One Month, that’s all!

If it were a different occasion, Ryan Pembroke would have celebrated his daughter's audacity. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was about to strike a deal, just like a true Pembroke.

However, the fact that he was about to lose nearly all of the money passed down from generations before his existence weighed heavily on him.

"Look sweetheart, I've been in your shoes before, so I know how you must be feeling. I might have had it worse back then even. No offense, honey," Aubrey interrupts Ryan before he could respond to Crystal.

Now that her daughter's attention was more focused on her, Aubrey reaches out and grabs her hands, squeezing them.

"I promise you, it's not as terrible as you think. He probably already loves you, especially after receiving the report we sent yearly," Aubrey suggests confidently.

"I mean, who wouldn't fall in love with a Pembroke, especially one with an outstanding record like yours, designing a whole clothing line at age fifteen? Come on!" Aubrey adds, not missing the chance to boast about her daughter's accomplishments in front of the staff.

Originally, her attempt to sway her daughter emotionally hadn't been working, but the idea that Orion Kellington had been sent reports on Crystal every year catches her attention and leads to her next question.

"What do you mean you have been sending him yearly reports about me?" Crystal asks, almost snapping.

"It just means that we sent him a report on what you liked, your favorite color, food, music, and also things you disliked. Your achievements academically and in your career so he can know you better." Aubrey explains.

"So you didn't think there was anything wrong in sending everything about me to a stranger? If you could reveal my identity so easily, why have I been locked up here my whole life?" Crystal questions her parents.

"You've reminded me countless times that I had to hide my existence from the world and that it would be chaos if someone were to find out about me, but then you go ahead and send my information to a stranger? A Kellington at that!" Crystal argues.

"He merely knows your likes and dislikes, He hasn't seen a photo of you. I wasn't going to be fooled twice by those Kellingtons and trust that they wouldn't take advantage of us again." Ryan clarifies.

"What about his reports? Shouldn't I have that too?" Crystal directs her question to her mother, who looked like she was getting impatient with her daughter's stubbornness.

"There's not much to be known Crystal, he loves you and hasn't been romantic in any way with another woman. The poor boy is an angel, hasn't even kissed a woman."

Aubrey pauses to see if her daughter was buying into the idea and then adds;

"It's much better than I had," rolling her eyes at her husband who lifts his hands in mock surrender.

"I don't care if he is the freaking pope, I am not getting married to him!" Crystal lies, she did care about how a grown man could devote his commitment to a person he hadn't seen but only read about.

Impressed or not, that wasn't enough to sway her, for all she knew the man might be a prude.

"I can't get through to this girl!" Aubrey grunts in frustration. "It's all your fault Ryan, she's too much like you." Aubrey points accusingly at her husband.

Ryan wasn't offended by his wife's comment, she was right after all. Crystal took after him so he knew Aubrey's emotional persuasion wouldn't work on her. They were both stubborn and wouldn't budge until they got what they wanted.

"What do you want?" Ryan surrenders.

A smirk brushes Crystal's face a little, "Now we're talking!" She thinks to herself.

Perhaps there was a way to turn this impending doom to her advantage after all, just as her father had taught her;

"Every crisis is an opportunity, it all depends on perspective."

"I know both you and mom want me to be happy. But what if I'm not? What if I don't have the same luck you both had by falling in love with each other and then have to be miserable all my life?"

Crystal reasons, knowing fully well that although her father was a hot headed business man, he would be moved.

That was because, aside from being an amazing dad, Ashley's disappearance had given him a bad case of PTSD, that made his will to protect his daughter's happiness triple.

It probably wasn't the nicest thing to do, taking advantage of her sister's disappearance but tough situations called for drastic measures.

"Where are you going with this?" Ryan retorts, although he seemed like he already had a good idea of what she was trying to pull.

"I'm willing to try to be in this arranged marriage." Crystal concludes. Her statement immediately makes her mother sigh in relief.

"I'm not done yet." She warns. "I am willing to try for one month, that's all. If I do not fall in love with Orion Kellington then I'll be free from the responsibility and be allowed to travel abroad, where I can make a name for myself."

She stays quiet for a split second as if rethinking what she said and adds; "Make a face for myself rather."

"You make it sound like I have a choice on the matter Crystal, if there were a way to avoid this marriage from happening, I would have done it by now, I can't promise you that you'll be freed if it doesn't work out." Ryan replies.

"Well, I HAVE A CHOICE! If something bad were to happen to me, there would be no trace that I once existed for crying out loud. I need to make something of my life!" She cries in frustration, her voice going one octave higher.

The room is once again engulfed by an uncomfortable silence.

"If you do not agree to it, I'll run away, I mean it." Crystal threatens, glaring once again at her father and receives an identical glare from Ryan as well.

"There will be no need for that because like I said, you will fall easily in love with him and thank us for sending you there today." Aubrey assures her, putting a stop to the tension that had been building between father and daughter.

Crystal averts her attention from Ryan to Aubrey immediately.

"It is a deal then." She replies, already thinking of a million ways she'd come out victorious.