Rhea still could not believe how her mother had arranged for her to marry a man who was much younger than she was. Wasn't he more suited to be her younger brother rather than her husband?

"Mom, there is no way I can accept this arranged marriage." She quickly and firmly protested, having already decided that she would not agree to marry a man who was ten years younger than her.

A clicking sound from her mother came from the other end of the phone. "Don't say that. We have already agreed to this arrangement."

"If you were going to arrange a marriage, you should have considered our circumstances first. That man is still so young, Mom. He is ten years younger than me. He is more like a little brother than a husband. You were reckless in arranging this match."

"I already explained yesterday. Initially, we intended to arrange your marriage with his older brother, but since our families lost contact for a long time, his older brother was already married to someone else. So, well..."

"So, he is just a replacement for his brother, who was originally supposed to marry me? That doesn't make sense, Mom. If his brother is already married to someone else, then just let it go. Why does his younger brother have to take his place?"

"Because we want to uphold our long-standing agreement to marry our children. We want to become family through your marriage."

Rhea clicked her tongue in frustration. To her, this was a huge mistake. "That's not how it works, Mom. This is selfish. You are only thinking about yourselves without considering my feelings-or his. He is still in college. I'm sure he would reject this arrangement too."

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

One of Rhea's eyebrows raised upon hearing her mother's challenging tone.

"All right, Rhea, I have an idea."

"Oh, really? What idea is that?" Rhea asked lazily while rolling her eyes, already tired and fed up with her mother's stubbornness.

"Ask Dion directly. If he refuses this marriage, then fine... I won't force you two to marry. But..."

"Hmm, fine. I'll ask him now."

"Hey, wait. I'm not finished talking yet. Don't just cut me off."

Rhea growled inwardly. She felt like hanging up the phone immediately, as she could no longer stand talking to her mother or staying in that mall any longer. In her mind, it was far better to go to the office than waste her precious time on something as ridiculous as this. Reviewing stacks of documents on her desk was far more appealing than dealing with this absurd arranged marriage.

"Alright, what else do you want to talk about, Mother?" For the umpteenth time, Rhea chose to comply with her mother's wishes, allowing her to continue speaking.

"But if Dion agrees to this arranged marriage and is willing to marry you, then you must also accept it. There will be no more excuses for you to refuse. You will have to marry Dion. So, what do you say? Do you agree?"

Rhea shook her head, thinking that her mother had lost all sense of reason by insisting on marrying off her daughter, the president of a major company, to a mere university student.

Letting out a long sigh and exhaling slowly, Rhea finally opened her mouth and replied with resignation, "Alright, Mother. I agree. Besides, I am sure that man will reject this arrangement. There's no way he would want to marry an older woman like me. He must want to marry someone his own age. I am certain of it."

A chuckle echoed through the phone, as if her mother was mocking her words. "That is not necessarily true. Alright then, go ahead and ask Dion now. Let me know his answer later, alright?"

The call abruptly ended as her mother hung up without waiting for Rhea's response. Rhea shook her head again, unable to comprehend her mother's way of thinking. How could she so easily arrange her daughter's marriage to a much younger man?

Clearing her throat briefly to calm herself from the frustration she was feeling, Rhea then walked toward the place where Dion was waiting for her.

Her steps were quick, driven by her impatience to confront the man she was being arranged to marry.

When she finally arrived at her destination and saw Dion still sitting in the same place, Rhea immediately approached him.

"Ah, you're finally back. Where did you go? You took so long," Dion said.

Rhea cleared her throat once more to steady herself before sitting down in the chair directly across from Dion. "There is something important I need to ask you, and I hope you will answer truthfully."

Curiosity was evident on Dion's face as he gazed at Rhea intently. He was undeniably handsome, and now his eyes were locked onto hers. "Hmm, what do you want to ask?"

"You must already know that the reason we are meeting here is because our parents arranged for us to be married?"

Dion nodded. "Yes, I know. And?"

"Now that we have met in person, do you still want to go through with this arranged marriage?"

