Inevitable Fate (Part 2).

Armand buried his chin in the girl's shoulder and pressed her back to his chest, "How do you like this one?" The phone screen showed a stunningly beautiful villa located in the middle of the ocean. Two floors, an outdoor pool and a private water slide that descends directly into the azure water.

"Twenty-five thousand dollars a day? Don't you think that such a huge villa for two is too much? Maybe we'll find something less fancy?" Polina turned her head and almost nuzzled the man's cheek.

Armand was sliding through the photographs, and she was looking at him with an aching joy in her heart that they could stand side by side like this, together. Polina felt the man's hand grab her waist even tighter, pulling her to his strong body, although there was already no more room to pull her even closer. He turned his cheek as if he felt her gaze. The girl smirked and kissed him.

"Okay, so we're booking," Armand mumbled while Polina was distracted by him.

"What?! What do you mean we are booking?!" the girl came out of her imagination, grabbing the phone from the man's hands. But before she had time to press the decline offer button, a notification popped up. It was the message from the bank about the three hundred and fifty thousand dollars which were debited from the bank account. Two weeks of rest in paradise were worth hell of money.

"Mr. and Mrs. Taubert, congratulations on your wedding! A honeymoon in our hotel will create unforgettable memories for you," Polina read aloud, blushing more and more with each word. "What... W-what is this?"

"They have extra goodies for the newlyweds," Armand took the phone from the girl's hands, opened one of the photographs and showed to Polina, "Look, they will give us a room with a sliding roof in the bedroom. We will lie in bed and look at the stars. Although I prefer to lie on you, and you can then look at the stars... If you can, of course," he ran the tip of his nose up the girl's neck and slightly bit her earlobe. "Great plan, don't you think?" the man's hot breath echoed with a wave of goosebumps over Polina's body.

The same manipulator as the older brother! Polina spent enough time with them not to succumb to such tricks. Well, or she was hoping so.

The girl turned around with difficulty, as Armand, apparently, did not plan to loosen his embrace. She turned to face him and came across a pair of blue eyes, looking at Polina with frank passion, playful lights were dancing on the heavenly irises.

"Armand Taubert, I don't remember us having the same surname. Or did I miss anything?" Lina raised an eyebrow in displeasure, trying to put on a mask of seriousness, but the stretched corners of the man's lips were teasing her with their seductiveness.

"The day is not over yet, darling," Armand said in an enigmatic tone. "I hope you have no plans for tonight? Because our wedding is scheduled for the evening."

"What?" the girl's cheeks flashed with fire. "Is this a joke?"

"Why so?" the man became serious and calmly added, "David will be my best man, Elena your bridesmaid. Nick will walk in front of you and scatter rose petals, and you will be behind with Marcus on the arm. I say, great plan."

Polina vividly imagined this picture, especially Nick's face with a basket filled with rose petals in his hands. The wedding could easily turn into the groom's funeral for his such proposals.

"No, are you being serious now?" she still doubted the reality of this proposal, but knowing the Taubert brothers, this was more than real.

"Of course I am being serious now. I'm always serious," confirmed Armand, "Oh, I forgot to warn you!" the man slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand, "Lina Jones, will you marry me? Oh, no, not like that...," he moved away from the girl and lowered to one knee, "Lina Jones, you will marry me today at seven in the evening." That was not even a question, it was a statement. Armand took a small velvet box out of his pocket and opened it, "Here, I have a ring too."

Polina opened her mouth and immediately closed it, not knowing what to answer. Well, she kind of wasn't even asked. Is an answer at all needed in such situations, she wondered?

"I am having a charity concert at St. Patrick's church with a children's choir at seven in the evening," was the only thought that the girl could pull out of the chaos of thoughts in her head at that moment.

"Well, yes, that's right," Armand got up, took the girl's hand and put the wedding ring on her finger, "You are having a concert. Just after our wedding." With a sharp movement, he pulled Polina to him and whispered in her ear, "You thought I would let you go on a world tour just like that? Let the fans know that their favorite singer is no longer the subject of their late night fantasies."

"Are you sure you can handle my fans? They will be watching your behavior very strictly, you won't be able to hide in the shadows."

"Then I'll go out into the light. Just stay close and don't leave me anymore," Armand touched the girl's lips, leaving a light kiss, "I love you."

Polina smiled and kissed the man back, "I agree." A couple of minutes later, the girl pulled away from Armand, trying to catch her breath, "I'll go check on Sean."

The man nodded, "If Nick is awake, let him go downstairs too. I will inform him that he will be a flowerboy in the evening."

Polina laughed and shook her head, "I'm afraid that after that your relationship will be impossible to restore." The girl ran up the stairs, Armand followed her with his gaze. His cheeks began to ache from a constant smile, but the man could not help it and continued smiling.

The phone vibrated in his hand, flashing an incoming call from Marcus. Armand picked up the phone and greeted his brother cheerfully, "Working promptly, as I see," the smile disappeared at the same moment, hearing a worried voice on the other end of the line.

"Nick? Asleep, I guess. I'll check it now," Armand turned his head towards the stairs and looked up, scanning the space. And no matter how much he looked, he liked what he saw less and less.

Armand jumped off the sofa and walked forward with a quick step, but Lina was already standing on the stairs. Her face was pale and confused.

"Where is Nick?" Armand repeated Marcus's question to the girl. Although he already knew the answer.

Polina shook her head, "Sean and Nick. They are not here."

. . .