The Girl He Had To Marry- An Arranged Marriage Story

Chapter Three: Meeting a Mystery Man

Penny woke up the next morning to an empty room. She basically took everything out of her room, expect for the necessities. Today, she was planning on meeting with a realtors on selling the house. She is planning on having an estate sells as well, to sell off the furniture once she packs what she wants.

Downstairs, Ms. Birdie told the young woman that Mr. Romano was gone for the day but will be back in time for dinner.

"Honey," Ms. Birdie addresses Penny. "Mr. Romano has asked me to follow you to New York and be a cook and maid at his son's place. I would of course accept, but I wanted to ask you first."

The older woman held a secret smile, one where the creases of her eyes would wrinkle even more, and her eyes held a bright shine. She was hopeful. She has known Penny since she was a little girl and has helped her grow into the woman she is today. She would follow her to the ends of the earth, even if Penny couldn't pay her anymore.

Penny felt a real emotion at this point, the same one as Ms. Birdie: hope. She didn't show this emotion at all. She couldn't let people see how she is feeling, she couldn't wear her heart on her sleeve, because that is how they control you, break you, and hurt you.

Instead letting her face light up, and smile wide, she gives a small, polite smile and said, "I would love that. I could use a familiar face."

Ms. Birdie ran over to the girl and squeezed her in a tight hug. They truly did love each other, like a mother loves her daughter.

The doorbell ruined their moment. Ms. Birdie was busy with breakfast, so Penny took it upon herself to answer the door. Standing on the doorsteps was a man, not much older than her, a man with dark blonde hair and green eyes that almost look blue. His hair was fairly long, long enough to be pulled into a "man"-bun. He was slightly taller than her and wore a wrinkled button down shirt, dress pant, and a long black trench coat. He had dark circles around his eyes and a slightly croaked nose. He was smoking a cigarette when she opened the door but put it out under his shoe once she addressed him.

"Can I help you sir?" Penny asked the mysterious man.

"Yes, I believe you can. You can call me DR, and I am the new investigator in your father's murder. May I come in?" He spoke with as little emotion as Penny usually did. His tone implied that he was going to get what he wants and doesn't care who got in his way. He was all business. This scared her a little bit, and not just because he reminded her of her father.

"I thought the police was handling it," She asked him, not wanting to let him into her house.

"Your father had a strange clause in his will that if he was to be found murdered, The Company I work for would investigate. I am the best one in The Company, so I will be handling the investigation from now on. So please let me in." This time he pushed past her into the room. "Can you please show me where you found your father?"

He read into the police recording of Penny's side of the story. She was asleep when the attack came into the house. It must have been someone that her father knew because he let the attacker in. Penny was woken up by a loud scream, which she rushes downstairs to find her father with many stab wounds, Ms. Birdie holding a gun, and an open front door. Her father was unconscious when Penny was holding him and died in her arms. The maid reported hearing a sound and a struggle. She grabbed Mr. Marshall's gun and confronted the person. There was nothing that could have been done. Mr. Marshall was dead once he was stabbed ten times in the torso and the masked killer ran off.

Penny ultimately led DR to the spot where she found her father, a little bit away from the kitchen entrance in the main foyer.

"Now, who do you think killed your father? You must be the one closest to him," DR says. He couldn't be more wrong; Penny laughed a little internally.