*AMBROSE*

When Nolan took the liberty of inviting me to this club, I thought he'd at least accompany his old man and show me the ropes.

"You need to relax, dad; you've been handling the affairs of the company, and I don't even remember the last time you had an actual day off."

He sounded convincing back then, and unfortunately, I believed him.

I checked my phone again and found no message from him.

He was supposed to be here an hour ago, and I just haven't found the guts to leave this bar yet.

I tried his number again, but it was going straight to voicemail, so I decided to order a drink.

I might as well suck it up and enjoy the night while it's still young.

I've worked hard all my life just to make sure that my son had everything he needed despite his mother's absence.

But my boy is sensitive even though he'd never admit it.

I chuckled softly to myself.

"Is this seat taken?" A woman's voice asked, and I turned around to find a young woman.

Brown chocolate hair and piercing blue eyes met mine, and I found myself staring at her a bit longer.

She cleared her throat, and I snapped out of the daze and offered her the seat beside me.

"You know it's rude to just randomly stare at people until you make them uncomfortable," she muttered quietly.

I resisted the urge to smile.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, you just looked familiar."

In a sense, she did look a lot like her.

I gulped down my drink as the amber-pale liquid burned my throat.

The bartender came to take her order.

"I'll have what this gentleman is having; just make it stronger," she muttered quietly.

I fought the urge to turn to her, but my ego wouldn't let this moment go amiss.

"Having a rough night?"

She took off her jacket and remained in a white blouse.

Our eyes locked in a frenzy as she tied her hair in a messy bun.

She had some freckles on her nose.

"I guess you could say that," she finally exclaimed bitterly.

Her drink soon arrived, and we were silent again.

"Are you going through a breakup?" I found myself asking, and she narrowed her eyes at me.

She took a sip of her drink, and I watched her lips for a moment.

Rose pink.

"You'll never see me all worked up over some man, but since you're asking, it's work-related."

I nodded quietly.

"What about you?" She asked curiously.

I shrugged carelessly.

"Uh, I'm just an old man having a drink alone."

She checked her phone, frowned, and scoffed in annoyance.

"Trouble in paradise?" I taunted quietly.

Her sharp gaze was fixed on my face, and a smirk curved her rose-pink lips.

"For an old man, you're really nosy."

I chuckled softly and raised my hand in defense.

"I'm sorry; I just haven't been to a bar in years, so I'm kind of working on my people skills."

She gulped down her drink in one go, and I tried to stop her, but it was too late.

She's definitely going to feel the effects of the alcohol in the morning.

She burst out laughing and touched my hand and I felt her touch leaving some kind of emotion inside me.

" Can you believe my fucking grandfather; he wants me to fucking marry some asshole I've never met?"

I gave her a small smile, and the waiter brought her the next drink.

She began checking the contents of her purse and took out a credit card.

"Keep the drinks coming, buddy, because I'm going to be here all night."

When the bartender brought her the next drink, I took it from her.

She glared at me, pouted her lips, and I found myself getting lost in her eyes again.

I've never observed a woman this way in a long time.

I released the breath I was holding and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her cheeks turned a red hue.

She smacked my hand away.

"Are you some pervert? I swear your ass is gonna rot in prison if you try anything funny," she warned.

I had a feeling that I was going to spend my evening babysitting this girl.

"You never told me your name."

She looked up, meeting my gaze, and there was that feeling again.

I swallowed hard.

"Dance with me."

Like that, Doja cat began playing, and I've never been more disappointed in a playlist.

I preferred something old school.

She carefully got off her stool and began swaying to the music.

She was ushering me to join her, and when I refused, she dragged me forcefully.

"Why are you so uptight?" she whispered softly and wrapped her arms around my neck.

This woman was dangerous.

She leaned her head on my shoulder when Careless Whisper by George Michael began playing, and I've never felt so happy in my entire life.

I placed my hand on her lower back as we swayed to the music slowly.

I spun her around and smiled at her.

Her gaze softened.

"I'm guessing that this is your jam," she taunted quietly.

I nodded quietly.

"My dad used to listen to this song all the time, and believe it or not, it kind of grew on me," she admitted softly.

She looked up, meeting my gaze, and it felt like time had come to a standstill.

She reached out to touch my face despite the white beard.

"Don't."

She frowned at me.

"Don't order me around."

I felt amused.

"Let me drop you off at home; you're too drunk."

I watched her intensely.

"Kiss me."

My gaze lingered on her lips, but she was drunk, and I didn't want to take advantage of her.

She'd probably regret all this in the morning.

I made some distance between us, and she gave me a puzzled look.

She looked angry.

Before I could stop her, she grabbed her stuff and rushed out of the bar, and I found myself following her.

The night air felt alluring, and I caught sight of her having a hard time finding her car keys.

I gently grabbed her hand.

"Why are you so pissed off right now?"

She scoffed in annoyance.

"I thought you were hitting on me, but I guess it's probably the alcohol making me see things that aren't probably real."

I pulled her towards me.

"You should be scared of asking any random man to just kiss you, little flower."

I touched her cheek, brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes.

