Kylie
I don’t know why I’m still here. They won’t ask for my opinion on business matters since Dad knows he won’t get anything useful from me. But I’m here because they want Atlas to marry me for their own selfish reasons.
I glance at Vaness, noticing the irritation and frustration etched on her face. I know exactly how much she wants Atlas. I’ve always known this day would come; it’s clear that she’s not genuine in her actions and that envy has always simmered beneath the surface.
“Kylie,” Atlas calls my name, pulling me out of my thoughts. I take a deep breath, turning to face him with an expression devoid of any emotion. To me, Atlas is just a friend—nothing more. But that changed when he confessed his feelings for me. Since then, I’ve grown even more distant from him, especially after learning about the arranged marriage.
He knows how much I despise talking about our family business, yet I didn’t expect him to be the one to push for this. Dad agreed because he wants to increase his wealth, and Atlas played right into his hands.
“Finally, Atlas, you’ve arrived,” Dad says warmly as he greets Atlas. He immediately shakes Dad’s hand and kisses Auntie on the cheek.
“Good morning, Uncle, Auntie,” he says with a polite smile. They beam at him, clearly pleased. Vaness quickly approaches him, but Atlas only gives her a brief smile before turning his attention back to me.
“By the way, Uncle, my parents brought some food; they’re still outside,” Atlas informs them. Dad smiles and they start heading towards the dining area, leaving Vaness and me alone.
Vaness glares at me, and I can’t help but let out a deep sigh. What exactly is she so mad about? Her anger feels unnecessary. After all, I’ve done nothing wrong to her. I’ve treated her kindly since she first stepped foot into our home, yet she’s the one who has always given me an attitude. I don’t let it bother me, though.
“I don’t know why it has to be you,” she mutters in frustration.
“I’ve already told you, Vaness. If you want Dad to marry you off to Atlas, then go ask him yourself. Do you really think he’ll listen to me about things like that?” I reply, rolling my eyes as I walk away towards the dining area.
As I enter, I see them all chatting happily. The parents of Atlas have also arrived, and I greet them with a polite smile. I hold no grudges against them, but I can’t comprehend how they agreed to this arrangement.
Atlas sits beside me while Vaness takes a seat across from us. I can see the way she looks at him—her eyes burning with jealousy. She envies the experiences I’m about to have, the moments she wishes she could share with him.
“What would you like to eat?” Atlas asks, turning to me. I shake my head slightly.
“I’ll get it myself,” I say softly.
“You know, Kylie, Atlas prepared all this food himself. He said he wanted to serve you once you’re married,” Auntie says cheerfully. I force a smile, unsure of how to respond.
“Yeah, you know, I’ve been practicing my culinary skills. I even attended culinary school just to learn dishes I could cook for you,” Atlas adds with a proud grin.
I’ll give him credit for being sweet and caring. But it’s heartbreaking because I know I can’t return the love he so clearly wants from me. No matter what he does, I can’t love him the way he wants to be loved.
“I’ll cook you even more meals once we’re married,” he says with a smile.
“That marriage can wait, but don’t worry, Atlas. It will happen soon,” Dad assures him. I look over at Dad, who’s smiling at me. I know this is what would make him happy, but it won’t make me happy. If I force myself to marry Atlas, what will become of me?
“I guess Kylie needs to learn how to cook, too,” Vaness says suddenly, and the room falls silent. I don’t know why she had to say that, but I know exactly what she means. She’s trying to undermine me in front of Atlas.
Vaness is an excellent cook, while I’m not. I can manage fried dishes, but when it comes to soups and other complex meals, I’m out of my depth.
“You know, Atlas, we could cook together sometime. I know a lot of dishes, especially baked pastries,” Vaness suggests, her tone light but with an underlying motive.
“Really? That sounds great! We could cook something together next time and have Kylie taste it,” Atlas replies, looking at me. I notice how Vaness’s smile falters at his words. She’s trying to get closer to Atlas, but he keeps including me in everything.
“I don’t like sweets, Atlas. I’m not fond of sugary things, but Vaness loves them since she bakes a lot. You’re fond of sweets too, right? Why don’t you join her?” I suggest, glancing at Vaness with a small smile. Isn’t this what she wants? To get closer to Atlas? Since I don’t have any romantic feelings for him, I might as well help her achieve what she desires.
“Kylie, why would you turn down Atlas’s offer? He and Vaness don’t get to spend much time together,” Dad says, causing the atmosphere to tense even more. Instead of helping Vaness, it seems to have backfired.
