Chapter 3

Alana’s POV

I should keep walking. One foot in front of the other.

Yet the second my eyes meet his, I hesitate. Just long enough to make it obvious and attract a disapproving eye from my grandmother.

I definitely didn’t expect to see that. Lucia did mention that there were two guests coming, but he is not what I expected.

I thought I’d meet some arrogant heir with way too much gel in his hair and an even bigger ego. However, this man standing in Lucia’s dining area dressed in a sleek black suit and wearing a look of calculated boredom is not what I expected. At all.

Tall. A chiseled jaw. Dark hair that falls just enough over his brow to look effortless. And those eyes; deep, cool and unreadable.

He doesn’t smile. Doesn’t smirk.

Just watches me like I’m some kind of puzzle he didn’t expect to find in this house.

 I force myself to move again, my hands tightening across the railing as I reach the last step.

Lucia’s voice echoes. “There you are, meet Renald and his nephew, Rafael.”

We exchange pleasantries.

I make a move to sit down when Rafael pulls out the seat for me. I mumble a ‘thank you’ in surprise. His cologne wafts over me and I inhale sharply. He smells like a heady mix of citrus, mint and burning wood. Damn, he smells really good.

He takes a seat beside me casually, like he’s done it a thousand times before.

The table is already set with gold trimmed plates, tall candles, wine glasses gleaming under the chandelier light. 

Dinner starts with small talk. Lucia and Renald talk business, while Rafael chips in here and there. I nod when I need to, sip my wine and try not to overthink this dinner. It was looking like we were all hiding under the pretext of a meal and there was something else at play.

Halfway through my meal, I catch Rafael staring at me.

I give him a look that says ‘What do you want?’. He shrugs and looks away.

“You don’t look like you want to be here.” He finally says.

“Well, neither do you.” I retort.

His lips twitch slightly.

“I thought this was supposed to be business, but then you show up dressed like that so I’m not sure what to believe.”

I open my mouth to give a sharp retort when Lucia cuts in before I have a chance to.

“We’re here to discuss a partnership,” she says. “Between families. Between names. Between legacies.”

Rafael sets his wine glass down. “You make it sound like a wedding announcement.” He says lightly

Lucia only smiles that tight-lipped smile.

And everything in me goes still.

Wait. No. That can’t be-

A wedding?

This isn’t just some alliance or dinner or PR move? Is that why Lucia picked this dress?

She wouldn’t do that to me, would she?

I look at her and she has a proud smile on her face.

My fingers tighten on the stem of my wine glass.

Beside me, Rafael looks just as surprised as I feel. Or maybe he’s just good at pretending.

Rafael’s uncle clears his throat across the table, and that sends me spiraling. My brain suddenly starts working in overdrive.

 I stare at her, waiting for the punchline, the smirk, anything at all to prove that this is just one of Lucia’s cryptic jokes. But she’s not laughing. She’s cutting her salmon into neat slices, like she didn’t just drop a bomb in the middle of dinner.

My appetite vanishes instantly.

I place my fork down gently. “I’m sorry, what do you mean?”

She doesn’t even blink. “It’s a smart move. The merger will be sealed and marriage will only make it stronger.”

I look to Rafael for a reaction, anything at all. There was nothing apart from the mild surprise. He leans back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the rim of his glass as if processing everything.

“You’ve got to be joking,” I say to her. My voice comes out sharper than I intended, but I don’t quiver.

 “Alana,” Lucia warns softly.

“No!” I snap, pushing away from the table. The chair scrapes loudly across the marble in a way I know will annoy her. “You can’t just dress me up and serve me as dessert at your little business dinner.” I say, half yelling.

Rafael tilts his head to the side at that, clearly amused. It only infuriates me further.

“You should have told me, you could have at least asked me first.”

Lucia only dabs the corner of her mouth with a napkin, cold and unbothered. “Some decisions are above your emotions, cara mia. This is about the future. Your future and that of the company.”

“Exactly. My future. Why do you get to decide to whom and when I get married?”

Her eyes narrow slightly. “You don’t know what’s at stake.”

I laugh, a bitter, disbelieving sound. “Of course. Because with you, power and reputation hold more weight than family. That’s why you can give out your only granddaughter like some antique painting to seal deals.”

I see a brief flicker of emotions in her eyes.

She rises slowly. “Enough.’’

I shake my head. My throat burns with words I want to scream but know won’t matter.

I turn and walk out the dining room without looking back.

I am mad. Livid.

Lucia and I may not have a usual lovey-dovey grandma to granddaughter relationship, but I’ve listened to her all this time and I thought we had an understanding. But this stunt? This is my limit.

The diamond necklace suddenly feels too heavy and I struggle to get it off, but my hands are too unsteady.

My hands tremble as I reach the door but before I can push it open, I hear footsteps behind me.

“Running already?” A voice calls out behind me.

Of course. Him.

I turn to face Rafael. “You don’t know me,” I say. “So don't pretend like this is some fairytale arranged marriage where we fall in love after the third chapter.”

He smirks faintly. “Wasn’t planning on it.”

“Good.”

“Though I have to admit…” He steps closer, eyes roaming over me in a way that’s both irritating and intoxicating. “You wear red very well.”

My jaw tightens. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“I didn’t ask for this either, sweetheart.”

“Then don’t call me sweetheart.”

He chuckles, but there’s something unreadable in his eyes now. “This dinner was just a performance, don’t worry. I’m not interested in marrying a stranger either.”

I narrow my eyes. “Then stay out of my way.”

We maintained eye contact, neither of us ready to back down.

“You two. Stop standing around, come back in.” I hear Lucia say behind us. “The press are on their way.”

“What?!” I ask surprised.

“I called them.” She says calmly.