Prologue
The López Mansion – Grand Ballroom.
The crystal chandeliers cast warm gold light over hundreds of guests in designer gowns and tailored suits. But in the middle of all the merriment, Shannon López stands to the side, holding a champagne flute as if she alone holds the world.
She's twenty-eight years old. COO of López Consolidated Holdings. Perfect body, angelic face – everyone says my life is like a fairy tale. But now, that fairy tale of mine is turning into a horror story.
"Shannon, princess."
She turned to the voice of her father – Don Ricardo López, the man who built everything they had. His face was serious, with no trace of emotion – just like always.
""Yes, dad?" Her voice was soft but with hidden courage.
"You know what we talked about." He paused, glanced at the guests, then turned back to her. "Blaine De Niro. We’ve got the agreement all sorted out. You’ll be getting married in the next three months."
Her world seemed to stop spinning in an instant. The hand holding her glass trembled slightly, but she held it steady. She had already broken up with Marcus last week – she’d told him it couldn’t go on, that she had obligations to her family. But hearing it straight from her father’s mouth hit different.
"Dad, you said we’d have more time –"
"It can't be done, princess." Don Ricardo placed a hand on her shoulder, but it did nothing to calm her down. "Our company is drowning in debt. De Niro’s conglomerate is the only way to save everything we’ve built. Besides, he’s a good match – smart, rich, handsome, and comes from a well-known family. You’ll grow to like him eventually."
Shannon bit her lower lip, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. She knew she was feisty – when she got angry, people said she turned into a dragon. But now, in front of her father, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She looked across the room and saw a man standing near the door.
He is tall. I could tell even from a distance. His height is probably around 6’3". He had dark hair that looked somewhat messy but was still handsome. His eyes were intense, as if he could see all your secrets. Blaine Alistair De Niro. She’d only seen his photos before, but seeing him in person was... intimidating.
He looked at her, their eyes meeting for a split second. Then he nodded slightly, as if he already knew what they were talking about. After that, he turned and walked away.
Shannon clenched her fists. Marriage for convenience. A business deal wrapped in white lace and empty promises. She’d heard stories about him – only flings, no woman has ever stayed with him long. But she was not just any woman. She was Shannon López, the next heir to López Consolidated Holdings.
"Yes, Dad," she said finally, her voice steady now. "I will marry Blaine De Niro. But I won’t be some woman who just does everything he wants. If I’m going to be his wife, he needs to understand – I’m not one of those women he plays with, someone he can twist around his little finger."
"Don Ricardo smiled slightly, as if proud to see his child's courage. "That's my princess. Now, let’s go meet him properly."
As they walked toward the exit where Blaine stood, Shannon took a deep breath. She was about to enter a world na hindi niya alam – a world of power, passion, and secrets. And she was ready to fight for everything she held dear.
