of us don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. We can’t give Daniel an opening. You don’t give the devil the chance.”

“Natalie...”

“It would be a small marriage compared to the larger one we had in mind and you of all people know that I don’t like the attention, this is better. We could get married this weekend, just in time for your brothers to return and grace the occasion. It would be only our family and friends and perhaps a few well-wishers.”

This time Eric was unable to say anything because he was completely overpowered and couldn’t say no to her thoughtful request. Seeing that he was still contemplating his decision, Natalie leaned closer toward him and took his hands in hers, intertwining them as she said,

“I love you already, Eric, but thkd would be better because I would be legally yours now and not even Daniel can change that. And I’m sure he won’t be saying ‘hi’ to a married woman the next time both of you meet.” Natalie joked and it elicited the response she wanted because he laughed too.

“Well, you’re in luck because my brothers are already on their way to come to give Elijah a piece of their mind. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind attending a wedding. We can get married tomorrow, Natalie.” Eric revealed and her eyes grew wide.

Natalie was so happy that she tackled him to the bed and they made out a few times before they decided it was time to go inform the children considering there was no more time.

That was how Arianna found herself being summoned downstairs for a brief family meeting. She didn’t even know how to feel knowing that Elijah was part of this “family”. It was kind of hard hating someone you saw his face every day.

“We are getting married tomorrow!” Her mother and Eric didn’t waste time getting straight to the point and Arianna was dumbfounded. She felt like... God! she didn’t even know how she was feeling except that her mind was reeling.

The wedding had been a future event – an event she believed would never hold. Arianna had this belief that Eric and her mother would finally break off things. Yeah, it was selfish of her. But it was hard to accept the fact that the woman her father loved and whom she just got to know recently was already marrying another man. She was just not used to the fact that her late father was out of the picture.

She felt jealous.

It was supposed to be just her and her mother. But now, there were others.

“It is just a small wedding with our family, no ostentatious arrangement,” Natalie went on to explain while Arianna drifted away, lost in her thoughts.

It wasn’t until someone came to sit beside her that she returned to the present. She looked up and it was Elijah.

He thrust out his hand for a handshake, “I guess I should properly welcome you into the family then, sister-in-law.”