In a world where kindness was rare, power ruled everything—and Alex ruled power.
Feared, cold, and untouchable, he never showed mercy to anyone.
Anyone… except her.
"I have to leave," Yuna said softly, her voice almost lost in the silence.
Alex frowned slightly. "Leave?"
"It's just for a year," she added quickly. "For my studies."
A year.
His jaw tightened at the thought.
One year without her.
But he forced a faint smile.
"No matter how long it takes," he said quietly, "I'll wait for you… my princess."
Yet for the first time, something inside him felt… uneasy.
After a week, Yuna had already left for the U.S.
The mansion felt emptier than ever.
Alex lived there alone now—surrounded by luxury, yet suffocated by silence. Every few seconds, his mind drifted back to her.
He tried to focus on his work.
He really did.
But the thought of his favorite person being miles away from him for an entire year kept eating at his mind.
All he could do was bury himself in business.
Even then, it didn't help.
Memories of Yuna kept slipping in—
her hand in his,
her soft laughter,
those cold winter nights when they stayed close, sharing warmth, teasing each other like nothing else mattered.
Now, everything felt distant.
The only question left in his mind was—
How was he supposed to get through the days without his princess?
Days passed.
Five nights went by, each one lonelier than the last.
Sleep didn't come easy anymore, and neither did focus.
Because of that, his work started to slip.
And slowly… his company began to fall.
Worse than anyone had expected.One evening, his father arrived at the mansion.
Manokos Mafia.
A man feared by many—and respected by all.
He had come for dinner.
But not just for dinner.
There was something else behind his visit.
"Enough games, Alex."
His voice was cold. Sharp. Final.
Alex froze for a second, then looked up.
"I know your company is going down," his father continued. "And I already know how to fix it."
Alex's jaw tightened.
He swallowed hard before asking, "How?"
His father calmly placed his fork down on the table and looked straight at him—his eyes filled with quiet danger.
"You're going to marry someone."
Silence filled the room.
"Her name is Veronica," he added. "CEO of the HXUN-Hickson company."
Alex's eyes widened.
"What?" he snapped, disbelief clear on his face. "No. You can't just decide my marriage like that. I love Yuna. I'm waiting for her."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
"I don't want to hear no."
His father's voice dropped lower, colder.
"You don't get a choice, Alex."