*BENEDYKTA*

*FOUR HOURS EARLIER*

I let out a yawn when I realized that it was morning, and I was stark naked in the arms of a complete stranger.

I smiled to myself because he was still passed out from last night's events, and I couldn't blame him since we went all night long making love.

I placed a kiss on his cheek, and he groaned deeply but kept his eyes closed.

A part of me didn't want to abandon him, but what happened between us was just a one-night stand with no strings attached.

I gathered my clothes and began to get dressed, but I couldn't find my panties anywhere, and I really wanted to leave before he woke up.

I ditched them, got dressed, and with a heavy heart got out of his car carefully without making a sound. Soon enough, I was back on the road in my own car.

My phone began ringing, and I fished it out of my purse and put the call on loudspeaker since I was driving.

It was my grandfather, and I wondered what he wanted this time because he had clearly done enough damage to my life.

"Hello."

"Benedykta Luisa Fernanda Rebel, where the hell are you? Because I am certain that you did not spend the night in my house."

I rolled my eyes.

"Relax, Grandpa. I just went to have a few drinks at the bar, lost track of time, and fell asleep in my car."

He had the audacity to use that ugly full name.

"I won't have my own granddaughter turn into some whore on her engagement."

I stepped on the brakes as the car came to a halt in the middle of traffic, and the blaring cars behind snapped me out of a trance as I made an emergency stop at some random gas station.

"What engagement?" I asked curiously.

He sighed deeply.

"If you paid more attention to my words, you'd know that your engagement is today. So get your ass back to my mansion before I send your useless friend to come get you."

I scoffed in annoyance.

"This is my life, and you can't keep dictating it for me. When will I ever make my own decision? Because I'm starting to feel like I'm nothing but a puppet in this family."

I could feel my anger boiling.

"Get home now because I won't ask nicely, Benedykta."

And before I could utter a word, he hung up.

I let out a scream, hitting the steering wheel angrily, and the couple next to me probably thought I was crazy.

Well, they weren't wrong.

When I finally calmed down, I decided to call my mother. Maybe she would help me find a way to get out of this mess.

I wasn't ready to get engaged to some random stranger tonight.

She picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, Mom."

"Honey, your grandfather has been calling non stop. Where are you?" She asked curiously.

I sighed deeply.

"Don't worry, I'm on my way to the mansion. But why didn't anyone tell me that I was getting engaged tonight? I haven't even signed that damn contract, and I don't think I can give up my life for the sake of the company."

She remained silent.

"I understand what you mean, honey... but there's something your father and I have been keeping from you."

I narrowed my eyes.

More bad news?

What the heck was up with this damn day?

"What is it, Mom?"

I had a feeling that this had to do with my father's lousy gambling bets.

"Uh, your father may have lost a quarter billion in his betting games."

My eyes widened in shock.

"A freaking quarter billion?!" I yelled furiously.

"He says he's sorry... the company is deep in debt, and if your grandfather finds out, he's going to disown your father or worse, send him to prison for embezzlement."

I took a deep breath.

You've got to be kidding me.

"So how does this concern me? Because you're clearly encouraging dad to gamble with the company."

"Your father and I figured if you marry the son of Mr. Esteban, he's promised to invest five billion into the company's project, and the money will be enough to keep the company afloat. Your grandfather won't ever find out about the missing money."

I didn't want to get involved in this scheme, but again, I felt conflicted because I didn't want my dumb father to end up in jail.

"Benny, sweetheart, are you still there?"

I ran my fingers through my hair.

I was only moments away from pulling it out.

"Fine. I'll marry Mr. Esteban's son, but this is the last time I'm getting dad out of a situation like this. I'll marry Mr. Esteban's son but we'll be married for a year, and after that, I'm filing for a divorce."

I hung up on her and continued driving home. Once I arrived home, I signed the damn marriage contract and prepared to put on a good show.

According to the contract, I had to give Mr. Esteban's son a child within the year of our marriage, and it was the only way I'd be eligible to ask for a divorce.

My gaze lingered on the signature I had written, and it was official.

I was married on paper.

*PRESENT DAY*

I let out a shaky exhale when Nolan got down on one knee and pulled out a ring.

I swallowed hard as he smiled at me.

"Benedykta Rebel, will you marry me?"

My gaze lingered on Mr. Esteban.

"Yes, I'll marry you," I exclaimed softly and kept my eyes on him.

His gaze darkened dangerously, and I smirked at him.

