CHAPTER 1:2 THE UNEXPECTED MEETING
1018 Words
Steven’s Struggle
The glass doors of Ruiz Corporation slid shut behind me, muffling the hum of voices, the tapping of keyboards, the constant grind of responsibility. For a brief moment, there was silence—just me and the echo of my own footsteps on the polished marble of the parking garage.
It should’ve felt freeing. It didn’t.
My shoes clicked with precision, each step heavy with a frustration I couldn’t shake. My jaw ached from clenching too hard. I ran a hand through my hair and exhaled sharply.
Why the hell is it always like this?
People deciding for me. Shaping my life like it’s some corporate chess game, where I’m the king they can just move wherever they damn please.
I hit the unlock button. The headlights of my black Maserati blinked, piercing the dim garage. Sleek, powerful, perfectly controlled. Just like I was supposed to be.
Sliding into the driver’s seat, I sank into the smooth leather, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles whitened. The cool surface grounded me, but only barely. The anger still pulsed beneath my skin like an electric current.
A wedding. To a stranger.
Of all the ridiculous things my parents could do, they picked this.
The engine roared to life when I pressed the start button, its low growl vibrating through the silence. For a long moment, I just sat there, staring straight ahead at the empty lane, the glow of fluorescent lights stretching endlessly like a bad joke.
Why am I even surprised?
This isn’t the first time they’ve tried to pull my strings. But this… this is different. This isn’t a deal. This isn’t a boardroom decision. This is my life.
And they think they can just barter it away for power? For stocks?
I pulled out of the parking space, my thoughts grinding louder than the tires against the concrete.
Halfway through the exit ramp, my phone vibrated on the console. I glanced at the name flashing on the screen and let out a humorless laugh. Alex Carter. The only person ballsy enough to call me when I’m in a mood like this.
I hit the answer button and brought the phone to my ear. “What?”
“Well, hello to you too, sunshine,” Alex’s voice drawled, dripping with sarcasm. “Bad day, Mr. CEO?”
I snorted. “You have no idea.”
“Oh, I think I do.” I could hear the smirk in his tone. “Let me guess—your mother’s at it again?”
“Worse.” I shifted gears as I hit the main road, the Maserati purring like a beast waiting to run. “She rearranged my schedule.”
“That doesn’t sound worse. You make it sound like—” His words cut off as realization hit. “No. No way. She didn’t.”
“She did.”
A sharp whistle pierced my ear. “Holy s**t. They actually played the arranged marriage card?”
I said nothing. The silence was enough.
“Steven,” Alex said slowly, his voice now more serious. “Tell me you didn’t agree to this.”
“Do I sound like someone who agreed?” My tone was ice.
“Fair point,” he muttered. Then, after a pause: “So, who’s the lucky bride? Some heiress? A model? A socialite with a perfect smile and a brain the size of a peanut?”
“I don’t care who she is,” I cut him off, my voice sharp enough to draw blood. “Because it’s not happening.”
“Uh-huh.” Skepticism dripped from his words. “And I suppose your mother will just… back off? Like that? Because that’s what strong-willed billionaires’ wives do. They give up easily.”
“Don’t start with me.”
“Relax, I’m just saying…” He paused, then added, “If she’s pulling this now, it means the board is breathing down your neck. What’s the deal? Stocks? Investors? A hostile takeover?”
I gripped the wheel tighter, the leather creaking under my hands. Alex didn’t need an answer. He already knew.
“Thought so,” he muttered. “Listen, man… I get it. You hate being controlled. But you also hate losing. And if this marriage saves the company…”
“It’s not happening,” I said flatly.
There was silence on the line, then a sigh. “Steven. I’m not saying marry her. I’m saying—think before you burn the whole damn house down.”
“I don’t compromise, Alex. Not like this.”
“Yeah, because compromise is such a dirty word,” he said dryly. “Look, just… don’t do anything stupid. And call me if you need a drink later.”
I hung up without replying. He knew better than to push.
The city stretched out before me like a neon mirage, the lights bleeding into one another as I sped down the highway. A blur of motion, yet I felt like I was standing still—trapped in the same suffocating reality I’d been born into.
Power. Control. Expectations.
I’d spent my entire life fighting for independence, carving out my own rules in a world obsessed with writing them for me. I took over Ruiz Corporation on my terms, built it higher than they ever imagined.
And now, they think they can use me like a bargaining chip?
My grip loosened slightly as I exhaled. I wasn’t the type to surrender—not to competitors, not to markets, and sure as hell not to my parents.
But deep down, one question clawed its way through my thoughts:
What kind of woman agrees to this?
Is she desperate? Gold-digging? Or just as trapped as I am?
The thought lingered as I pulled into the private driveway of my penthouse. The valet greeted me with a polite nod, but I barely acknowledged him. I killed the engine and stepped out, the night air cool against my skin.
Tomorrow, the war begins.
And if they think I’ll go down without a fight, they don’t know me at all.
- Writer
