Chapter 2 Two years before the wedding

The accident changed everything. It happened at the International Trade Alliance Gala - one of Castellane's most exclusive events, where billionaires, world leaders, and royal dynasties silently carved up the future of global power while sipping champagne.

Katherine stood off to the side of the marble ballroom, as she always did, quietly observing the parade of wealth.

She didn't belong here - not in the way they thought.

She wasn't one of the desperate heiresses begging for attention, hunting for a husband, or trying to climb higher. She wasn't hunting for anything.

Because what none of them knew - what she never told anyone - was that she already stood at the top.

Katherine Whitmore.

Heiress to the Whitmore dynasty of Auroria - one of the most powerful, private fortunes on earth.

Her family owned global markets, industries, and private banks that controlled governments behind closed doors. But in Velmora, no one knew her name. She kept it that way.

Because if someone loved her, she wanted them to love her - not her billions.

And then came the accident.

The screech of tires. The metallic crunch. The sharp crack of glass breaking under heavy wheels. Screams slicing through the velvet evening.

In seconds, the valet entrance descended into chaos as Don Emilio Romano - patriarch of Romano International - was thrown from his luxury vehicle, bleeding on the marble steps while Castellane's elite froze.

Everyone watched. No one moved.

Everyone but Katherine.

She dropped to her knees beside the elderly man, immediately checking his pulse, stabilizing his head.

"Don't move," she whispered calmly, applying pressure to his bleeding scalp. "Help is coming."

The old man's vision flickered open.

"Who...?" he rasped.

"Katherine," she whispered. "Just Katherine."

She stayed with him until the paramedics arrived, keeping him awake, keeping him alive.

Don Emilio never forgot it.

Two Weeks Later, The invitation came sealed in gold.

"Private luncheon. Palazzo Romano. Don Emilio Romano requests your company."

Katherine almost didn't go. But something curious inside her told her to go.

Palazzo Romano

The estate was everything old-world power was meant to be: cold marble, towering pillars, ancient wealth oozing from every inch.

But Don Emilio greeted her with warmth.

He owed her his life - and in Velmora, debts were currency.

"Miss Katherine," the old man said, rising from his chair in the private garden. "You saved me. And I repay my debts."

"There's nothing to repay, Don Emilio. I did what anyone would've done."

He laughed softly. "You give this crowd far too much credit."

His eyes narrowed. Sharp. Shrewd.

"You're not like the others."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You're poised. Controlled. Humble." His voice dropped.

"Exactly the kind of woman I've been looking for-for my grandson."

Katherine froze.

"Sir, that's-"

He raised a hand.

"You may not see it yet. But you would be perfect for him."

The First Meeting with Alessio, Their meeting was arranged days later inside Romano International's skyscraper.

Katherine waited inside the cold glass office, trying to steady her nerves as the man she had only heard about finally entered.

And when he did, everything changed.

Alessio Romano.

CEO. Billionaire. Ruthless.

He moved like a man who owned the world, tailored perfection wrapped around sharp edges.

His silver-gray eyes landed on her like a scalpel.

"So you're the woman my grandfather wants to force into my life."

His voice was low. Icy.

"I didn't ask for this either," Katherine replied softly.

His gaze swept over her - not with desire, but with assessment.

"No history. No scandals. No drama. You're very convenient."

The cruelty of the words cut through her.

But she stayed calm.

"Then we're both trapped, aren't we?"

"Don't play innocent." His eyes narrowed. "You saved him. Now you're rewarded."

She stared back, unflinching.

"I never asked for a reward."

He studied her for several seconds longer than necessary.

Something flickered behind his cold expression - confusion? Curiosity?

"We'll see."

What Katherine didn't expect - what she couldn't control - was what came after.

In public, Alessio barely acknowledged her. In private, he remained cold.

He didn't pursue her like the others. Didn't compliment her beauty. Didn't chase her attention.

And that's exactly what pulled her in.

In his distance, there was no manipulation.

No men trying to charm her for her name.

No one groveling for her family's power.

Alessio wanted nothing from her.

He didn't chase me for my name. He didn't beg for my attention.

In his cold, I saw honesty. And in that honesty, I foolishly thought there was something pure.

Sometimes, late at night, she caught glimpses of something almost vulnerable:

The way he stared too long at the city skyline from his penthouse window.

The rare moments when his voice softened discussing his company's rise.

The shadows beneath his eyes when he thought no one was watching.

Those tiny cracks made her believe there was a man buried under the CEO mask - one she could reach if she just waited long enough.

The Proposal. Weeks turned into months.

Don Emilio continued to press his grandson, and eventually, Alessio folded.

He didn't propose like a man in love.

He closed the deal like a businessman finalizing paperwork.

Inside his private office, he placed the diamond ring on the table.

"My grandfather will be satisfied. You're everything he expects."

"Is that a proposal?" Katherine asked quietly.

"It's a decision."

"And what do you want?" she whispered.

Alessio's expression didn't change.

"I want control."

And against every warning in her heart, she said yes.