The Marquez estate stood like a monument to power and legacy, its tall iron gates opening slowly as Alexander's car approached.
The long driveway stretched ahead, lined with perfectly trimmed hedges and stone statues that had likely stood there longer than he had been alive. The mansion itself glowed at a distance, untouchable.
To outsiders, the estate looked beautiful. To Alexander, it felt like a cage.
The car stopped at the entrance steps, and the driver opened the door. Alexander stepped out without a word, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve as he walked inside. His expression was calm, but his eyes were distant, already preparing for the evening ahead.
Inside, the house staff greeted him politely and led him toward the dining hall.
The dining hall was grand, designed to impress and intimidate at the same time. A long dining table stretched across the room beneath a crystal chandelier that sparkled like frozen stars. Oil paintings of previous Marquez family heads lined the walls, their painted eyes seeming to watch everything that happened in the room.
Alexander walked in late, as usual.
At the head of the table sat his father, Victor Marquez. He was a man whose presence filled any room without effort. He did not speak unnecessarily, but when he did, people listened. His authority did not come from loudness but from certainty.
Beside him sat Helena, Alexander's stepmother. She wore an elegant dress and a pleasant smile, but her eyes were always calculating, always watching, always planning.
Tonight, she had brought company.
Her niece, Clarissa, sat gracefully at the table, dressed in a soft cream-colored dress, clearly chosen for the occasion. Her posture was perfect, her smile polite, and her eyes immediately moved to Alexander the moment he entered the room.
Ambition was written all over her face.
Alexander took his seat without greeting anyone beyond a small nod to his father. A servant immediately stepped forward to pour wine and serve the next course.
Dinner began with polite conversation about business, charity events, and social gatherings. Victor spoke occasionally, Helena spoke often, and Clarissa laughed softly at things that were not particularly funny.
Alexander remained mostly silent, eating slowly, his expression unreadable.
Helena did not wait long before steering the conversation where she wanted it.
"Alexander," she said smoothly, placing her napkin neatly on her lap, "Clarissa has just returned from abroad. She studied business administration and has been helping with my charity foundation. She is very capable and well educated. I am sure you two would have a lot to talk about."
Clarissa leaned forward slightly, her smile warm and rehearsed.
"I have followed your work for a while" she said, her smile calm. "Your company is remarkable. The expansion into international markets, the new technology branch, it is all over the news. It is very inspiring. I would love to hear about your latest projects. I mean not many people expand that aggressively without making mistakes."
Alexander paused for a moment, he studied her briefly, not nervous, not trying too hard, just calculating.
Then continued cutting his steak with slow, deliberate movements.
'Of course, prepared lines.'
He did not look at Clarissa.
He did not respond. He simply continued eating as if she had not spoken.
An awkward silence followed for a few seconds, but Helena quickly filled it.
"You are not getting any younger, Alexander," Helena continued smoothly. "Your father and I worry about you. You work too much and think too little about your personal life. It is time you started thinking seriously about marriage."
Victor finally spoke, his voice calm but firm.
"Your inheritance has conditions, son. You know this. Without marriage, the board will question your stability. Investors prefer a man with a family. It is time you settled down."
Alexander's jaw tightened slightly, but he did not immediately respond. He had heard this conversation many times before, but tonight it irritated him more than usual.
Clarissa smiled sweetly and added, "I do not mind pressure. I think marriage is about finding the right person. Someone who understands your world and supports your goals. Do you not agree?"
Alexander placed his knife and fork down slowly. The sound of metal touching the plate echoed softly across the table.
He finally looked up.
His eyes were cold and steady.
"I already have a girlfriend," he said calmly.
The words dropped into the room like a stone into still water.
Helena's smile froze instantly. Victor's brows lifted slightly in surprise. Clarissa's face stiffened, her polite expression cracking for just a second before she quickly recovered.
Silence filled the room.
Victor leaned forward slightly. "A girlfriend? Why have we not met her?"
Helena's eyes narrowed slightly. She kept track of Alexander's life very carefully, and she knew he had no woman.
"Bring her to your father's birthday dinner," Helena said smoothly, though there was a sharp edge beneath her voice. "Three weeks from now. If you show up alone, then you will go out with Clarissa. No excuses."
Clarissa smiled again, but this time the smile was tighter, less confident.
Alexander's gaze hardened slightly, but he did not argue. He knew arguing would only give Helena more satisfaction.
"Fine," he said simply.
Dinner continued, but the atmosphere had changed. The polite conversation felt forced now. Helena looked satisfied, convinced she had cornered him. Clarissa tried a few more times to start conversations with Alexander, but he ignored her completely.
Victor watched everything quietly, saying very little, but his eyes missed nothing.
When the meal finally ended, Alexander stood up immediately.
"Thank you for dinner," he said calmly.
He did not wait for a response. He turned and walked out of the dining hall, his footsteps echoing slightly against the marble floors.
Outside, the night air was cool and quiet. The estate grounds were silent except for the faint sound of water from a distant fountain.
Alexander walked slowly toward his car but stopped halfway down the steps, looking out across the dark gardens.
His father's authority. Helena's manipulation. Clarissa's rehearsed charm. The inheritance conditions. The board pressure. The family expectations.
All of it pressed against him like invisible chains.
Three weeks.
He needed a girlfriend in three weeks.
He let out a slow breath and ran a hand through his hair, thinking.
His mind began to move through possibilities, quickly eliminating names and faces. Socialites. Business daughters. Models. Actresses. All of them came with complications, expectations, and gossip.
He needed someone temporary. Someone controllable. Someone who needed something from him.
Someone desperate.
His mind stopped on one name.
Malissa Fisher.
The woman who had collided with him on the street. The woman who had argued with him without knowing who he was. The woman who had insulted rich people in a nightclub. The woman working overtime and night shifts. The woman trying to save her mother and reopen her father's case.
The daughter of his enemy.
He thought about the background report again. The small apartment. The hospital bills. The appeal lawyer. The part time jobs. The exhaustion in her photo.
She was desperate.
And desperate people made deals.
He looked up at the night sky for a moment, his expression unreadable.
She was perfect.
Not perfect in the way Helena imagined. Not perfect in the way society expected.
But perfect for his plan.
If she needed money for hospital bills and lawyers, he could provide it.
If he needed a girlfriend for family appearances, she could play the role.
A transaction. A contract. A controlled arrangement.
And if she stayed close to him, he could watch her. Control the situation. Make sure she never tried to reopen the past again.
He walked down the steps slowly and got into the car.
As the car drove away from the estate, Alexander leaned back in his seat, eyes closing briefly.
Coincidence had brought Malissa Fisher into his life.
But coincidence had nothing to do with what came next.
He's eyes opened slowly.
Cold. Decided.
This time, he would choose her.
And once he did,
There would be no walking away.