Chapter Three: The Wedding

Monterrey, Mexico – 10:30 a.m.

Valeria couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I’ve already arranged the details,” Alejandro said, his voice steady and businesslike as he glanced at her. “The wedding is in two weeks.”

She stopped walking, nearly tripping over her heels. Two weeks? Was he out of his mind?

“Excuse me? A wedding? You’ve got to be kidding.” Valeria’s voice was almost a squeak, but she couldn’t help herself. The sheer absurdity of it hit her like a freight train.

Alejandro didn’t seem the least bit fazed by her reaction. Instead, he kept walking ahead, his steps never faltering. “It’s a formality. We need to make it look real. For the investor.”

She caught up to him, her hands moving with agitation. “You said it was just for the day! For the meeting! This isn’t just a fake engagement anymore; you’re actually planning a wedding?”

Alejandro’s lips quirked up slightly, but it was more of a smirk than a smile. “Did you think I’d let this go with just a handshake, Señorita Mendoza? We’re going all in.” He opened the door to his office, walking in with a casual grace that made her almost forget her rage.

Valeria stood at the threshold of his office, her mind spinning. A wedding? She was expected to marry this man? She barely knew him, and the idea of walking down an aisle with him, even if it was all just a performance, made her stomach churn.

"Sit down," he commanded, his back to her as he arranged a stack of papers on his desk. “We need to go over the logistics. This can’t look like a last-minute rush.”

Valeria remained frozen for a moment, then reluctantly sat down across from him, feeling the tension in the air like static electricity.

“I still don’t understand,” she muttered. “Why the wedding? Why so fast?”

Alejandro glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "The investor will want to see commitment. They need to believe in our stability, our family values. A wedding solidifies that. It’s not just about you and me, it’s about the project, the image we need to project."

Valeria took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of thoughts in her head. He was right. This wasn’t about love or partnership—it was all about business. But somehow, the idea of a wedding made it feel too real, too personal.

She looked at him, his cold, emotionless exterior hiding a mind always working, always calculating. He didn’t seem to care about the toll this might take on her. No, to him, she was just another part of the plan, another piece of the puzzle.

"And the wedding dress?" she asked, voice strained. "What’s the plan there?"

Alejandro raised an eyebrow. "You think I’ll pick it out for you?" He almost sounded amused, but there was no humor in his eyes. “I’ll let you handle that.”

Valeria could feel the pressure building up in her chest. "This is insane."

But Alejandro didn’t flinch. “Welcome to the world I live in.”

---

Later that afternoon, Valeria was back in her apartment, pacing back and forth, the phone pressed tightly to her ear. She needed to talk to someone, anyone, about the mess she was tangled up in.

Mirabel, her best friend and confidante, answered on the second ring.

"Val, what’s going on? You sound like you’re about to explode," Mirabel’s voice crackled through the phone, always a calming presence when things got overwhelming.

“I’m going to have to marry him,” Valeria blurted out, her voice cracking. “Alejandro. I’ve got to go through with this insane wedding to make the investor think it’s real.”

There was a long pause on the other end. "Wait, you mean... you’re actually getting married?" Mirabel asked, clearly trying to make sense of what she’d just heard.

Valeria let out a frustrated sigh. “Yes! Well, it’s a fake wedding, but that’s not the point! It’s happening! I can’t back out now.”

Mirabel’s laughter rang out, but it wasn’t the light, carefree laugh that Valeria was used to. It sounded strained. “Okay, let me get this straight. You’re pretending to be his fiancée, then pretending to be his wife, and you’re telling me this is for a business deal? Is that really what’s going on here?”

“Exactly!” Valeria threw herself down onto her couch, burying her face in her hands. “I don’t even know what’s real anymore. He just walks into my life and tells me I’m playing the role of his fiancée for a whole wedding, and here I am, spiraling into a full-on panic.”

Mirabel was silent for a moment, then sighed. “You need to take a breath, Val. I get it, okay? I really do. But you’re not alone in this. You’ve got me, and I’m here for you, no matter how crazy this gets. So, what’s the next step?”

Valeria let her breath out in a slow, shaky exhale. “The wedding plans. I’m supposed to pick out a dress, make it look real, plan a ceremony—all of it. It feels like I’m drowning in this.”

“You need to take control of this, Val,” Mirabel said, her voice firm. “Don’t let him dictate everything. You have a say in how this plays out. It’s your life, too. So, what’s your move?”

Valeria thought for a long moment. Mirabel was right. This might have started out as Alejandro’s plan, but if she was going to go through with it, she needed to have some control over the situation.

“Okay,” Valeria said, her voice steadying. “I’ll take the reins. I’m not just going to let him run me over.”

Mirabel chuckled softly. “That’s the spirit. And hey, maybe this could turn out to be a fun challenge. You never know.”

Valeria couldn’t help but laugh, though it was more for Mirabel’s benefit than her own. “A fun challenge? With Alejandro? I’ll believe that when pigs fly.”

---

That evening, Valeria sat in front of her laptop, browsing through bridal boutiques online. It wasn’t exactly the type of shopping she had envisioned for her wedding day, but it was the reality she now had to face.

She clicked on a dress she’d never have considered in a million years—a sleek, modern gown with clean lines and an understated elegance. It was stunning, and yet, as she looked at it, she felt a sense of… detachment. It wasn’t her dream wedding dress, it was just a dress.

A dress she was going to wear for a man who barely knew her. A man who only saw her as a tool for his business.

But maybe, just maybe, she could use this situation to her advantage. She could play the part, keep it professional, and get out of it with her dignity intact. She could still win this.

Valeria clicked “purchase” on the dress, knowing full well that the wedding was going to be one of the most bizarre events of her life.