Rhea could only swallow hard, anxiously awaiting Dion's response. Deep down, she hoped he would reject the arranged marriage just as she did. Well, let's see if her wish would come true.

"So, what's your decision? Are you willing to accept this arranged marriage?" Rhea asked once more, growing impatient. However, Dion didn't immediately respond, which only irritated her further.

"What about you?"

Rhea gaped at him. Instead of answering, he had thrown the question back at her. "I'm the one asking you! Why are you asking me instead?"

"Before I answer, I want to know what you think about our arranged marriage after this meeting."

Rhea rolled her eyes. First her mother, and now this man in front of her-they were both equally infuriating and had successfully ruined her mood for the day.

"Of course, I refuse. There's no way I would agree to marry someone like you, who is much younger than me. Tell me, how old are you?"

"Twenty," Dion answered quickly.

"See? I knew it. There's a ten-year gap between us because I'm thirty now. Do you know what that means?"

"What?"

"It means it's impossible for us to be husband and wife. We're more suited to be siblings. Got it? So, I firmly reject this arranged marriage. I don't want to marry you."

"But I... I accept this arranged marriage and am willing to marry you."

At that moment, Rhea's eyes widened in utter shock upon hearing Dion's response.

"Huh? What did you just say? I didn't mishear you, did I?"

Dion shook his head firmly. "No, you heard me right. I said I accept this arrangement, and I'm ready to marry you."

"Even though you're still in college?"

Dion scoffed. "And so what if I'm still in college? There's no rule against getting married at my university. So, I can marry you anytime." As if oblivious to Rhea's rising frustration, Dion playfully winked at his supposed future wife.

Meanwhile, Rhea could only pinch the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on after hearing Dion's shocking answer.

"So, when are we getting married?"

At this point, Rhea felt like screaming out her frustration. She was dealing with two people who had completely lost their minds-her mother and Dion. Both of them were insane for agreeing to this ridiculous arranged marriage.

The weekly meeting was in progress as usual. All division heads were giving their presentations, reporting their respective division's performance over the past week. Of course, these reports were directed to the meeting's leader, none other than the president director, Rhea Addilyn Blaire.

However, there was something different this time. Rhea, who was usually meticulous and firm, appeared unfocused. Her gaze was empty, as if a multitude of thoughts were swirling in her mind. Naturally, her unusual demeanor raised questions among all the meeting participants, especially her assistant, Monica.

The previously calm meeting atmosphere suddenly turned into a commotion when everyone's phones vibrated simultaneously. Rhea looked in confusion at all the people before her, who simultaneously checked their phones and then shifted their gazes toward her.

"What is this? We are in the middle of a meeting, so why are you all playing with your phones?" Rhea asked, demanding an explanation for the participants' inappropriate behavior.

However, no one answered. Instead, they whispered among themselves, leaving Rhea, who had no idea what was happening, increasingly irritated.

"Miss, I believe this is the reason," a voice whispered beside Rhea, catching her attention.

"What is it, Monica?"

"Look, Miss, a message was sent to all of us."

"A message? What kind of message?"

"A message informing us that you will soon be getting married. Is it true, Miss? Oh, congratulations!"

At that moment, Rhea's eyes widened in shock.

"Congratulations, Miss Rhea! We are happy for you," one by one, the meeting participants offered their congratulations, making Rhea even more frustrated.

Without saying anything, Rhea stood up from her seat and left the meeting room. Walking quickly toward her office, she let out a heavy sigh as she opened the door and found her mother sitting comfortably inside.

"It must be you who did this, right?" Rhea asked bluntly.

"Did what?"

Rhea rolled her eyes at her mother's pretense of ignorance.

"You were the one who sent the message to all the employees in this company, announcing my wedding plans."

"Oh, so they've read the message already? That's great." Aliza laughed cheerfully, in stark contrast to Rhea, who could only pinch the bridge of her nose, unable to comprehend her mother's antics.

"Why would you do something like this? This is so embarrassing."

"What's so embarrassing about it? You're getting married, of course, all your employees should know. I plan to invite all of them to your wedding with Dion."

