The Wedding Surprise
976 Words
Zayden Cruz lounged back in his penthouse suite, a half-empty bottle of champagne in his hand and the scent of expensive cologne still clinging to his skin. His best friends were sprawled across the leather couches, laughing about the chaos of last night’s party. The air was thick with smoke, music, and the kind of reckless energy that followed Zay like a shadow.
“Bro, you really know how to throw a party!” Mateo grinned, raising a glass in salute.
“Of course,” Zay said lazily, smirking. “I’m rich, remember?”
More laughter. The group toasted to everything and nothing at once.
Then came the words that flipped his entire world.
“Congrats on the wedding, man,” Theo said with a teasing grin. “Didn’t think you’d settle down so soon.”
Zay blinked, confused. “The what now?”
“The wedding. Got the card in the mail yesterday,” Theo said, pulling out a sleek, ivory envelope from his jacket. “Very formal. Gold seal and all. You and some Rhea girl. Two days from now.”
Zay sat up straight, brows knitting. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I thought it was one of your pranks,” Theo chuckled. “But it looked real.”
Zay snatched the invitation from his hand and read it. His name. Rhea Lin. Date. Time. Venue. Everything official. His heart dropped.
“What the actual—” he muttered.
Without another word, he stormed out of the room, his friends shouting after him. But Zay didn’t stop. He had only one destination in mind: his mother.
The Cruz family mansion was as elegant as it was intimidating. Zay strode through its gleaming halls like a storm. He didn’t even knock before barging into his mother’s private lounge.
Isadora Cruz sat comfortably in front of a full-length mirror, adjusting the folds of a deep blue designer gown. Two assistants were pinning the hem, and racks of suits and dresses lined the walls.
“Zayden,” she greeted smoothly without turning around. “Try this on.”
She lifted a navy-blue tuxedo and held it out to him.
Zay stared at her, exasperated. “Why am I getting wedding invitations for a marriage I didn’t agree to?”
Isadora finally turned, her eyes cool and unreadable. “Because you’re getting married, darling. In two days.”
Zay's jaw clenched. “To who?”
“To a perfectly lovely young woman named Rhea Lin. You'll meet her soon enough.”
“You’ve lost your mind,” he hissed. “I’m not getting married!”
“You are,” she said simply, holding the tuxedo up to his chest. “This suit matches your eyes. But we’ll need to do something about your hair. You need to look more respectful. More... responsible.”
“I’m not doing this,” he said, backing away. “This is insane!”
Isadora’s tone didn’t change. “You’ll do it because if you don’t, the board will name Michael CEO, and you’ll lose your birthright.”
Zay froze.
She continued, “Your father built Golden Age Corp from the ground up. Do you really want to see it fall into your cousin’s greedy hands? Or worse, see everything he does in your name?”
“I never asked for any of this,” Zay said coldly.
“No. But you were born for it.”
Zay’s fists clenched. “And this Rhea girl? What’s in it for her?”
“She agreed,” Isadora said, with a mysterious smile. “That’s all that matters.”
Meanwhile, Rhea Lin sat in her childhood bedroom, the same room she had decorated in high school with photos of far-off cities and dreams too big for the walls. Now, those same dreams felt more like faded posters of a life she no longer owned.
Two days ago, she had walked into her apartment building with a box of her things, freshly fired and still aching from the betrayal. Every corner of her home reminded her of Tyler—the man who cheated on her, stole her promotion, and left her shattered.
Returning home had felt like defeat.
But then Isadora Cruz had arrived.
The deal had seemed impossible. Marry her son, stay for a year, help him clean up his image, and walk away with freedom, wealth, and a recommendation to rebuild her career. Rhea had tried to say no. She had screamed, argued, called it absurd.
Until that morning.
She had scrolled through her phone and seen it—Tyler and her ex-boss’s daughter, kissing. Laughing. Happy.
Rhea had called Isadora immediately.
“I’ll do it,” she had said. “When can we meet?”
And now, the storm was set in motion.
In another part of the city, the Golden Age Corp boardroom simmered with tension. Members bickered over who the next CEO should be.
“Zayden Cruz? That playboy?” one man scoffed. “He hasn’t shown up in two years!”
“He’s not ready,” another agreed.
Michael smiled confidently. “With all due respect, I’ve led several projects already. I’m prepared.”
Isadora raised her hand. “There will be a competition. In four months. Zayden versus Michael. The best leader wins. Until then, I remain interim CEO.”
Murmurs filled the room. Michael’s eyes narrowed.
Let the game begin.
Later that night, Zay sat alone in his condo, still fuming. He stared at the invitation again, now crumpled in his hand. Rhea Lin. The name echoed in his mind.
He didn’t know her. Didn’t want this. But somewhere deep down, a whisper tugged at his chest.
What if she wasn’t just another pawn in his mother’s game?
And what if, for the first time in his life… this wasn’t about him at all.
- Writer
