Chapter 1

Winston's POV

"You look just like your grandfather."

Those were the first words Attorney Benjamin Castillo said the moment I took the seat across from him. I calmly adjusted the cuff of my charcoal-gray suit before lifting my gaze to meet his.

"People have been telling me that since I was a kid."

A faint smile appeared on his face. "I wasn't talking about your face."

I raised one eyebrow. Was he saying that I didn't look like my grandfather?

"I meant..." He paused for a moment, as if he was carefully choosing the right words. "The way you carry yourself."

I stared at him without saying anything.

But I quickly lost interest in whatever he was trying to explain. I didn't come here to talk about my similarities with my grandfather. I wanted to know what was written in his Last Will and Testament.

That was the only reason we were all gathered here today.

Around the long conference table sat the people who carried the Domingo name. My grandfather's children, relatives, and other members of the family were all present.

Some looked solemn, trying their best to appear respectful while the others looked impatient. And a few of them couldn't even hide the excitement in their eyes.

Pathetic.

My grandfather had only been buried a week ago, yet everyone was already thinking about what they would inherit from him. Money, properties, shares, and anything that carried value.

Attorney Castillo closed the thick black folder in front of him before looking around the room.

"Before we begin," he said calmly, "I'd like to extend my sincerest condolences to the entire Domingo family."

Silence answered him. No one spoke and no one moved. The atmosphere inside the conference room remained heavy and uncomfortable. I leaned back against my chair and loosely intertwined my fingers on top of the polished mahogany table.

"Let's not drag this any longer, Attorney," I said evenly. "I'm sure everyone here has somewhere else to be."

A few of my relatives exchanged awkward glances. I ignored them.

Attorney Castillo stared at me for a moment before slowly nodding his head.

"Very well." He opened the folder once again. "I've served Don Alejandro Domingo for thirty-six years," he began. His calm voice echoed across the large conference room. "I watched him build the Domingo Group from a single trading company into one of the largest business empires in Southeast Asia."

No one dared to interrupt him. Everyone was listening carefully now.

"He prepared this will personally. Every clause, every condition, and every signature was made while he was of sound mind."

Condition?

My eyebrows slightly pulled together. That single word immediately caught my attention.

Conditions weren't unusual when it came to estate planning. Wealthy families often used them to protect assets or control how an inheritance would be distributed. But my grandfather wasn't the type of man who complicated things without a good reason.

He believed in efficiency. Just like I did.

Attorney Castillo continued.

"As most of you already know, Don Alejandro's personal assets, charitable foundations, and private investments have already been distributed according to the provisions stated in this document."

I stopped listening. There was only one thing that mattered to me.

The Domingo Group.

The company my grandfather had spent his entire life building from nothing. The same company I had been running as CEO for the past five years.

I had sacrificed years of my life for that company. I had spent countless nights inside my office, handled international negotiations, fixed failing divisions, and made decisions that affected thousands of employees.

I knew the company better than anyone sitting inside this room.

Attorney Castillo adjusted his glasses before turning another page.

"And now..." His eyes slowly lifted from the document. "I will proceed with the final declaration regarding the ownership and succession of the Domingo Group."

The entire room suddenly became still. The quiet whispers I had been hearing earlier completely disappeared. Everyone was waiting and everyone wanted to know if they would receive a piece of the company.

My eyes quietly moved around the table.

I noticed my Aunt Cecilia tightly clutching her expensive handbag. Marco immediately straightened his posture. One of my uncles even seemed to hold his breath as he waited for Attorney Castillo's next words.

Interesting. Did they honestly think they still had a chance?

Attorney Castillo cleared his throat.

"Under the instruction of Don Alejandro Domingo..." He paused briefly. "...the entirety of the Domingo Group shall be inherited by his only grandson..."

I allowed myself to release a small breath. Exactly as expected.

"...Mr. Winston Alejandro Domingo."

The reaction around the table was immediate. Several relatives lowered their heads in disappointment. Others forced polite smiles, pretending they were happy for me.

None of it surprised me. This wasn't luck. I had worked for it. I had proven myself capable of running the company long before my grandfather died.

I turned my attention back to Attorney Castillo.

"So," I said calmly, "shall we proceed with the transfer documents?"

But instead of answering my question, Attorney Castillo slowly removed his glasses. He folded them carefully and placed them neatly on top of the will.

Then he looked directly into my eyes.

"There is..." He paused.

My eyes narrowed.

"...one final condition."

The small smile on my lips immediately disappeared. The entire room fell completely silent.

"What condition?" I asked.

My voice remained calm, but there was a firmness in my tone that made it clear I wanted an answer immediately. Instead of answering me directly, Attorney Castillo lowered his gaze to the document. Then he began reading every word exactly as my grandfather had written it.

"'My dear grandson, Winston... If you are hearing this, then it means I've already left this world. If there's one thing I regret, it is watching you become an extraordinary businessman... while slowly forgetting how to become a man capable of loving another person.'"

I slowly exhaled through my nose.

My grandfather always had a strange way of turning even serious matters into life lessons. Apparently, death hadn't stopped him.

Attorney Castillo continued reading.

"'You have inherited my intelligence, my discipline, and perhaps even my stubbornness. But there is one thing I failed to teach you... how to build a family.'"

My jaw tightened slightly.

"'For that reason, before you inherit everything I have spent my lifetime building, you must first fulfill one final wish of mine.'"

Attorney Castillo stopped. The silence inside the room suddenly felt heavier and then he read the next sentence.

"'You are required to marry Miss Windy Guanzon.'"

For a second, I honestly thought I had misheard him. I stared at Attorney Castillo and I’m waiting for him to correct himself.

He didn't.

"I'm sorry..." A short, humorless laugh escaped my lips. "What did you just say?"

"You must legally marry Miss Windy Guanzon."

My eyebrows pulled together.

Windy Guanzon?

I had never heard that name in my entire life. Was my grandfather joking? Because if this was his final attempt to control my personal life, he had clearly gone too far. I didn't even know who the hell Windy Guanzon was.

Attorney Castillo turned another page.

"Miss Windy Guanzon is the daughter of the late Ernesto Guanzon," he explained. "Don Alejandro's closest friend... and his kumparé."

I slowly leaned back against my chair. "And because of that," I said flatly, "I'm expected to marry his daughter?"

Attorney Castillo didn't answer my question. Instead, he continued reading.

"'The marriage must be entered into in good faith. My grandson shall treat his wife with dignity and respect. He shall build a genuine family with her, not merely fulfill this condition in name.'"

I almost laughed again. This couldn't be real.

A marriage clause? In a corporate inheritance? Was my grandfather actually serious when he wrote this?

"The marriage cannot be annulled immediately after the transfer of ownership," Attorney Castillo continued. "The Board of Trustees will oversee the fulfillment of Don Alejandro's final wishes."

That was enough. I pushed my chair back and stood. The sound of the chair scraping against the floor echoed loudly across the silent conference room. Every pair of eyes immediately turned toward me.

"I refuse." My voice was cold and final. "I don't know who this Windy Guanzon is. And I have absolutely no intention of marrying a woman I've never even met."

I didn't wait for Attorney Castillo to answer. I turned around and walked toward the door. No one tried to stop me. And I walked out of the conference room, leaving behind nothing but stunned silence.