Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

GIDEON’S POV

It was a huge mistake to think that power could only be measured by how much money a company could make in a single day. In my world, power was measured by how quickly people obeyed the moment I opened my mouth. Money was merely a tool. Fear, loyalty, and influence were what kept everything under my control.

I stood in front of the enormous glass windows of my office on the top floor of Valeriano Tower, the tallest building in Makati. The city stretched beneath me, filled with busy streets, towering buildings, and people who had no idea how many of their lives were connected to the decisions made inside offices like mine.

I had just arrived from New York a few days ago. After spending months handling our international operations, I decided it was time to personally oversee the expansion of Vantage International in the Philippines. I had already received a list of promising small businesses in Makati and instructed my people to approach them with partnership offers.

Most of them responded exactly as expected.

They were eager. Some practically begged for meetings, while others sent their representatives before we even finished reviewing their financial records. It wasn’t surprising. The Valeriano Group was one of the most powerful conglomerates in the country, and being associated with us could instantly elevate a company’s reputation.

“Boss.”

My right-hand man, Marco, called after knocking on the door.

I didn’t turn around. My gaze remained fixed on the city beyond the windows as I held my glass of whiskey.

“We have a minor issue with the Vantage International expansion.”

My eyebrows immediately furrowed. That was quite unusual.

“What issue?” I asked without lowering my glass. My voice was cold and direct. I had no patience for unnecessary explanations.

“The boutique luxury brand we targeted for the international distribution partnership just returned the contract.”

I heard him open a leather folder before he continued.

“They flatly rejected our investment proposal. They don’t want venture capital from the Valeriano Group.”

I slowly turned around, narrowing my eyes. I placed my glass on the table and extended my hand toward him.

“They rejected it? Do they know who owns Vantage?”

“Yes, Boss. I made sure everything was clear. The CEO explicitly stated that they will only sign a pure distribution partnership. No investments, no equity sharing, and absolutely no direct involvement from the Valeriano Group.”

A faint smile appeared on Marco’s lips, although there was a hint of hesitation in his expression.

“It’s the first time someone has looked at our millions and said no.”

A low chuckle escaped my throat.

My expression remained serious, but I was suddenly overwhelmed by curiosity. People literally begged to be associated with my name. Legitimate businessmen and underground figures alike cleaned up their accounts just to earn a fraction of my attention. Some even went as far as offering their own companies in exchange for my protection.

Yet a lifestyle company had just slammed the door in my face.

Jesus.

“Who is the CEO?” I asked as I walked back toward my swivel chair.

“Alexandra Montenegro, Boss.”

Marco handed me a sheet of paper containing her background check.

“She’s twenty-two. She built Aurelia & Co. from scratch using the small inheritance her grandmother left her.”

Montenegro.

I froze when I heard that surname.

I knew the family name, but not hers. As far as I knew, the Montenegro family was composed entirely of men. They were an old family with a respectable business reputation, although their influence had never been comparable to ours.

Was she related to them?

I picked up the report and examined the photograph attached to it. My chest tightened.

I couldn’t explain why.

My eyes stopped on her face, and for a moment, I found myself staring longer than necessary. There was something strangely familiar about her features, especially the shape of her eyes and the boldness in her gaze.

She was undeniably beautiful.

Her straight hair framed her face perfectly, and her expression carried a confidence that was almost challenging. She didn’t look like someone who would easily bow to another person’s authority.

My eyes traveled down the photograph before I caught myself.

Fuck.

My dick stirred against my zipper.

I leaned back in my chair and shook my head at my own ridiculous reaction.

I wasn’t attracted to young women. They were immature, and I had never been interested in dealing with them. Most women who approached me wanted something, whether it was money, influence, or the privilege of carrying my surname. I had long since grown tired of their games.

But Alexandra Montenegro was different.

She hadn’t even met me, yet she had already rejected an opportunity that other businessmen would have killed for.

And that made her interesting.

“Alexandra…” I whispered her name, feeling the syllables roll off my tongue.

I studied her photograph again.

What was it about her that made me want to know more?

I wasn’t accustomed to curiosity. I preferred knowing everything about the people I dealt with before they even had the chance to speak. I liked being in control, and I certainly didn’t appreciate surprises.

But this woman had managed to intrigue me without even trying.

“She thinks she can just push me out of her territory?” I muttered.

Marco remained standing in front of my desk.

“What do you want us to do, Boss? Should we pull out of the deal completely and let Vantage crush them in the international market once they step in?”

I tapped the photograph with my index finger.

“No.”

Marco raised an eyebrow.

“No?”

“Accept her condition for now.”

I picked up the expensive ballpoint pen on my desk and twirled it between my fingers.

“Tell them we’re willing to agree to a distribution partnership without any investment.”

Marco looked at me as though I had suddenly lost my mind.

“Are you sure, Boss? That’s not how we usually do business.”

“I am very sure, Marco.”

I leaned back in my chair, crossing one leg over the other.

“But I have one condition.”

I could already feel my heartbeat quickening at the thought of meeting the young woman who had the audacity to reject a Valeriano.

“Tell her that the final alignment of the distribution terms must be done in person. I will personally attend that meeting.”

Marco nodded slowly.

“Should I inform her about your attendance?”

A slow smile crept across my lips.

“No. Make it a surprise.”

“Copy that, Boss. I’ll arrange the meeting with her secretary immediately.”

He turned around and left my office.

I was alone again.

The silence of the room felt different now. I picked up Alexandra Montenegro’s photograph once more, studying every detail of her face. The unfamiliar feeling in my chest returned, and I couldn’t understand why the thought of meeting her suddenly made my blood rush.

She thought she could set the rules when dealing with a Valeriano?

Interesting.

I wasn’t a man who enjoyed being challenged, especially by someone who had no idea what kind of world she was stepping into. People often confused my patience with kindness, but those who knew me understood that I rarely gave anyone a second chance.

Yet I was willing to give this woman one.

Perhaps I wanted to see whether her confidence was genuine or merely the result of her ignorance.

Perhaps I wanted to hear her explain, face-to-face, why she believed she could reject my money without consequences or perhaps there was something about her that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

I stared into her eyes in the photograph. My thumb brushed against the paper, stopping right over her face.

“You wanted a meeting without my involvement, Alexandra? Well, you just earned my full undivided attention.”

I wasn’t accustomed to being rejected, and I was even less accustomed to someone hiding in my shadow as though they were completely unaware of the power I held.

I tried to remember where I had seen those eyes before, but my mind was blank.

I had met countless women throughout my life. I had attended extravagant parties, private gatherings, and business events where people would do anything just to get close to me. Faces came and went, and names rarely stayed in my memory unless they were useful.

But there was something about Alexandra Montenegro that refused to be dismissed.

I placed the photograph on my desk and stood up, walking toward the windows once more.

Before the end of this week, I would meet her.

And when I did, I would find out exactly why a woman like Alexandra Montenegro was bold enough to reject the money I had placed right in front of her.

One thing was certain.

She had just become the most interesting person in my world.