Nolan slipped the ring on my finger and planted a kiss on my cheek.

The guests cheered and began to congratulate us.

Mr. Esteban began walking towards us, and he beamed at Nolan, giving him a quick hug. When he turned to me, I felt the air leaving my lungs when he leaned in close to my ear.

"I finally know your name, Piccolo Fiore."

He pulled away, smiling at me, and I froze in shock.

He was deliberately torturing me.

The man that had kept me moaning all night was going to be my father-in-law.

"Welcome to the family, Benedykta."

I forced a smile when he offered me his hand.

Our eyes locked in a frenzy.

I placed my hand in his.

There it was again.

His touch made my skin tingle.

"Thank you, Mr. Esteban."

He grinned at me, and two dimples appeared on his cheeks.

Something I hadn't noticed last night.

"Please, you're family now. There's no need to be formal. Call me Ambrose."

I nodded quietly and pulled my hand away when he didn't make an attempt to release it.

His gaze made me feel bothered and hot.

He probably thought I was a slut.

"You look awfully familiar, Ben. Have we met before?" He mused, and I nearly choked on the champagne I was drinking.

Nolan placed his hand on my back, soothing me, and I felt much better.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a worried tone, and I glared at his father, who looked equally amused.

He was enjoying torturing me, and I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

He was taunting me on purpose.

"I think you probably mistook me for someone else because I was home last night."

He cocked a brow at me and smiled.

My heart skipped a beat, and I knew that I shouldn't be feeling this way about my father-in-law.

It was sinfully wrong.

*AMBROSE*

When Ben finally found an excuse to slip away from the crowd I took a gulp of the champagne hoping that it would calm me down.

My emotions were all over the place and it was because of this woman.

I still couldn't believe that she was the same woman I had an affair with last night.

I swallowed hard and Nolan approached me with a smile.

He already looked smitten with Ben and it was going to break his heart when he learned the history between Ben and I.

"I thought you'd like her" he muttered quietly and I gave him a puzzled look.

"Ben?" I asked curiously and he nodded in response.

He took the glass of champagne away from me.

"You tend to drink too much at social events when you're stressed out."

He turned to look at Ben and when their eyes locked she blushed.

Fuck.

Nolan turned to look at me and I forced a smile.

"What's there not to like about her? She's pure perfection and I want is best for you son. If she makes you happy then I'm happy as well."

Nolan still didn't look convinced.

"She'll fit right into our family."

He smiled at me.

"I felt something change inside me when Mr. Rebel showed me her childhood pictures and when I saw her for the first time I felt speechless because this beautiful woman was going to be my wife."

I had the urge to cringe when he called his wife.

I shook my head in disbelief.

It was just a one night stand.

I need to get her out of my head.

She was going to become my daughter in law.

"This isn't the way I wanted to find her dad...but I think she's the one."

I chuckled softly and patted his shoulder.

"You just met this girl, son . I think you need to slow down."

He offered me another drink and I cocked a brow at him.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?"

I took the glass from him and brought it to my lips.

He shrugged carelessly.

"Consider this as my redemption for ditching you at the bar last night."

If he only knew that he had done me a big favor by not showing up.

Because I met her.

A woman who could easily get into my head and I haven't felt that way for a long time.

"What happened to your lady friend from last night?" He asked curiously and I almost choked on my drink.

He gave me a poker face.

"She didn't stick around she left while I was asleep" I exclaimed sternly and kept my gaze on Ben.

She was talking to her grandfather and he looked like he was scolding her.

She looked pissed off but she was trying to hide her anger by smiling.

Next thing they were heading in my direction.

I wasn't ready to see her again.

Her grandfather smiled at me.

"Dinner will be ready soon. I hope that the engagement is to your taste Mr. Kean Ambrose."

I gave him a stern nod.

"As long as these two love birds are happy I have no problem with the engagement."

Mr. Rebel smiled.

"Now that we have sealed the deal, how about we get to some official business in my office?"

I nodded quietly as he led me to his study.

He offered me a seat and took out some documents out of the drawers and placed them on the desk.

My gaze lingered on Ben's signature.

She was only marrying Nolan for the money and within a year of their marriage she had to give him a child.

The mere thought of seeing her pregnant with another man's child made me feel uneasy.

And that man was none other than my son.

"I'd look to increase my investment than the initial price indicated in the documents."

The words left my lips before I could stop them.

What the heck am I doing?

Mr. Rebel looked off guard.

