Riven groaned as the sunlight reached through the curtains. He glanced at the clock. 9:00 AM. He rolled out of bed, not particularly in a hurry, and dragged himself to the bathroom. After a cold splash of water and a few minutes of dressing in a sleek black suit, he buttoned his coat and headed to the dining area.
The table was already set. Toast. Black coffee. Eggs.
He ate in silence, like always, before sliding into the backseat of his car. "To the company," he said flatly.
Today was going to be a long day.
He had a meeting with his father — Alan Vallar — the CEO emeritus of Vallar Industries and the former head of the Vallar Mafia Empire. It wasn't going to be a casual breakfast chat.
When he entered the skyscraper, everyone bowed their heads respectfully. He didn't care. Didn't even look at them. He took the elevator up to the highest floor, straight into his office.
Alan was already there, seated calmly with a warm cup of tea in hand.
"Morning, Dad," Riven muttered, closing the door behind him.
"Morning, son," Alan smiled, standing up to pull him into a brief fatherly hug. "So... how did it go last night?"
Riven's jaw tightened. The expression on his face shifted to disgust.
"Meh. That bastard Trevor slipped through. Gone. Probably out of the city. Hell, maybe even out of the country by now. We tracked him to his house, but he'd already packed up and left."
Alan nodded slowly, thoughtful. "Did you find anything else there?"
Riven paused. A flicker of memory returned — the girl. The one curled up like a trembling bird in that dark corner of the house.
"Oh, yeah... I found his daughter."
Alan raised a brow.
"She was hiding in a pile of trash. Said she didn't know where her father went. I was out of my mind, furious, so... I brought her back. Locked her in one of the rooms."
Alan frowned. "So Trevor left with his wife alone... but abandoned his daughter?
Riven nodded. "Probably. I didn't see any signs of her going with them."
Alan tilted his head. "And what are you planning to do with her?"
Riven shrugged carelessly. "No clue. She's useless. Her father ran off with my shipment, cost me a shitload of money, and now I'm stuck with a damn stray."
Alan chuckled softly, clearly amused. "You brought her in, son. I know you are not going to feed a lost kitten."
"Dad, stop it. I'm stuck, not sentimental," Riven snapped, rolling his eyes.
Alan grinned, shaking his head. "Still, it's kind of sad. What are you going to do with her if she's innocent?"
"Innocent doesn't pay my losses," Riven muttered. "I'll deal with her later. Let's talk about Uncle Derek."
Alan's smile faded. "He's stubborn, as always. I offered him thirty percent of the shares instead of twenty, hoping it'd calm him down."
Riven's expression darkened. "He won't calm down. He's becoming a real threat."
Alan nodded. "He's already filed for legal action. Said the bylaws of Vallar Industries require the acting CEO to be married before turning twenty-six."
Riven's jaw clenched. "What the fuck? I'm twenty-seven."
"Exactly," Alan said, his expression darkening with frustration. "This is annoying. The plan was to hand over the company to you in a week — everything was lined up. But now this clause? If you don't get married soon, and I retire in a month as planned, we'll lose everything. Derek's just waiting for the moment to strike."
Riven slammed a hand on the desk, the sound echoing. "So what? Should I just kill him?"
Alan looked serious now. "You know we can't. He's the son of our last Mafia Boss. He still holds weight in the underground circle. Killing him risks everything — exposure, war, legal collapse."
Riven swore under his breath. "I hate women. I hate marriage. How the hell am I supposed to guarantee the woman I marry won't turn out to be Derek's spy?"
Alan leaned back. "You don't need to love her. You don't even have to live with her. Just someone good enough to sign the damn papers. A contract marriage. That's it. The rest we can deal with."
Riven scoffed. "Great. Now I have to hunt for a wife like I'm at a goddamn auction."
Alan's eyes glinted with mischief, that knowing smirk creeping across his face. "You brought back a girl last night. There's already one under your roof."
Riven rolled his eyes, scoffing harder this time. "She looks like she's sixteen, Dad. Frail. Quiet. Like she'd pass out if I so much as raise my voice."
Alan shrugged. "Innocent sells well. At least she's not connected to Derek — that alone puts her higher on the list than most."
Alan stood, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves with casual calm. "Well, figure it out fast. Because if you don't get married before I retire next month, you won't have a company left to run. Or a family name to carry."
Alan's phone buzzed.
"Son, I'll leave that to you. Your mother just called. We've got a lunch date."
Riven chuckled dryly. "Good luck. Enjoy being married."
Alan smiled softly, nostalgic. "Your mother was never part of this world. I just saw her once — bright, defiant, standing at a train station — and I knew she was mine. I kidnapped her. Married her. Over time, she loved me back. She tamed the monster in me."
He paused.
"That's why I had only one son. I didn't want two brothers to fight for power like me and Derek did."
Riven stayed quiet. He didn't believe in love. Didn't believe in fate or destiny or happy endings.
He was born to take over the Vallar Empire — forged in fire, trained in blood, taught to win. And now they wanted him to marry?
His mind was burning with frustration.
Marriage. Women. Weakness.
It all made him sick.