Devilish secretary - Chapter 258

Chapter 258: Chapter 258 Forced merriage (1)
Before Ethan or Tara could even think of a crazy escape plan,

the old cupboard was yanked aside with a loud crash.

Light flooded into their small hiding space, and before they could react, strong hands grabbed them both roughly.

“Got them!” someone shouted.

Tara struggled, but two large men held her arms tightly.

Ethan tried to fight back, yelling, “Hey! Hands off! I have rights!” — but it was no use. He was outnumbered.

Within seconds, they were dragged out of the abandoned cottage into the open.

The cold morning air slapped their faces, and the villagers surrounded them, forming a tight, angry circle.

Tara’s father marched forward, his eyes dark with something strange—something between anger and fear.

“They survived the river,” one of the old men whispered to another, voice trembling.

“No one survives that jump. It’s impossible…”

Another woman gasped. “They’re immortals! Blessed by the river spirits!”

Tara and Ethan exchanged confused glances.

Immortals?!

Before they could explain or argue, Tara’s father raised his hand and shouted,

“It is a sign from the heavens! We must bless them properly! We will marry them Today!”

Tara’s mouth dropped open.

“What?!” she cried.

Ethan blinked, looking around in panic. “Wait wait wait—marry who?! Marry each other? Marry you? Marry the river? What’s happening?!”

But the villagers didn’t listen.

Their minds were made up.

They were convinced — these two who had survived the river must be joined together in marriage, blessed by their spirits.

They quickly separated them, dragging Ethan and Tara in different directions.

Tara was pulled toward the women’s side, surrounded by older women chattering excitedly.

Ethan was pushed along with the men, toward the heart of their hidden tribal village.

The village lay on the far edge of the forest—a small, hidden place crowded with wooden houses, smoke curling from fire pits, and colorful cloths fluttering on lines strung between the homes.

Chickens clucked loudly in the dusty streets, and children peeked curiously from behind doors.

Tara was pulled into one of the small wooden houses.

Inside, the women began fussing over her, removing the heavy wet remains of her wedding dress and replacing it with a new outfit, a bright traditional red tribal gown, simple but beautiful, tied carefully with colorful woven sashes around her waist.

Her hair was combed roughly but quickly, and woven with small forest flowers they had gathered.

Meanwhile—

Ethan wasn’t doing much better.

He was stripped down to his undershirt and forced into the village’s traditional groom’s clothes, a rough but neatly stitched tunic, colorful sashes, and a heavy wooden necklace placed around his neck.

A bunch of old men clapped his back excitedly, laughing and cheering.

“Strong boy! Good for many sons!” one of them shouted.

Ethan stood there stiffly, wide-eyed, clutching the edge of the tunic. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! I ONLY WANTED A NAP!!”

Tara’s mother, standing by the women’s side, was crying silently, tears of relief, not sadness.

“My daughter is blessed,” she whispered, “marrying an immortal… now she will have a great future…”

Tara sat silently, half in shock, half wanting to disappear into the wooden floor.

Meanwhile, Ethan tried whispering to a boy who brought him water.

“Hey… hey kid… any chance you could, like, trip over a knife and cause a distraction or something?”

The boy just smiled and offered him a flower garland.

Ethan accepted it helplessly, realizing one thing—

Tonight, whether he liked it or not…he was getting married in the middle of a crazy forest village.

Inside the small wooden house, Tara sat silently as the women continued getting her ready.

They brushed her hair roughly, tied colorful ribbons around her wrists, and pinned a small red veil over her head.

Her heart felt heavy.

Her hands trembled slightly as she touched the simple wedding dress they had forced onto her.

Finally, when most of the women left to prepare for the ceremony outside, only her mother stayed behind.

Seeing a small chance, Tara reached out, grabbing her mother’s hand tightly.

Her voice cracked as she whispered, “Mama… I don’t want to marry right now…”

Her mother’s kind, weathered face softened. She sat beside Tara, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“I know, child…” her mother said gently. “I know it feels sudden. But you must understand, the spirits have shown us a sign.”

Tara shook her head, tears filling her big dark eyes.

“But… but I don’t even know him properly! He saved me, yes, but…” she choked back her words. “I don’t want to be forced again. I want to choose when I marry… not like this…”

Her mother’s eyes filled with tears too, but she smiled sadly.

“My little flower,” she whispered, holding Tara’s face in her hands, “you don’t see it yet, but I see it clearly.”

She wiped Tara’s tears with her thumb softly.

“You already love him. I saw it—the way you searched for him, the way you trusted him. Even now, your heart trembles… not because you don’t love him… but because you do.”

Tara froze, the words sinking slowly into her heart.

Her mother kissed her forehead gently.

“The spirits have blessed you. You survived the river together. That is not a small thing, my daughter. It is fate.”

Tara sat there quietly, her chest tightening painfully.

She thought back—

how Ethan, even scared himself, had still protected her,

how he carried her when she hurt her ankle,

how he made stupid jokes to make her laugh even when they were running for their lives,

how he covered her with his jacket without asking for anything back.

Her hands gripped her dress tightly.

She wasn’t ready.

She was scared.

Her mother squeezed her hand one last time and stood up.

“It’s time,” she said softly, her voice full of hope.

Tara wiped her face quickly, straightened her veil, and stood too.

Her legs shook slightly, but she lifted her chin.

Meanwhile, outside in the middle of the tribe, chaos was happening but a very festive chaos.