Susan hurried down the stairs, unable to resist racing to the side of the handsome man standing before her mother.
The girl was taken aback to see that Edwin was nothing like she had imagined him.
Far from being some hideous ogre, Edwin was more akin to a prince from a fairy tale—one she had no intention of relinquishing to a girl like Diana.
Had he been the cruel, heartless old man she had conjured in her mind, instead, he was a young and very attractive man, with a distinctly impressive physique.
Edwin was a tall guy, standing at six feet three inches. He had large, black eyes, thin lips, black hair, a finely sculpted beard, and an athletic build that was noticeable even under the suit he wore.
Edwin always maintained a flawless appearance—straight backed, head held high, shoulders properly aligned. He possessed the aura of a king.
The perfect man for any woman. Immediately, Susan's heart swelled with jealousy, despising Diana even further.
She could not fathom the fortune her cousin Diana had. Yet, as long as she was unmarried to Edwin, there was a chance for Susan to woo him, to become his bride instead of the silent girl.
Susan paused before Edwin, extending her hand almost instantly, expecting him to be like all the other men, her lips curved into a broad smile...
"My name is Susan Wlop, the sole daughter of Mateo Wlop and Fatima Slod!"... The girl introduced herself excitedly, looking forward to Edwin being like most men.
For a moment, Edwin reached out, fully intending to take Susan's hand, but before he could, he withdrew it discourteously.
"What's the matter?"... Susan asked, incredulously.
"No..." Edwin replied coldly.
Once again, Susan offered her hand to Edwin, hoping this time, he'd show a little more interest in her.
As if she were the woman Edwin had visited the elders for. But Edwin avoided looking at Susan and continued to search for the girl he was to marry.
"Where is she?"... Edwin's voice was as cold as ice.
Slowly, Susan retracted her hand after being blatantly ignored by Edwin, her smile wiped in an instant.
She had earnestly hoped that Edwin, upon seeing a woman as beautiful as her, would fall at her feet, as so many men did.
The atmosphere within the drawing-room turned icy cold. Fatima struggled to maintain composure, for Susan's snub was infuriating to her as a beloved mother.
Noticing his wife's face, Mateo nudged her gently on the arm, encouraging her to keep smiling. Confronting Edwin was out of the question.
"Mr. Shop, Diana has been summoned. It won't be long before she descends."
Edwin turned to the elder, time was something he could not afford to waste. It was disrespectful to wait for a woman he was about to court.
"Mr. Wlop, I expected you to take this more seriously. And not to waste my time, for I am a very busy man, not one to await a woman..." Edwin emphasized sternly.
Mateo was incredibly nervous, eying the maid descending without Diana.
"Just one more second, my niece is making herself beautiful for you..." Mateo commented, anxiously.
"Wait?"... It seemed to Edwin as if it was a distasteful joke by Mateo.
"Is this some kind of jest?"... Edwin muttered under his breath.
Mateo hung his head, unable to stifle his fear. Edwin's gaze sent shivers of panic through him.
"There are thousands of women out there who would give anything to be in that girl's place at this moment, and you ask me to wait for her! Is she some kind of queen?!"
Edwin's patience was waning. Never before had he been made to wait for a woman.
With a large step forward, Edwin was about to leave, when he heard the sound of heels descending the stairs.
It was the first time Diana had ever worn heels, hence the clamorous sound.
Immediately, Edwin turned to see if Diana was as beautiful as he anticipated, or if her appearance would doom the Wlop family entirely.
Diana remained motionless on the stairs upon seeing the man beside her uncle. Edwin stirred an indescribable feeling in Diana's heart.
For the first time, the girl was truly excited at the sight of a man so handsome and masculine.
The same happened to Edwin, who was struck by the beauty of the girl who was to become his wife.
Diana continued down until she reached the bottom of the stairs. Gracefully, she approached the four people before her and modestly lowered her head.
Noticing Diana's humble gesture, Edwin extended his hand, placing two fingers under the girl's chin, lifting her head to look into her eyes.
Never before having been so close to a man, Diana's cheeks blazed as red as tomatoes. Edwin didn't miss the endearing blush.
The girl tried to lower her head again to hide her embarrassment, but Edwin prevented her from doing so.
"You must be Diana Wlop?"... He asked in a hushed tone.
Unable to speak, Diana merely nodded in response to Edwin's question. He turned to Mateo and his wife, immediately noticing Diana's issue.
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