“Come on, Vic, it’s better if Kylie and Vaness bond. They’ll be sisters-in-law soon, so they should spend time together,” Aunt Celeste chimes in. I just shake my head and start filling my plate.
I hate this drama. I don’t want to be part of it, but Vaness keeps dragging me into it, casting me as the villain in a story where she’s the self-proclaimed heroine.
“I’ll get that for you,” Atlas says, serving me some food, including my favorite dishes. I look at him and smile, appreciating his kindness.
I begin to eat while they continue discussing wedding plans. I don’t participate in their conversation; instead, I find myself lost in thought. I don’t want to get involved in these discussions because I have no interest in them.
All I want is to live a life far removed from their desires. I want to live my life to the fullest, away from the business world.
As I watch them, I see how happy they are, laughing and chatting about their plans. But I can’t feel the same joy. I can’t relate to their conversations. I feel like an outsider, only included because they’re discussing my future and because I’m the bait my dad is using to fulfill his ambitions.
I finish my meal, and they suggest moving to the living room to continue their discussion. I head to the kitchen to get some water, but I stop in my tracks when I see Aunt Celeste and Vaness talking.
“Auntie, I don’t know what to do anymore,” Vaness says, her voice laced with desperation. I stay still, listening to their conversation.
“Why didn’t you execute your plan properly? You were supposed to handle it, Vaness. You said you’d arrange a room for her and have a man meet her there so you could catch them together and show it to Vic. What happened?!” Aunt Celeste snaps, her frustration evident.
I cover my mouth in shock at what I’ve just heard. I can’t believe they were planning something so vile. No wonder Vaness was acting so strangely that night—she had a malicious plan in mind.
“Aunt, I don’t know what happened. I gave her the key so she could go to the room. I sent the man I hired, but he said no one showed up because the door was still locked.”
“It’s because you’re too distracted by your feelings for Atlas. You found out he was coming to the bar to pick up Kylie, and your jealousy got the better of you. You let your emotions get in the way, and now look at what's happened! How are you going to win Atlas over now?” Aunt Celeste scolds her.
“There’s still a way. Kylie must be lying. The staff said she didn’t leave the building, which means she’s still inside. I need to find out where she went and what really happened that night,” Vaness says, her voice determined.
My heart races with fear. If she investigates further, she’ll find out the truth about what happened that night.
“Get it together, Vaness. You’ve messed up simple tasks too many times. I thought you could handle Vic’s daughter and bring her down, but she’s still here,” Aunt Celeste says, her anger palpable.
“I’ll come up with a plan, Auntie. I’ll make sure that girl is out of Uncle Vic’s life for good,” Vaness vows.
I take a deep breath, clutching my head. They’re dead set on their plan to get rid of me. I never imagined they’d go to such lengths to take control of our family’s wealth.
I can’t tell Dad about this because I know he won’t believe me. But I’ll do everything I can to make sure their plan fails.
Kylie I sat by the pool, lost in thought, mulling over the things I had overheard earlier. I didn’t know how I would tell Dad about it; he never listens to me anyway, especially when it comes to matters I deem important.“So, this is where you’ve been hiding.” Atlas’s voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up at him and sighed deeply. I didn’t understand why he kept coming around, especially when he knew I couldn’t reciprocate the feelings he had for me. But he continued to approach me, undeterred.He took a seat beside me, but I didn’t acknowledge him, too preoccupied with my own thoughts. “Are you really not going to talk to me?” he asked gently.“Why are you here, Atlas? Haven’t I been clear enough about my feelings toward you? Why do you still want to marry me?” I asked, my voice tinged with frustra
Kylie We went to the hospital just as Atlas suggested. I was starting to feel better, so I told him we didn't need to go, but his concern was overwhelming, so we continued. While waiting for the results in one of the rooms, I was startled when the door suddenly opened and my father walked in, accompanied by my aunt.My heart skipped a beat. What were they doing here? We hadn't informed them that Atlas and I were at the hospital, so how did they find out?“Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you were at the office?” I asked, trying to mask the anxiety in my voice.“We came home early, and the maids told us you and Atlas came here. What happened?” His voice was laced with worry. I didn’t expect him to be this concerned about me.“Nothing yet, uncle. We’re still waiting for Kylie’s results,” Atlas responded, and my father nodded, though the concern in his eyes didn’t waver.“You didn’t need to come here. We can handle this on our own. It’s better if you wait for us outside. It’s emb
