Unwillingly Yours.

Chapter 02

"Oh my God!" Vanessa squeals repeatedly. "I've never had the chance to see him up close, but he's so handsome!" she gushed on. Margaret holds her hands, and the two talk excitedly about Matteo Russo, while Henry beams at them.

Matteo Russo is one of the most eligible bachelors in New York. The Italian multi-billionaire is the co-CEO alongside Valerio DeSanto. The latter rarely appears in the media, so not many people recognize him. Unlike Matteo, whose handsome face often graces the covers of magazines and tabloids, usually with a model or another woman in his arms.

Riley was wondering how a man like that would ever agree to a contract marriage when Vanessa’s excited voice floated back to her.

"So, when do I meet him?" she asks, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Riley almost laughs as she watches Henry and Margaret’s smiles falter.

"The contract hasn’t been signed yet. Were you even listening? They’ve only met with Ricardo, not Matteo,” Riley says flatly, adding, "He probably doesn’t even know about it yet."

That shifts the mood quickly. Her father gives her a sharp look, as if only just realizing she’s in the room.

Her stepmother glares at her. "And you would know that because you’re Matteo’s personal assistant?" she says icily before pulling a no-longer-smiling Vanessa closer over the table. "Ricardo has agreed to it. Matteo will do the same."

"So when do I get to meet Matteo?" That seemed to be all Vanessa cared about

“We’re meeting with Ricardo on Friday. It’ll be signed in no time, sweetheart," Henry chimes in. "Just think about the wedding, honey. It’ll be the biggest ever, everything you want, however you want it," Margaret says, feeding her daughter's fantasy.

"RussoDeSanto has a fashion line. You could even become one of their top models," Margaret adds, and Vanessa’s face lights up at the thought.

“With this contract, we’ll never have to worry about finances again," Henry says, his voice thick with greed. "There’ll be properties in your name. This is our ticket to a life we’ve always dreamed of."

Riley listens, her stomach turning. The man talking like this is her father, disgust gnaws at her.. He’s not concerned with anything but how Vanessa will secure wealth and status for him. They’re speaking as if the riches are already theirs, spinning fantasies about what life will be like as part of the Russo family.

Unable to hold back any longer, Riley asks, “And what does RussoDeSanto gain from all of this?”

“There’s a lot of personal basis in this contract. Consider it a favor from one businessman to another," he says sharply, his blue eyes as hard as his voice. In other words, he’s exploiting his friendship with Ricardo Russo. Riley isn’t surprised at all.

"And what’s your problem with the contract?" Vanessa snaps at her. "Are you jealous your name isn’t on it? Feeling bad that you’re so undesirable Dad didn’t think you were good enough to put in the deal?" she says, her words laced with venom.

Riley scoffs, her voice firm enough to make Vanessa’s smirk falter. “I have better things to do than squeal obnoxiously about usurping someone else's money.”

Her heart skips when she sees her father rise, his face darkening with anger. “Get out,” he spat.

Riley holds her tongue. She wants to do more than just glare back. She had a lot to say but such defiance comes with a price. Not willing to risk her freedom, she picks up her plate, takes it to the kitchen, and then heads upstairs.

As she leaves, their conversation resumes behind her, and she shakes her head at the absurdity of it all before going into her room.

Throwing herself on the bed, she takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. Her head throbs.

Her phone dings, and a message from her best friend, Samantha, pops up.

Let’s meet at our spot tomorrow for lunch, it reads.

Alright, see you then. Good night, Riley replies. Samantha sends a few love and goofy emojis, which make Riley smile before she puts her phone away. At least there’s something good to look forward to.

Reaching into the drawer beside her bed, Riley pulls out a picture. In it are a woman and a little girl, their smiles uncannily similar. They’re at the beach, their blonde hair wet, standing at the shallow end of the water. Their tanned skin glows in the sun, as they smile, carefree.

