THE MYSTERY OF THE GHOST FIANCE

"It is just crazy. Your mother got infatuated by your betrothed's beauty when he was young and took it upon herself to make sure that you would marry him at whatever cost. All the years, she kept a close watch on that small boy, and she was even the one who established that betrothal in one of our gatherings. You both were not there to witness the formation of the agreement and how we were both happy with her crazy idea. And all along, she would still tell me that that man was the best suitor for you. In her last words, she said:"


‘There can never be a gentle, noble, caring, and loving gentleman who would look after my daughter and love her the way she deserves more than him. He is the right man for my daughter, and you, my husband, will see to it that they get married. This is my last wish: that he becomes my daughter's happiness and that he will be the one to look after our daughter once we are no longer there. For in his arms, she will be saved'.

'And so, I have a wish for a precious person to fulfill, which I promised I would do."

Disbelief is breaking me. My mother had so much faith in a guy to entrust the life of her precious daughter to him. I mean, how? How could my mother have fallen in love on my behalf? Just who is this ghost man who my mother held in so much esteem and trust to the point of making such a wish? Is he like my Damian? Well, forgive me for comparing, but I doubt any man in the whole world would make me feel what Damian makes me feel.


"Where has this man been all my life, Papa?" I ask, realizing that it is high time I knew everything there was to know about this ghost and this agreement. We need to resolve this. 'I mean, I never got to meet him even once, despite all the countless times I bumped into the Riccafortes." I query.

Is he from the underworld? Another planet? No, right? He is a Riccaforte—our business partners and friends. So why has he always been missing? Why have we never been introduced? Well, it is not like I really wanted to meet him. But, not even by coincidence, did we meet? Not even once?


"You never wanted anything to do with him from the start, and I understand why. You were to meet on your twentieth birthday, which never happened. Well, he is just as stubborn as you, and weirdly, you both share the same grounds on this. He never wanted this, and he never wanted to be part of their family business, which is why he never attended any of the business meetings. He wanted something of his own, and he indeed achieved it. He is doing super well on his own. He may not know, but his parents speak so highly of him despite their initial take on his decision."

Okay, okay, okay! This is all so mind-clogging. He seems like someone who knows what he really wants. Someone who would do anything to fight for what he believes in and what he wants. And if he never liked this, and if we share the same grounds on this, I suppose we can do something about it, right?

'But now you understand why I am still pushing you to this even now, right?" Father speaks again, drawing my attention to him once again: 'This is no longer about me or the company. It isn't about bolstering the bond between the Riccafords and the Riccafortes anymore. We both can separately stand on our feet even without each other's support. I want to fulfill your mother's wish, and only then can I be at peace. I need to do this, my child," the father pleads.

"I perfectly understand, Papa, and I want to help you do that. I am sorry if I resisted this all my life. I just didn't know how deep it was. What do I need to do? Will the Riccafoertes even want to see me after everything I did? I bet my name suffocates them," I state, and he chuckles it off with a faint grin.

"We can find that out. Let us see who dares to reject my daughter."

Huh? What? "Are you sure, Dad? I wouldn't want anybody disrespecting you either. Not even them," I say.

'Don't worry about it. They won't. Not even that son of theirs will refuse this time around," he says with so much certainty.

Ookay. I guess there is nothing left at this point. It is time. 'So, when can I meet him, my... brother?" I ask, trailing off.

I never knew a day like this would ever come. A moment when I will be the one to beg to meet that man—the one I loathed the most all my life until now. What my mother saw in him is urging me to meet him, and so here I am, almost down on my knees, asking for a chance to meet him. I am even thrilled to meet him, weirdly.

"Should I go ask for forgiveness from them first?" I implore, but my father chuckles, shaking his head to disagree.

"Come on! I didn't make you beg me, so why would I let anyone else humiliate you by bowing to them, huh? It is my precious, priceless jewel they want after all, so they need to come to us."

Wow! If there was any time I felt my father's pride in me, it was now. And if there was any given moment I was on the moon for being the daughter of my father, for being a Riccaford, it was this particular moment. I am priceless, and he says it with so much pride.

"Okay. So, how do we do this? And when?" I query.

"Tomorrow. Over dinner. I will have everything taken care of."

Wait…wait! What? Tomorrow? As in, tomorrow! I thought he would propose next week. Or next week, but one. But tomorrow?! I don't think this is right again.

"That fast? I mean, will they accept the invitation on such short notice?" I query.