Rhea shook her head, clearly disagreeing with her mother's plan. "No, Mom. It's bad enough that you arranged my marriage to a man ten years younger than me. Don't humiliate me any more than this."

Aliza clicked her tongue. "Who's humiliating you? This is wonderful news. You, who are always obsessed with work, are finally getting married. I'm sure this will be exciting news for all your employees. They have the right to know."

Rhea didn't know what else to say to her stubborn mother. She chose to give in, not wanting to prolong the argument. "So, why did you come to my office? It's unusual for you to show up here."

Aliza smirked, making a bad feeling settle in Rhea's chest.

"I'm taking you somewhere. Let's go."

Seeing her mother walk toward the door without waiting for her response, Rhea knew she had no choice but to follow her mother's wishes once again.

***

Rhea said nothing, merely closing her eyes as two boutique assistants adjusted the wedding gown she was wearing. Yes, this was the reason why Aliza had come to her office and stirred up chaos by announcing her wedding plans to all the company employees-she wanted to take Rhea to one of the most renowned boutiques in California to try on the wedding dress she would wear on her wedding day with Dion.

"Wow, you look absolutely stunning. I knew this dress would suit you best," Aliza said cheerfully as Rhea emerged, looking breathtakingly beautiful in the wedding gown her mother had chosen.

"I'm sure Dion and all the wedding guests will be mesmerized by your beauty."

Rhea crossed her arms in front of her chest, clearly unimpressed by her mother's praise. "Have I even agreed to marry that man?"

"As far as I remember, I haven't said anything to you," she said casually, without a hint of guilt, even though her words made her mother's eyes widen in shock.

"What do you mean by that? Didn't you already agree to marry Dion?"

Rhea shook her head firmly. "I never said that. I only agreed to meet him, but I never agreed to marry him. Besides, after finding out that he's ten years younger than me, do you really think I'd be willing to marry him?"

"I've told you many times, you can't refuse this marriage because I already promised his parents that you would marry Dion."

A scoff escaped Rhea's lips. "That's your mistake for making promises without asking me first. Now, you have to deal with this mess yourself because I still refuse to marry that man."

She turned her back on her mother, intending to remove the wedding dress she was wearing.

"After losing your father, do you want to lose your mother too?"

Rhea's steps halted instantly upon hearing her mother's words. She turned back to face the woman who had brought her into this world.

"What do you mean by that?"

"If you refuse this marriage, it means you don't care about me anymore. It means you don't care even if I die."

Rhea let out a weary sigh. Once again, her mother was threatening her.

"I'm serious, Rhea. You will see your mother die if you reject this marriage."

"Mom, please don't do this. Besides, why does it have to be him? He's more suited to be my younger brother than my husband."

However, Aliza ignored her daughter's words. She pouted and turned her face away, refusing to look at her defiant daughter.

Seeing her mother's behavior, Rhea once again felt powerless. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Fine, Mom, I'll marry him."

Aliza's sulking face instantly brightened. "Really?"

"Yes, I'll marry this man named Dion, but on one condition."

Aliza frowned. "One condition? What is it?"

A faint smile formed on Rhea's lips, carrying a hidden meaning. This time, she wouldn't let her mother win so easily. What condition was she about to propose?

The sound of dance music blared loudly, almost deafening. Yet, it didn’t seem to bother the people in the venue—in fact, they were thoroughly enjoying it. Their bodies moved to the rhythm of the music, which grew louder with each beat, as couples danced together at a bar in California.

In one of the VIP rooms, three young men were relaxing. Several bottles of wine and snacks were laid out on the table, which they were currently enjoying.

“Dion, you said there was something important you wanted to talk about? What is it?”

The voice came from a handsome man named Brandy Bosley, Dion’s close friend. They had been friends since junior high school. Like Dion, Brandy was also one of the most sought-after guys on campus. Because of his good looks, he often changed partners. For example, tonight he had hired an escort to accompany him. The woman was sitting beside him, feeding him light snacks.

Dion, who was smoking a cigarette, turned to his friend. “Yes, there’s something I want to discuss with you both. That’s why I asked you to come here.”

