Chapter 7

"So now that both of you know this, you will be staying together in this room for the main time. Get to know each other better okay?" Mr. Dandelion said. Mark nodded. Anna didn't give a response and he walked out of the room. 

Mark did not move from where he was sitted. He understands the amount of hatred Anna probably has towards him. And he understands if she would not talk to him at all. So he didn't say anything to her. She was sobbing now. 

"Hey," he greeted her. She ignored him. 

"Can I say something?" He asked her. Anna did not respond. She did not even look towards him. 

"Truth is I am as surprised as you are right now. I never thought this is what I came here to do. I thought it would be a simple bodyguard mission, and all I would have to do was protect Me. Dandelion or someone in his family. I am from Port Harcourt," she said. She gasped. He knew he got her attention. 

"I was an adventurer and all I ever did was either make researches about new things or protect people. I do not understand why I am being made to marry you," he said. Anna did not reply. 

"It's not like I am interested in being here. I had a whole life planned before coming here. I have a loved back at home. And so many incomplete journeys that I promise myself I would finish soon. But my matser made me stop all of them. 

He asked me to come here with immediate effect. I was go give your father a letter. I did not know the content. But this turned out to be the way. I would like to understand why my master made such decision without my consent. But I can't be rude to Mr. Dandelion. 

So, do not think this agreement is something I am comfortable with. It's the strangest thing ever. The fact that we are being made to sleep in the same room. 

Do not hate me. I am not convenient with this at all," Mark said. He banged the table lightly. Anna raised her eyes in fear. She tried hiding the fear. 

"Do you have anything to say?" He asked. She did not reply. She kept her eyes fixated on her lap. And she would not look away. 

"Hmm," Mark sighed. He removed his hand from the table, and he left the dining room, towards the bedroom. The room was as big as two rooms back at his home. And the way it was furnished was in no way similar to what he had. Even the guest room he was at in the main house was not well furnished. Mark knew Mr. Dandelion has planned this whole thing well. 

Even though he did not argue with Mr. Dandelion, he would still need clarification from his master. Mark climbed his bed and lay on it. He faced the wall where he would not have to see Anna. 

Anna was not moved by Mark's explanation. She saw it as his excuse for coming to almost ruining her life. She had friends in school. Her friends with which she already planned her future. She had planned that after highschool, she will go to university and perhaps do something professional. She never wanted to take part in the family business. She does not understand the whole mechanics of how the family business is being run, and she was not interested in it. 

But now that her father just told her who she is supposed to marry, Anna knew everything already ended. The only thing that could change that would probably be the death of her father. 

"God forbid!" She muttered immediately. Even if she is angry at him, she doesn't want him dead. 

And for the man laying on the bed, she does not care what happened to him. The only interesting about him must have been him being an adventurer, but that does not really mean anything to her again. She had always wanted to be an archaeologist who would work hand in hand with adventurerrs, but that seem to have ended. 

Anna moved to the bed. It was wide enough for two people to sleep on, well enough without touching each other. She wished she could push him off the bed and be the only one there. She felt disgusted at the thought of being in love with Mark. 

Anna sat on the bed. She wished there was somewhere else she could sleep on. She felt how the bed balanced both of their weight. It was annoying, and she was disappointed. 

She did not switch to her night gown. She did not bother to cover herself with the bed. She did not bother to touch her mobile phone. These are what she does on normal nights, but Anna could not find the energy to. She lost interest in all those. She was being weighed down with the news she just heard. 

She lay on her bed, and faced the opposite of Mark too. She was worried and cried at her helplessness. She never knew such a day would come where all the knowledge she had would be useless, and she won't be able to fight for herself. She had always been up against bullies. She had helped people get back on their feet. Help them fight against injustice, but now that it's being done towards her, she was surprised that she could not help herself. Perhaps she would talk to her friends, but how would she even present it to them, and worst of all is her boyfriend. How would she tell him? 

Anna swore to herself that nothing will make her love or even care about Mark. He will forever be the stranger that he is. She won't care for him at all. And if worse comes to worse, she will run away from him. 

Although that would be useless. It will take only a few days before her father finds her. And when that happens, her right to leave home might be taken from her. And that's one thing she will not like to lose.