Chapter One

Tiara

It was rare for Dad to call a family meeting, especially one that my younger brothers were ordered to attend. I was the only one who still lived with Dad, and even though I've tried to get my own place, Dad is adamant that a woman has to live with her family until she's married. 

Sometimes it annoyed me when Dad picks what part of his Yoruba heritage that suited him and ignore the ones that didn't suit him. However, I'd long stopped trying to change his views on many things, fighting with him usually got me nowhere. 

I wiped my hands on the apron, then checked to see if I had any paint splattered on me. Even though the meeting was just between Dad, Ade, Timi and I, he still expected me to look my best at all times. There was some paint on my face and some in my hair, I spotted more on my dress, causing me to sigh. 

"Ms. Davis, do I have enough time for a quick outfit change?" I asked our housekeeper. Ms. Davis had been with us since mom died and even when most of our domestic staff had started to quit, she still remained. I cherished her dearly, and she was as close to a mother as I could ever wish for. 

"No. Your brothers are already seated and you know how your father is about punctuality." We both shared a look before Ms. Davis passes me a pack of wet wipes. "Clean your face and hair. Hopefully they don't notice the dress."

I cleaned up as best as I could and tried not to take up so much time. Ms. Davis untied my apron and tried to smoothen out my dress. There was no helping it, I'd been sitting in it for most of the day, trying to work on my latest painting. It was a marvel that I I only had a few splotches of paint on me. 

When I finally made it to the living room, I was not surprised by the cold glare Dad sent my way. 

"Hey big sis," Timi said, waving at me.  He was the baby of the house and was a complete spoiled brat. Still, he was my baby brother and it was my responsibility to love him. 

"Still playing with paint I see." Ade smirked at me. He was younger than me by two years but both my brothers had picked up my father's cues on how to treat women, forgetting the part of respect in our culture. None of this was new to me, I've known them their whole lives. 

"I sent for you a long time ago," Dad said. 

"I'm sorry, I had to clean up." I took the seat farthest from the trio. 

"You still missed a spot." Ade gestured at my dress but I refused to take the bait this time. While my brothers were terrible at reading the room, I could tell something was off about this gathering. 

Dad constantly clenched and unclenched his jaw and he seemed to be lost in thoughts. 

"Dad, she's here, why did you ask to see us?" Timi changed the subject before Ade could involve Dad in my messy appearance. 

"This may not come as a surprise to you guys, but we are finally in the red." He looked at each of us in the eyes, holding our gaze for a few seconds before moving on. 

"In the red? How? What do you mean?" Ada asked. 

Really, he shouldn't be asking. This didn't come exactly as a surprise. Ade especially had a nasty gambling problem and was one of the major course of our family's dwindling fortunes. 

"The company. We're going to have to declare bankruptcy. I've tried my best all these years but all of our mines have been depleted, there's no more gold."

"What does this mean exactly?" Ade asked. I couldn't believe this was the person who Dad had chosen as a successor, maybe it was a good thing the family business was finally dying. With Ade at the head, we wouldn't have lasted long in the business. 

"It means we are in so much debt that we might not even be lucky enough to keep this house," Dad ground out. Even from here, I could see his bloodshot eyes. 

"So they're going to seize our assets?" Timi asked. 

"Wait, our personal homes too? Dad I can't lose the beach house in LA, I just got it!" Ade thundered, getting to his feet.

"You two, quiet the hell down!" Dad snapped. "I might have a way to solve this, but every one of us have to suffer a loss. We have to sacrifice a lot to fix this. We may not be able to get back our company, but at the very least, we can't be buried in billions worth of debt."

Ade sank back to his seat, the reality of our situation creeping up on him. "What sacrifices?"

"We're selling your homes, you two have to move back in with me. No more luxury summers all over the world." He glared at Ade as he continued, "no more gambling."

"If we are able to sell off everything except this house, does it cover the debt?" Timi asked, the only one who seemed to fully grasp what Dad was saying. 

While they talked, I was lost in thoughts. My brothers were moving back home! What was worse than living here with Dad was living here with Dad and my brothers. I didn't hate my family, truly I didn't but they made my life hell. After being tormented in school all day, I usually came home to a different type of torment. When I finished high school and got into college , I thought the worst time of my life was finally over, especially when my brothers decided to move out years later. 

Now, we were all going to be under one roof again. Timi seemed like he'd grown up a little but Ade didn't change, not even one bit. The more he gambled, the worse he got and at age twenty two, he was still the most selfish person I know. He'd dropped out of college a few months ago when Dad declared him his successor and started following Dad to work. He was supposed to be learning how to run the business after Dad retires, but from how little he actually knew of it, it was obvious he'd waisted his time in true Ade fashion. 

"Tiara, are you even listening?" Hearing my name from Dad in his typical cold tone shook me out of my darkening thoughts. 

"Yes, Dad." I turned to my brothers. "When are you moving in? Ms. Davis and I will set up your old bedrooms."

"She wasn't listening." Ade chuckled. Something sparkled in his eyes, and I immediately looked away. Whatever they were brewing would be bad and I had no interest in being part of it. Hopefully the men in my life would be too busy sorting out their messes that they'll forget I exist. 

"I was," I countered. 

"You weren't. If you were, you'd know that you won't be here to help us move in because you'd be moving into your husband's house." Ade grinned at me. "Congratulations on your marriage sister."

My eyes widened immediately and I felt sweat beginning to gather in my palms. What was Ade talking about? I turned to Timi and he offered me a sad smile. What did I just miss?

"Marriage?" I managed to croak out as a ball of trepidation began forming in my throat. "What marriage?" I turned to Dad. 

"Yes, you're getting married. Selling off our assets will help offset some of the loans that are due but it won't do much in the grand scheme of things. The only way we can truly survive this is if someone buys us out."

"And you found someone to buy us out, right?" I interrupted, my heart racing in my chest. 

Dad glared at me. "Don't interrupt me again, Tiara. As I was saying, if someone can buy us out, that would really save us but there are not many companies interested in a failed gold corporation that has more debt that is constantly increasing."

"But I guess your late mother is really looking out for us because I found one," Dad continued. "Stone Enterprise."

There was only one Stone Enterprise in New York. Why would they even be interested in our dying company?

"It took a lot of convincing him to buy us out and offset our debts. He's going to pay off our workers in Africa and retain most of them to work in their diamond mines. But on one condition."

There was no way. It was not possible that the condition they'd requested was me, I had to be overthinking this. 

"Alexander Stone wants to marry you," Dad said.

So it was true, I was jumping from one nightmare into another. 

"I didn't even know you two knew each other. He said you were very good friends in St. Patrick's for three years and the only reason he'll help us is for your sake. If you marry him, he'll make all these go away. We won't automatically go back to how wealthy we were, but he has promised to retain Adedayo and even offered Timi a job after he graduates." Dad was beaming now. 

"I knew it was a good idea to send you to that snobbish school, see how your connection is going to save us!"

I could hear my brothers and father talking excitedly but it seemed like I was hearing them from a great distance. There was no way this was happening. I would never marry Xander Stone, he was the one person I truly hated.