Anything You Want (English)

A Love Not Chosen

"Leandro, have you lost your mind?" A shocked voice erupted from one of the elders at the table. "You want this man—the son of the one who deceived you—to marry your granddaughter?"

Drake clenched his fists, holding himself back. He was standing before Leandro’s entire family, being judged like he was nothing. The anger simmering inside him threatened to boil over. They don’t know anything about what my family went through.

"Are you so desperate to find her a husband that you’d trust her with the son of a fraud?" a woman added, her sharp gaze flickering toward him.

The dining hall of the Montefuego mansion was grand, but the atmosphere was anything but welcoming. Seated at the table were Leandro’s siblings, their children, and their grandchildren—all present to witness his decision.

"Does Samantha even know what you’ve done?" Leandro’s older sister asked, her tone heavy with disapproval. "You love her, but this… This is too much—"

"This is what’s best for her," Leandro interrupted firmly.

"Lolo, I’m here!"

A bright, cheerful voice cut through the tense air. All heads turned toward the doorway as Samantha stepped into the room.

She stopped mid-step, eyes widening as she took in the scene—the unfamiliar faces, the suffocating tension, and most of all, the man sitting at the table.

Her gaze drifted downward, and realization hit her.

She was still wearing her apron, stained with paint smudges from earlier. Her hands bore streaks of color, remnants from the children at the daycare where she spent weekends volunteering—abandoned kids, some suffering from severe illnesses like hers.

"Look at you. You didn’t even bother to change," an older woman chastised, eyeing her up and down.

"So this is your choice for her future husband?" another elder scoffed, looking Drake up and down before shaking his head. "She’s just a child. Look at her, Leandro. This is pathetic."

Samantha leaned in slightly, lowering her voice to whisper to her grandfather. "Did I just ruin the mood?"

Leandro's expression softened as he cupped her face. "Of course not," he said gently.

"Go on, greet them," Leandro encouraged.

Samantha nodded and made her way around the table, respectfully kissing the hands of the elders before greeting her aunts and uncles the same way. Once done, she quietly returned to her seat beside her grandfather.

"Drake, this is my granddaughter, Samantha," Leandro announced. "She is the woman you will marry."

Then, with a teasing glint in his eye, he turned to Samantha. "I brought your future husband. You said you wanted to get married."

"Lolo, really?" she murmured, embarrassed, her gaze shifting hesitantly to Drake.

His expression was cold, unreadable—but she knew why.

He was forced into this. He wasn’t here by choice.

Her grandfather knew about what had happened to his family.

"The wedding will take place in two weeks," Leandro declared suddenly.

The room erupted in protest.

"What?" The collective shock rang through the air.

Samantha turned to her grandfather, unsurprised by his urgency. She had long known that he was racing against time.

She was, too.

No one else in the family knew the truth—except Leandro. That was why he was pushing forward so aggressively.

No one knew how much time she had left.

Drake, on the other hand, simply stared at the grandfather and granddaughter, baffled by their calmness in the face of their family’s outrage.

The frustration inside him grew. If he weren’t in such a desperate situation, he would’ve never accepted this deal.

But he had no choice.

He needed to reclaim his father's business. He needed to clear his name.

So whatever it took—he would endure it.

"Two weeks? Why the rush?" one of the older men demanded. "They’re too young!"

"And what about the boy? We barely know him. His family history—are you really going to entrust your granddaughter to him? Your business? What if he—"

The old man cut him off.

"I never said I was handing over my business," Leandro corrected. His gaze shifted toward Drake. "As you pointed out, they’re young. And frankly, I don’t believe Drake has the ability to handle my company in his current state. He needs extensive training. I don’t even think he’s capable of reviving his own."

Drake clenched his fists but said nothing.

There was no denying it.

He was walking into a battlefield.

And he had no choice but to win.

"I’m not getting any younger. I want to see my great-grandchild before I go," Leandro declared, his gaze settling on Samantha.

She couldn’t help but smile at her grandfather’s words.

"Leandro, have you gone mad?" One of the elders blurted out, shaking his head. "Are you seriously okay with this, Samantha? We’re talking about your life!"

Samantha remained calm. "It’s fine. I trust that Lolo is doing what’s best for me."

From the moment she woke up from her coma, her grandfather had been her constant companion. He had been the one to reintroduce her to the world—showing her photos, playing videos of her parents, reminding her of what she had lost.

Her memories, her childhood, even the warmth of her parents' hugs—gone.

All she had was Leandro.

"And you," the elder turned to Drake, eyes narrowing. "Are you really fine with this? Or have you forgotten that your father owed our company a great deal?"

