CHAPTER 2: FORBIDDEN HEARTS
1021 Words
Three days had passed since Mia Mendoza's first encounter with David Mondragon at the charity gala.
Three days.
Yet she could not stop thinking about him.
It annoyed her.
Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be a Mondragon?
Mia sat in her office on the top floor of Mendoza Tower, staring at the city skyline. Below her, millions of dollars changed hands every minute. Meetings were held. Deals were negotiated. Empires expanded.
As the sole heiress of the Mendoza Dynasty, she was expected to focus on business.
Not on a man.
Especially not David Mondragon.
A knock sounded at her door.
"Come in."
Her assistant entered carrying a tablet.
"The board meeting starts in ten minutes."
Mia nodded.
"I'll be there."
The assistant hesitated.
"There is something else."
"What is it?"
"The Mondragon Group has announced a new partnership."
Mia sighed.
Of course.
Everything always came back to the Mondragons.
After her assistant left, Mia tried focusing on work.
She failed.
Her thoughts kept drifting back to the gala.
To David.
To the way he smiled.
To the way he looked at her.
To the way he spoke as if the family feud didn't matter.
It was ridiculous.
Dangerous.
And completely unacceptable.
Yet part of her wanted to see him again.
Across the city, David Mondragon was having exactly the same problem.
He sat through a board meeting without hearing half of what was being said.
Numbers filled the presentation screen.
Profits.
Investments.
Acquisitions.
Normally, he would have been paying attention.
Today, he wasn't.
His thoughts belonged to Mia Mendoza.
When the meeting finally ended, David walked to his office and closed the door.
His phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
Unknown Number.
For a moment he frowned.
Then he opened it.
I still think talking to you is a bad idea.
David immediately smiled.
Mia.
His fingers moved quickly.
And yet you texted me.
The reply came less than a minute later.
Don't sound too pleased with yourself.
Too late.
Another reply.
You're impossible.
He laughed.
For the first time in years, something felt exciting.
Alive.
Real.
The messages continued throughout the afternoon.
Simple conversations.
Harmless conversations.
Yet every message drew them closer together.
Neither wanted to admit it.
Neither wanted to stop.
Meanwhile, someone else was watching.
Daniel Mondragon stood in his office staring at photographs.
Photographs of Mia.
Magazine covers.
Business articles.
Public appearances.
He had collected them for years.
A secret obsession.
One he never shared with anyone.
At first he had admired her from afar.
Then admiration became attraction.
Attraction became desire.
And desire became obsession.
Seeing David get closer to her felt like a personal betrayal.
His younger brother had everything.
Success.
Respect.
Freedom.
Now he wanted Mia too.
Daniel clenched his fists.
No.
He would not allow it.
Across town, Aunt Susan Mendoza sat in her luxurious mansion.
Mark stood beside her.
The television displayed a business report about the Mendoza and Mondragon empires.
Susan muted it.
"The relationship is developing faster than expected."
Mark nodded.
"They seem attached."
Susan smiled coldly.
"Good."
Mark looked surprised.
"You wanted this?"
"For now."
Susan walked toward the window.
"As long as Mia is distracted, she won't ask questions."
Questions.
The very thing Susan feared.
Questions about Mia's parents.
Questions about the night they died.
Questions that could destroy everything.
Susan had spent years protecting her secrets.
She would continue protecting them.
No matter who had to suffer.
That evening, Mia arrived at a private art exhibition.
The event was exclusive.
Only a handful of guests had been invited.
She intended to stay for twenty minutes.
Then leave.
Instead, she froze near the entrance.
David was there.
Their eyes met instantly.
Both smiled before they could stop themselves.
"Coincidence?" David asked.
"Probably not."
"You think I followed you?"
"I wouldn't be surprised."
He laughed.
"Your confidence is impressive."
"And your persistence is annoying."
"Yet you're still talking to me."
Mia rolled her eyes.
Unfortunately, he had a point.
They spent the evening walking through the exhibition together.
Talking.
Laughing.
Learning about each other.
For the first time, Mia understood why people liked David.
He wasn't arrogant despite his wealth.
He wasn't cruel despite his power.
He was simply himself.
And David discovered something similar.
Beneath the billionaire image and public reputation, Mia was kind.
Funny.
Genuine.
The more time they spent together, the harder it became to remember they were supposed to be enemies.
Hours passed.
Neither noticed.
Eventually they found themselves standing on a balcony overlooking the city.
The lights stretched endlessly into the distance.
Beautiful.
Quiet.
Dangerous.
Because for the first time, neither could deny what was happening.
David turned toward her.
"Mia."
His voice was softer now.
More serious.
She looked up.
Their eyes locked.
The world seemed to disappear.
No family feud.
No billion-dollar empires.
No expectations.
Only them.
For a moment, neither moved.
Neither spoke.
Then David reached for her hand.
Mia should have pulled away.
She didn't.
A strange warmth spread through her chest.
A feeling she had never experienced before.
And that frightened her.
"We shouldn't be doing this," she whispered.
"I know."
"Our families would never accept it."
"I know."
"This could destroy everything."
David held her gaze.
"Maybe some things are worth the risk."
Her heart skipped.
She wanted to argue.
She wanted to walk away.
Instead, she stood there in silence.
Because deep down, she knew he was right.
For the first time in years, she felt happy.
Truly happy.
Unfortunately, happiness rarely lasts forever.
Neither noticed the figure watching them from across the street.
Daniel.
His face twisted with jealousy.
Hatred.
Obsession.
The sight of Mia holding David's hand felt like a knife through his heart.
And in that moment, he made a decision.
If he could not have Mia, then David would not have her either.
Far away, storm clouds gathered over the city.
Dark.
Silent.
Waiting.
The first sparks of forbidden love had finally ignited.
And somewhere in the shadows, the people who would one day destroy Mia's life were already preparing their next move.
The war had begun.
- Writer