KylieWe were standing before them—Dad, Aunt Celeste, and now Vaness—facing the inevitable. My heart raced as I saw the expression on their faces. They could sense that something was off, and I could feel the weight of what was about to happen.I wanted to stop Atlas. This wasn’t his responsibility. He didn’t need to carry this burden, yet the determination in his eyes was undeniable. He wanted this—to stand by my side, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness and freedom. The sadness that washed over me was suffocating. He was willing to give up so much to form a family, just to help me."What do you have to say?" Dad’s voice was sharp, demanding. His gaze, more intense than I had ever felt, made the air between us heavy.The tension in the room thickened further when Vaness arrived. She looked at us, her face hard with confusion and suspicion.“What’s going on here, Aunt?” I heard her ask Aunt Celeste.“Well, they’ve been standing there for a while, but still, nothing’s come o
Kylie Once we reached my room, Atlas shut the door behind us, and the silence between us grew louder. I sat on the edge of my bed, my hands trembling as I rested them on my lap. He knelt down in front of me, his hands resting on my knees, his warm touch grounding me."Kylie," he began, his voice low and steady. "We need to talk about what just happened."I looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "Atlas, I’m sorry," I whispered. "I never meant for any of this to happen. You shouldn’t have to deal with this."He sighed, his thumb gently tracing circles on my knee. "I told you, I’ll help you through this. But we need to be careful. Vaness won’t let this go. She’s determined to find out the truth."I swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me. "You don’t have to keep pretending, Atlas," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t want you to suffer because of me. I never should’ve dragged you into this."He lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes were f
Kylie The air was different in New York. Colder, sharper. The moment I stepped off the plane, the city’s unfamiliar sounds washed over me like a wave—horns blaring, people talking in hurried voices, and the constant hum of life moving at a relentless pace. It was nothing like home.But that was the point.I clutched my suitcase tightly, my heart pounding in my chest. This was my new life now, far away from the drama and tension that had defined everything back home. Far away from the cold judgment of my father and the scheming eyes of Celeste and Vaness. Here, I was just Kylie. Not the daughter of a wealthy businessman, not the woman caught in a web of lies. Just me.My grandmother was waiting for me at the airport, her face lighting up as soon as she saw me. Her gray hair was pulled into a neat bun, and she wore the same kind of warm, practical clothes I remembered from
KylieI could taste every drop of alcohol as it flowed down my throat while everyone around me cheered in delight. I didn't know why I was doing this, but one thing was certain—I wanted to escape. I wanted to break free from the pain weighing down my heart. I was tired of sulking in a corner, but I also didn't know how to face all of this. It hurt me to see myself suffering, but it seemed like I had no other choice but to flee from reality."Drink more, Kylie!" shouted Vaness, my cousin, with a teasing and mocking tone. She wasn't my real cousin, but she was the closest relative I had in our new family setup. I grabbed another glass and downed it, hoping that every drop of alcohol would wash away the wounds in my soul.As the night deepened and the drinks piled up, I felt the pain in my heart slowly fading. But despite my efforts to forget everything, the weight of my emotions seemed to grow heavier. I carried every heartache and problem with me as I forced myself to smile. I couldn’t
KylieAfter everything that happened, I stumbled into the bathroom, my body still trembling from the intensity of our encounter. The lingering heat between my thighs and the sheen of sweat covering my skin reminded me of how wild and passionate it had been. I needed to clean myself, to wash away the evidence of our shared hunger. The cool water would help soothe the fever still burning inside me, a fever stoked by alcohol and the relentless desire that seemed impossible to quench.I turned on the shower, letting the cold water rain down on me, hoping it would cool the fire within. The shock of the cold made me shiver, but it was a welcome relief from the heat that had consumed me. I closed my eyes, leaning my head back as the water cascaded over my face, washing away the sweat and the haze of alcohol. For a moment, I let myself drift, trying to reclaim a sense of normalcy after the whirlwind of emotions and sensations that had overtaken me.But just as I began to find some peace, I fe
KylieI woke up to a splitting headache, my body aching from the aftermath of last night. The throbbing pain reminded me of how intense things had gotten. We didn’t just do it once; we went at it multiple times. I turned my head to the side, curious to see who I had spent the night with. That’s when I truly appreciated Rage’s face. Even in sleep, he looked striking—his strong, chiseled features, the sharp bridge of his nose, and his mestizo complexion.It’s ironic how peaceful he looks while sleeping, yet so wild and untamed in bed. I never imagined my first time would be so memorable, and he made sure it was, exceeding all my expectations.I hadn’t anticipated anything happening between us. After all, we don’t love each other. But the way he pleasured me was something I hadn’t expected. He was incredibly skilled, leaving no doubt in my mind that women probably chased after him for more. It’s easy to see why they would—he’s the kind of man you’d crave again and again.I swallowed hard