Her cheeks turned crimson under the moonlight.

I could feel the magnetic pull between us, and I slowly pushed her towards the car and leaned in slowly, and she closed her eyes.

I kissed her on the cheek, and she gasped softly.

"Let me drop you off at home."

I took the keys from her, and I could see the shock on her face.

She spun around, glaring at me.

"You don't get to do that," she exclaimed angrily and crossed her arms over her chest.

I cocked a brow at her.

"Do what?" I taunted.

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Play with my feelings."

I sat in the driver's seat, waiting for her tantrum to end.

She huffed in annoyance and got in.

I was probably hurting her ego.

"Hey... I usually don't kiss people who are drunk, but I'll make an exception for you kid."

She frowned at me.

"I'm not a child."

I grasped her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Come here, piccolo fiore."

She settled on my lap and placed her hand on my shoulders, and I fought the urge to groan when I felt her against me.

Her eyes darkened dangerously.

"Are we getting excited?" she taunted and bit her lower lip, and the control I was trying to maintain went out the window.

I pulled her closer, crushing my lips on hers, and it was everything I had imagined.

Raw passion and need.

I slipped my hand underneath her shirt, and I felt her body tense.

Perhaps I had taken it too far.

I pulled away, breaking the kiss.

"I'm sorry."

She lowered her gaze, messing with the buttons on my shirt.

"Don't be... just don't hold back," she whispered softly.

Our eyes locked in a frenzy.

"How old are you again?"

She shook her head in disbelief and smiled.

"Oh my god, will you stop age-shaming me? I'm not that young."

Her lips met mine slowly, and I let her touch me, something I haven't let a woman do in a very long time.

She let out a shaky exhale, and I helped her unbuckle my belt.

"I don't have any condoms."

She hummed softly.

"I'm on the pill; don't worry..."

I never thought I'd get laid in a bar parking lot.

With nothing but a dark, deserted alley and the feel of her skin against mine, I buried myself inside her until she was begging me not to stop.

"You still haven't told me your name, piccolo fiore..." I rasped softly in her ear.

She wrapped her arms around my neck.

"What does piccolo fiore mean?" She whispered softly.

I chuckled darkly.

"It means little flower."

She looked up, meeting my gaze, and touched the ink on my skin.

"Will I ever see you again?" I found myself asking.

She remained silent, and I already knew the answer to my question.

I entwined our hands, slowly pushing myself into her, enjoying the warmth of her body against mine.

Her lips met mine in a slow haze, and I knew that this woman had me wrapped around her finger and there was no going back.

She was mine.

But when I woke up the next morning she was gone and the only reminder of our passionate night was the pair of red panties she left behind.

I chuckled softly.

My phone began to ring and answered the call and placed it to my ear.

It was Nolan.

"Dad, where the heck are you? It's my engagement today."

Shit.

*AMBROSE*

I hurriedly got dressed in the car and tucked the red thong into my pockets. I had a feeling that I was going to meet that woman someday and I'd personally return this to her.

"Are you at the bar?" Nolan asked curiously and I could tell that he was upset.

I groaned deeply.

"Firstly, I deserve an apology, son, because you ditched your old man. I waited for you for hours, and you never even bothered to call or text to let me know that you weren't going to make it."

Nolan remained silent.

"Okay I'm sorry for not informing you, but please don't tell me that you're at some random hotel with a woman in your bed."

I chuckled softly.

"Actually, I'm in my car and the woman sneaked out while I was asleep."

Nolan scoffed in annoyance.

"Eww, dad, I'm hanging up. Just meet me at your apartment. I've already bought your suit."

I hung up and began driving to my apartment. Twenty minutes later, I arrived and spotted Nolan's car in the driveway.

I went to the living room and found him staring outside.

"You're late," he muttered quietly and turned to face me.

He looked very handsome in his blue suit.

"You never told the real reason why you ditched me last night."

He looked conflicted.

"Are you having second thoughts about the engagement? We can always find another way to get this deal."

He shook his head negatively.

"No... this deal means a lot to you and the company, dad, and I want to help you even if it means marrying a woman from the rebel's family."

He made it sound like I was forcing him to marry that girl.

"Nolan, you don't have to marry someone you don't love. Just think this through and let me know what you'll decide."

He nodded quietly.

"Just please take a shower so that we can start off early. I want us to leave early and make a good impression on the Rebels."

I had a feeling that Nolan was hiding something from me, and I was going to get to the bottom of the issue.

I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he gave me an assuring smile, but it wasn't enough to convince me or erase the doubts that had begun to creep into my head.

I went upstairs and took a long shower. Once I was done, my gaze lingered on the black suit that was perfectly laid out on the bed.

I sighed deeply.

That woman never even gave me her name but her scent is now embedded in my soul, and there's no way I'd forget it anywhere.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Nolan walked in, and he looked nervous.

"What if she doesn't like me?"

I gave him a puzzled look.

"Are you talking about your fiance?" I asked curiously.

He took a sip of his drink.

He was nervous.

"You'll be fine, Nolan, just be yourself, and everything will fall into place."

