I was lucky. He agreed to work with us after a long conversation. It was only when I mentioned that my father had helped him when he was just starting out that things turned around. Victor said he remembered my father—how he’d helped him when they were neighbors, back in the old days before any of us had anything. I couldn’t recall those years, but I didn’t need to. What mattered was that he was coming to work with us. That was a win.
With a sigh, I walked over to the window after changing into a comfortable dress. From up here, I could see the ocean stretching endlessly. It seemed so close, yet the reality was I had to travel for more than an hour just to reach it.
Another sigh escaped my lips, and I sank back onto my massive bed. The firm had become my world, and home felt… empty. I often wondered if anyone would care about me if my last name weren’t Cruz. Without my father’s name, who would I be?
I had spent so many years trying to live up to his expectations, to make him proud. It was suffocating. But he was the only one who had ever loved me unconditionally, and I owed him everything. At least that’s what I kept telling myself.
I was supposed to rest, but I couldn’t escape the swirling thoughts. At twenty-eight, I was expected to be dating, to have a fiancé, but I had no interest in any of it. I refused to let anyone have power over me. Not now, not ever.
The sound of someone knocking on my door pulled me out of my thoughts. It was time for dinner. When I entered the dining room, I greeted my father as usual, but his expression was unreadable, stern even. “Papa, is something wrong?” I asked, sensing the tension.
“Not really,” he replied, though his tone suggested otherwise. “Isabella, can you be honest with me about your love life? Do you have a boyfriend, or are you dating someone behind my back? Just tell me.”
I pursed my lips, shaking my head. “I’m not interested in men, Papa.” My response stunned him, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction. “No, I’m not a lesbian!” I clarified, sensing the confusion in his eyes.
“Then why aren’t you interested in men? You’re already twenty-eight, and at your age, I already had you. Look at you now!” He paused, his gaze shifting to something behind my eyes, something he didn’t want to say. “Well, I’ve arranged a deal with the Valeras , and you only have to marry their second son.”
My heart skipped a beat. I blinked several times, trying to process what he’d just said. “What? Why do I have to marry their son?”
“It will benefit the company,” he replied, his words firm.
“By using me?” I snapped, my anger rising. “Papa, how could you do this? We already talked about this. I don’t want to get married, I don’t want to start a family, and I absolutely don’t want anything to do with Adrian Valera!”
“I wanted his older brother, but he’s already engaged! We can’t break that engagement without causing problems for ourselves,” he explained, his voice pleading.
“When I said I didn’t want to get married or have a family, I meant it!” I insisted, my hands gripping the edge of the table. “Even if it strengthens our business, I won’t do it, Papa!”
He frowned, clearly disappointed by my decision, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he tried to soften the blow. “It’s business, Isabella. You know how these things work.”
I knew what he was thinking. He was pushing me into something I didn’t want. And then he dropped the bombshell. “Adrian Valera is coming to see you tomorrow.”
I froze. “Who’s coming?”
“Adrian and his family,” he replied, and I felt my resolve harden.