Riley runs her thumb gently over her mother’s face, then over her younger self. The ache in her chest deepens. She misses her mother more than words can express. She still remembers the day of the funeral—the helpless feeling as the coffin was lowered into the ground. Back then, she cried so much, but now, there are no tears left. Only a heart that never stops hurting.

~~~~~

Locking her car, Riley steps out into the early afternoon sun. The sky is clear, and though the sun is high, a cool breeze makes the temperature pleasant. She walks toward the café, where the door chimes softly as she enters.

The café is nearly full. Glancing around, she spots a dark-haired woman waving her over. A small smile tugs at Riley’s lips.

"Check out this badass,” Samantha whistles as Riley slides into the seat across from her, eyeing her outfit.

Riley is wearing a dark navy blazer over a fitted black top, neatly tucked into crisp, off-white trousers. Nude heels and a black purse complete the look. Her honey-blonde hair is straightened, and her lips glisten with light pink gloss. The look she aimed for this morning was worth it—seeing herself in the mirror had made her feel confident. Definitely lifted her spirits.

"Look sharp, feel unstoppable" Riley had thought. A mantra she'd picked up from Samantha.

Courtesy of you madame" she says in a French accent before adding, "And I could say the same for you,” Riley responds with a grin.

Samantha is dressed in a sleek black turtleneck that hugs her figure, paired with a high-waisted plaid pencil skirt that accentuates her curves. Her legs are clad in sheer black tights, and ankle boots complete the outfit. A bold red beret sits atop her wavy brown hair, perfectly matching the color of her lips. Despite the daring accessories, her makeup is otherwise minimal. A few sparkling knuckle rings add the final touch.

As Samantha flips her hair, she notices Riley's bare hands. “Where are your rings?” she asks, brown eyes curious.

“They’re all at your place. Half my stuff is there, you know,” Riley replies.

“Well, you practically live with me anyway,” Sam teases, shrugging.

It's true-and spending time at Samantha’s is a highlight of Riley's life. Her father knows it, and so does her stepmother, Margaret, who relishes taking away those small joys. It’s one of the reasons Riley tries to stay on her father’s good side. She doesn’t want to lose the freedom of escaping to Samantha's.

Riley wishes she could be as confident when facing her father as she feels right now, but fear holds her back. The years after her mother’s death had revealed the true monster in him. Pushing those thoughts away, she picks up the menu.

A lot of thoughts were going through Riley's mind but before she could over think it, Riley nodded "okay, let's see how it goes".

“You haven't ordered yet?” Riley asks as Sam waves a waiter over.

They place their orders—two sandwiches and two iced Americanos—and ease into the conversation.

“You should take tomorrow off. I’ve barely seen you all week,” Samantha complains, adding, with an air of dramatic despair “We haven’t had a girls’ day in ages!”

Riley laughs at her theatrics. “I know, it’s been so long. But I’m not sure I can take a day off. Things are crazy at work, and my department’s the busiest.”

“Oh, please. To hell with the company,” Sam rolls her eyes. “You haven’t taken a day off in forever. Call in sick; I doubt your manager will mind.”

Riley considers it, her mind racing with all the reasons she shouldn’t. But before she can overthink it, she nods. “Okay, let's see how it goes.”

“Yes!” Sam pumps her fist in the air. “Woodson Corps can survive a day without you. Besides, the owner doesn’t even deserve your effort."

Their food arrives, and Riley takes a sip of her iced Americano. “What are your plans for tomorrow?” she asks.

“I’m taking a day off from the boutique too. We’re going shopping, no choice in that.” Sam grins when Riley groans “I don’t have any other plans—”

"Shocking," Riley teases, earning an eye roll from her best friend. Sam works as a boutique manager, a job that perfectly complements her impeccable fashion sense. She landed it shortly after graduating college.

“We’ll figure it all out tomorrow,” Sam says, biting into her sandwich.

“So, how's the douche family?” Samantha asks, mouth full.

Riley fills her in on the events from the previous night.

Samantha shakes her head. “Honestly, if they weren’t such horrible people, I’d say an arranged marriage isn’t the worst idea. At the rate I’m going, I might need one. Their intentions though, well, horrible people for a reason” She pulls a magazine from her bag and flips to a specific page, revealing an image of Matteo Russo.

He’s wearing a well-tailored suit, his dark blond hair perfectly styled, and his brown eyes stare stoically from the page.

"If he's gonna look anything like this, then yes, yes I do" Sam jokes with a grin

Riley glances at the photo, recognizing his good looks but not swooning. He’s just another billionaire to her, one she can't have, so why bother.

Samantha chuckles. “I know that look. Blondes aren’t your type anyway. How ironic.”

They talk for a while longer before parting ways as Riley’s lunch break ends.

Back at the office, Riley knocks gently on her manager’s door, entering when Clara calls her in. Clara glances up from her computer, offering a warm smile.

“Riley, what’s up?” she asks.

“I wanted to request a day off tomorrow,” Riley says, getting straight to the point.

Clara pauses, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. “You know how things are right now. It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation.”

“I know, but it’s just one day, and I really need it,” Riley replies, her tone professional but sincere.

Clara holds her gaze for a moment before nodding. “Alright, but only because you’re reliable and haven’t taken a day off in a while.”

“Thank you,” Riley smiles.

Clara mirrors the smile, then dismisses her.

Riley is still smiling when she leaves the office.