Drake’s jaw tightened. "I’m getting paid. Why wouldn’t I be okay with it?"

His fists clenched at the insult buried in those words. You’re the ones who wronged my family. But he bit his tongue.

"See, Leandro? What kind of marriage is this?" The elder scoffed. "You’re paying a man who doesn’t even love your granddaughter—just because—"

"I didn’t invite you here to question my decisions," Leandro interrupted, his voice firm. "My choice is final. Samantha has no issue with it, and as long as she’s fine, I don’t need anyone else’s opinion."

"You’re too stubborn. You spoil her too much," an older woman muttered. "You’ll regret this. What if she already has someone else she loves? You can’t force her into this."

"She is my granddaughter," Leandro countered smoothly. "I am simply doing what I know is best for her."

His gaze softened as he looked at Samantha.

And just like that, the room fell silent.

"You should change your clothes so we can have dinner," Leandro said, gently holding Samantha’s hand.

She nodded but glanced at Drake. She could see it—he was uncomfortable.

"Lolo, he’s not comfortable," she whispered, leaning toward him.

Leandro looked at the young man, then made a decision. "Let’s eat outside instead. We’ll grill for dinner." He turned back to Samantha. "Didn’t you say you were craving barbecue?"

She smiled at her grandfather. "I did."

Leandro then turned to Drake. "That works for you, doesn’t it?"

Drake barely reacted. "Whatever," he muttered. He didn’t care what they ate. He wasn’t here by choice.

"I’ll go change," Samantha said before hurrying upstairs.

Leandro watched her go, a small smile tugging at his lips. Every time he saw her happy, it lifted something inside him. She was his world. If he could give her everything—even stop time—he would. But he couldn’t. He knew that much.

By the time Samantha returned, dressed more suitably, the entire family was outside, gathered in the vast garden, grilling meat over open flames. Even Drake was there, helping alongside her cousins.

She caught sight of him and smiled.

"You know he hates us," her grandfather murmured beside her.

Samantha glanced at him before responding softly, "That’s to be expected."

She knew Leandro had nothing to do with what happened to Drake’s father. If anything, he had lost more than gained by stepping in to save their company.

Leandro sighed. "I still don’t understand what you see in him. Sure, he’s handsome, but he’s got quite the temper."

She laughed lightly. "He’s not grumpy, Lolo. He’s just angry—at us. And besides, I want to help him, even just a little. Didn’t you say he’d do anything for me?"

She had been the one to convince her grandfather that Drake was the one she wanted to marry.

And soon, they’d both have to face the consequences of that choice.

Samantha had admired Drake for years—her first crush. He had once helped her, and from that moment, she had held him close in her heart. When she learned what had happened to his family, she refused to believe his father could have done such a thing. And she certainly knew her grandfather wasn’t the type to destroy others without reason.

So she had made a choice.

Before she left this world, she wanted to marry.

And she wanted to marry Drake.

That was why she had convinced her grandfather to arrange the contract—to bind them together in a way that fate never would have.

Perhaps she was being selfish. But in the time she had left, she wanted to believe she could make a difference—for him, and for herself.

"Are you sure about this, Sam?" her grandfather asked, his voice thick with concern. "You might just end up hurting yourself. You said it yourself—he hates us."

She smiled gently. "I’ll be fine. You know I’m strong."

Leandro sighed. He was worried, and she knew it. One day, she would leave him—and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Stubborn," he muttered, ruffling her hair.

Samantha laughed, holding onto his arm as if she could keep him close forever.

Then, softly, she whispered, "Lolo, when I’m gone, promise me you won’t cry. Don’t be sad."

Leandro stiffened, visibly uncomfortable. "What kind of talk is that?"

He hated these conversations. Hated being reminded that someday, he would have to let her go.

"That’s why I chose a grandson-in-law I know will take care of you," she teased, her eyes glinting with mischief.

Her grandfather chuckled. "Take care of me? You must be joking."

She grinned. "He’s handsome, you have to admit. And he looks the part of a CEO. If my cousins hear that you're making Drake your heir, there will be a war."

As she spoke, Drake was at the grill, helping her cousins prepare dinner.

But his gaze caught sight of the grandfather and granddaughter laughing softly together, exchanging words as if the world wasn’t crashing down around them.

And he hated it.

That smile—her happiness—while he was here, trapped in a life he didn’t choose.

Forced into marriage because of his family's ruin.

A year.

That was all he had to endure.

And once he reclaimed his father’s business, he would disappear.

For good.

No matter what they thought of him.