"Are you sure? If you're changing the amount then the documents need to be edited and a new copy needs to be approved by all our lawyers."

I nodded quietly.

Yes I was aware of that formality.

Mr. Rebel looked puzzled.

"Why do you suddenly want to invest so much money in our company?"

I wanted to see Benedykta sign those documents again.

I want her to admit that she's just marrying my son for the money and that she's nothing but a mere gold digger.

I gave him a small smile.

"I know that this project is going to be a big hit on the market and the profit I'm going to make from this is going to be bigger than my investment."

Mr. Rebel nodded thoughtfully.

"The project has a lot of potential and my granddaughter came up with it and that's why I want to make her the CEO."

He sighed deeply and sat down.

"My son was supposed to be the CEO but he's very useless. The only thing he knows to do is gamble. He's lucky to have such an intelligent daughter to make up for his stupidity."

I chuckled softly.

"When do we officially start to work on the project?" I asked curiously.

"Benedykta is in charge of the project and I believe that she'll come to your company and give you a detailed plan of the project."

I gave him a stern nod.

After discussing a few things we went back downstairs and I found Ben dancing in Nolan's arms.

I decided to cut in.

"Do you mind if your father in law steals a dance?" I asked curiously, keeping my gaze on her face.

She looked at Nolan and he smiled at her.

"Sure" she muttered quietly and put her hands on my shoulders gently.

Her fiery eyes met mine intensely.

"So is this the part where you blackmail me?" She taunted .

I restrained myself from chuckling.

"Whatever happened last night was just a mistake."

I cocked a brow at her.

"A mistake?"

She smirked.

"Yes, a mistake that happened because both of us were clearly drunk."

I shook my head in disbelief.

"You came onto me last night and asked me to kiss you...and when I refused you got upset and stormed out of the bar."

Her face turned red.

"You wanted me... just as much as I wanted you piccolo fiore."

She let out a gasp.

"Don't use that name on me."

I chuckled darkly.

"How does it make you feel?" I whispered softly.

She frowned at me.

"If you weren't my father in law I would have slapped that grin off your arrogant face" she warned.

She looked dead serious.

"We never met last night and I'd like to keep things that way if you want this marriage and partnership to work."

I felt angry.

"So that's it? You're only marrying my son for a couple of billions?"

Her eyes met mine.

"I'm doing the right thing to save my family's legacy and I will do whatever it takes to stay on the top."

Benedykta Rebel was nothing but a cheap gold digger.

I pulled her against me and her lips parted softly.

My gaze lingered on them.

"Nolan genuinely likes you and I swear if you break his heart I am going to kill you and ruin your damn company."

I meant every word.

She smiled at me.

"I'll make him the happiest man on earth for a year and he'll be a great father I'm sure of it but after that I'm going to divorce him."

Benedykta Rebel was just like the rest of her family.

Vultures who only cared about money and their precious reputation.

We were very different and the woman I met last night was nothing compared to the woman standing in front of me.

"Is that why you gave yourself to me last night? Aside from being a gold digger you're also a whore is that it?"

Her face paled and she looked hurt.

I didn't fucking care.

She looked away and before I could control the damage I had done Nolan had cut in.

*BEN*

I sighed with relief when Nolan cut in because I was on the verge of crying.

What was I thinking last night? Asking some random man to just kiss me.

Gosh we didn't even use protection last night and I haven't taken the pill yet.

Once we were outside I released the breath I was holding and blinked away the tears.

"Did my father say something to you?" He asked in a worried tone.

I shook my head negatively and remained silent and a lone tear rolled down my cheeks shamelessly.

His words cut through me.

I let out a shaky exhale.

I'm not making the same mistake I made years ago.

I'm not letting a man have that kind of power over me.

He can't control my emotions.

I wasn't just some random gold digger he picked up last night.

It felt like it was something more and I was stupid to think that he felt the same way.

Clearly I was nothing but a mere petty stop.

One night he's being passionate and the next morning I'm met with a complete opposite stranger.

I quickly wiped it away.

"Ben."

I looked up meeting his gaze and gave him a small smile.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it."

He looked angry.

"What did my father tell you?" He asked sternly.

I couldn't tell him the truth.

Some things were better left unsaid.

Nolan sat beside me and grasped my hand.

"I need you to open up to me...now that we can't fall in love right away but we can at least be friends so I want you to be honest."

I chuckled softly.

"Do you think I'm a gold digger?" I asked curiously.

Nolan remained silent and gave me a small smile.