I've never seen him so nervous to meet a girl.

"Relax."

An hour later, we were driving to the Rebels mansion. Our agenda today was to have a small lunch and get Nolan and the Rebels' granddaughter engaged in the evening.

When we finally arrived, the mansion itself looked magnificent, and I could already imagine what the inside looked like.

I turned to look at Nolan, and he looked in good shape.

Security checked our IDs and later gave us the signal to go in. After a few minutes, we were parked at the entrance of the mansion.

The doors of the mansion opened, and an elderly man wearing a black tailored custom-made suit beamed at us.

He was definitely welcoming.

"Mr. Esteban, you've finally made it. Who's going to be my son-in-law between the two of you?" He teased, and I chuckled softly.

Nolan and I were the same height, but my white beard always gave away my age.

"Unfortunately, it's not me, Mr. Rebel," as I gestured to my son, Nolan.

He shook hands with him and handed him a bottle of expensive wine. I had ordered it straight from my vineyard in Italy.

Mr. Rebel smiled at Nolan.

"Please call me Charles. There's no need to be formal since you're now part of the family."

We were ushered behind the mansion where a few butlers were setting up the table for lunch.

Charles introduced us to his family, but there was no sign of his granddaughter.

"Will your granddaughter join us for lunch?"

Mr. Charles looked tense.

"You know how women are, they take forever to get ready because they want to look perfect. But don't worry, she'll join us this evening for the engagement as planned."

I turned to look at Nolan.

He looked a little disappointed.

I'm guessing he was eager to meet his bride.

Mr. Charles took out the contract marriage showing us that his granddaughter had signed it.

She was now legally bound to the contract.

"Benedykta, is that her name?"

Mr. Charles nodded quietly.

"Yes, and I personally chose it, but she shortens it, so she goes by 'Ben' now."

Nolan smiled.

"I think it's a beautiful name."

We kept engaging in small talk as Mr. Charles took the liberty of telling Nolan about his granddaughter and how she was the perfect girl for my son.

"She's hot-headed, so I advise you to get ready because my granddaughter doesn't like losing until she gets her way."

It brought back memories of the girl I met at the club.

She certainly got her way last night.

I snapped out of my daze and excused myself to go answer a phone while Mr. Charles was showing Nolan some childhood pictures of Benedykta.

The call was from the office.

"This isn't the right time, Matteo. What is it?"

Matteo was my best friend and second right-hand man when it came to the affairs of the vineyard in Italy.

"We'll need you back here."

He sounded worried.

"What happened?"

"There's been a fire... Ambrose, and half of the wine cellar is gone."

I let out a shaky exhale.

Fuck.

That vineyard belonged to my father, and I had promised him to continue the family business no matter what.

"How the hell did the fire start?"

I was getting worked up.

Matteo sighed deeply.

"Most of the cameras were burnt up, and with what we could retrieve from the other angles of the camera, there was a masked figure."

I ran my fingers through my hair.

"Let me just conclude with Nolan's engagement, and I'll get on the next flight tonight."

I stood there in shock, anticipating the damage that I was going to find back home.

"Dad, is everything okay?" Nolan asked in a worried tone, and I turned around to meet his worried gaze.

I wasn't going to burden him with the news of the vineyard since he was already nervous about his engagement.

I forced a smile.

"Just a few issues with the vineyard, but I'm sure that your uncle will take care of everything."

He nodded quietly and went back to our seats.

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the partnership we were going to have together.

When we finally concluded with the meeting, the press began to arrive, and it was time to head inside for the engagement.

Mr. Charles directed us to the ballroom that was filled with a few guests, and he was quick to introduce us even though I knew some of the people in the room.

A butler offered us some champagne as Mr. Charles introduced the arrival of his granddaughter.

She definitely knows how to make an entrance.

A woman stood at the grand stairway as a white shoulder-length dress curved her body sinfully.

Nolan had gone to help her get down, and she kissed him on the cheek.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and when her blue eyes met mine, I dropped the glass of champagne.

It was the only sound in the room.

All eyes turned to me.

It was her.

She looked away when she saw me.

Fuck.

This couldn't be happening.

A cleaner came to clean up the broken glass, and I apologized and turned my attention to Nolan and his future bride.

I've never seen Nolan so smitten over a girl in my whole life.

"Dad, this is Benedykta."

She offered me her hand.

The same hand that caressed me last night.

I took her hand in mine, never taking my eyes off her flushed face.

When I didn't pull away, she smiled softly and pulled her hand away.

I've never felt horrified in my entire life.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Ben, and welcome to the family, piccolo fiore."

Her face went pale and she shyly smiled at me.

"Thank you, Mr. Esteban," she muttered quietly.

She was my daughter-in-law.

My son's fiancee.

I grabbed another drink off the tray because it was time for the engagement.

Nolan got on one knee and pulled out a box from his pocket.

I swallowed hard as anger and jealousy filled my veins.

"Benedykta Rebel, will you marry me?"

Our eyes locked in a frenzy.

"Yes, I'll marry you."

The room burst into applause, and in that moment, she smirked at me.

*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.