"Look around Ben you're surrounded by wealth you're probably richer than my dad so no I don't think you're a gold digger."

I nodded quietly.

"You know we're not even married yet but you're doing a great job at playing the role of my future husband."

He chuckled softly.

"I've been practicing."

I cocked a brow at him and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Practicing with who?" I asked curiously.

I wasn't jealous but I was filled with curiosity.

He smirked.

"YouTube."

My eyes widened in shock.

"Wait, you're serious?"

I burst out laughing and he joined in too.

"I'm sorry I'm a bit slow when it comes to matters of the heart."

In the corner of my eyes I could see Ambrose lurking around in the shadows like some bounty hunter.

The reflection from the mirrors sold him out and he didn't even realize it.

I turned to look at Nolan and he seemed puzzled.

"Ben?"

I leaned in and kissed him on the lips slowly until I felt him kiss me back with the same intensity.

I pulled away with a shaky exhale.

My heart was pounding frantically in my chest .

I swallowed hard when I realized that Ambrose was gone.

"I'm sorry that was an impulse I shouldn't have done that..."

I lowered my gaze when I felt the heat in my cheeks.

"An impulse forced you to kiss me?" He asked curiously.

No.

The truth is that I was trying to make your father jealous, Nolan.

I looked up and smiled shyly at him.

My life is full of mysterious twists and chaos right now.

He gave me a smile and cupped one of cheeks.

Our eyes locked in a frenzy and I released a shaky exhale when he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine slowly.

My eyes closed on their own and I found myself pulling him closer and this time it wasn't even a show.

I kissed Nolan because something pulled me towards him.

He pulled away with a shaky exhale and I could feel the heat in my cheeks.

"I guess that makes us even" he rasped softly and offered me his hand.

I nodded quietly and swallowed hard.

I was on the verge of ruining a father and son relationship.

Nolan and I went back inside and I had to act like I had everything under control.

My grandfather gave me a stern nod.

He only approved of me acting like a cheap slut when it benefited him.

It made me wonder if we were really related.

When I spotted my mother a few feet from me I excused myself and went to have a word with her.

We hugged and she kissed me on the cheek.

I ushered her outside.

"Where's dad? He could have at least showed up to my engagement after all I'm selling myself to the highest bidder because of him."

My mother looked away.

"Uh he didn't spend the night at home and I haven't heard from him since the day he told me about the money he lost."

My eyes widened.

"I can't win with you guys...why am I even doing this when he doesn't even care."

She grasped my hand.

"Your father cares about you Benedykta honey he just has a different way of showing it. I'm sure that he feels guilty for what happened and he's just trying to find a way to get you out of this situation."

I shook my head negatively and pulled away from her grasp.

"No. You're always defending him....and he's not guilty at all; he's probably getting wasted with some woman making the same damn mistake again."

Her face turned pale.

"Benedykta," she warned in a low tone.

I scoffed in annoyance.

"You've always known that he's been cheating on you for years. Why don't you just leave him? He doesn't even give a flying fuck about your existence."

She looked añgry.

I knew that I had crossed the line.

"I can't leave even if I wanted to."

I stared at her in disbelief.

"Is it because of the money?"

She remained silent.

"It's complicated."

"Nothing is complicated because you guys are making me marry a man I don't love for a couple of billions" I muttered furiously.

I don't know how I ended up with shitty parents like them but I was better off alone.

I turned my back and walked away without uttering a single word.

I wanted to be alone.

I found myself walking further into the vast garden away from the party as the music died down and I was met with the sound of nature around me.

A lone tear rolled down my cheek and someone wiped it away.

My teary eyes widened in shock when I came face to face with Ambrose.

I moved away from him in horror.

"I thought big girls don't cry" he taunted and I frowned at him.

"Why are you following me?!" I demanded angrily.

He smirked.

"Don't flatter yourself, Benedykta , there's nothing special about you."

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Did your little stunt satisfy your ego?" He asked curiously.

I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He began taking slow strides towards me.

I wasn't afraid of him.

"You think using Nolan to make me jealous will make you sleep at night?"

I rolled my eyes at him.

"So you're saying I'm not allowed to kiss my future husband? How am I supposed to make him happy if I can't touch him?"

His eyes darkened dangerously, instantly silencing me.

"Don't" he warned.

I smirked at him.

"Don't play with fire piccolo fiore or you'll end up getting burned."

I wasn't going to back down.

"Do your worst dearest father in law" I whispered softly.

He chuckled darkly.