“Why here? Why didn’t you just say it back at campus?” This time it was Alvin Bastian who spoke up, a bespectacled man who was also one of Dion’s close friends.

Dion snorted and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray a bit too harshly. “I just felt like saying it here. Is there a problem with that?” he replied, directing the question at Alvin.

Adjusting his slipping glasses, Alvin replied, “Yeah, because it’s not comfortable here.”

“What’s uncomfortable about it?” Brandy chimed in.

“It’s noisy here.”

“Huh? Noisy? We’re in a soundproof VIP room. You can’t even hear the music from outside. Just admit it—you didn’t want to come here because you’re scared of the women around. Isn’t that right?”

Alvin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearly flustered that Brandy had accurately guessed what he was feeling. It was no secret that the bespectacled man had a phobia of women. He would always tremble whenever one came near him.

“Why is he afraid of the women here?” asked the escort, overhearing their conversation.

“That’s because—”

“Shut up, Brandy! Don’t bring that up again!” Alvin snapped, quickly cutting Brandy off before he could reveal his condition to the escort. He then turned his gaze to Dion, who merely chuckled at the argument between his two friends.

“And you, what are you laughing at? Just tell us what you want to say already! If you don’t start talking soon, I’m leaving.”

Hearing Alvin’s threat, Dion and Brandy exchanged glances before bursting into laughter. Naturally, their reaction only tested Alvin’s patience further. He stood up and walked toward the door, clearly intending to leave the room.

“Hey, hey, where are you going?” Dion asked, surprised that Alvin was actually following through on his threat.

“Home. I told you I’d leave if you—”

“I’m getting married.”

The atmosphere in the room instantly shifted to silence. No one spoke after Dion’s unexpected confession—until a second later, when both Brandy and Alvin burst into laughter, assuming it was just a joke.

“Why are you laughing?” Dion asked, narrowing his eyes sharply. It was clear he didn’t appreciate having his serious words laughed at by his friends.

“Hah, what kind of joke was that supposed to be?” Brandy replied, then continued laughing loudly.

“I’m not joking. I really am getting married.”

“Married? Are you serious?” Alvin asked, needing to confirm he hadn’t misheard.

Dion nodded firmly. “Yes, of course I’m serious. Why would I joke about something like this?”

Brandy and Alvin exchanged glances. Seeing the serious look on Dion’s face, they realized he wasn’t kidding at all.

“Why are you suddenly getting married?”

Dion chuckled softly at Alvin’s question, finding the reason behind his sudden marriage quite amusing himself.

“My parents arranged it. The woman was originally supposed to marry my older brother, but since he’s already married, she’s being paired with me instead.”

“What? An arranged marriage? And you agreed to it?” Brandy looked utterly shocked by Dion’s confession.

“Yeah, why not? Besides, the woman I’m marrying is actually quite attractive.” Dion replied with a grin, sticking out his tongue and licking his lips playfully.

“She must be beautiful, huh?” Brandy asked eagerly—he was always excited when it came to women.

“Yes, she’s beautiful. But what’s even more interesting is that she’s incredibly cold... and a billionaire.”

“A billionaire?” Brandy and Alvin said in unison, exchanging surprised glances.

“Yeah, she’s the CEO of a major company. You know Blaire Industries?”

“Of course! That’s one of the biggest food and fashion companies in California,” Alvin answered enthusiastically.

“Exactly. The head of that company is going to be my wife,” Dion said, patting his chest proudly.

“Wait, how old is your fiancée? If she’s leading such a big company, she must be pretty old, right?” Brandy asked curiously.

“She’s not that old. She’s thirty.”

“Wow, that’s more than ten years older than you, right?”

“Something like that.”

“Since when do you like older women?”

“Since I got arranged to marry her—Rhea Addilyn Blaire,” Dion replied without hesitation to all of Brandy’s questions.

“She actually agreed to marry you?” Alvin, who had been quietly listening, finally joined the conversation again.

“At first, she didn’t want to. She said I was more like a younger brother than a potential husband. But I’m sure she’ll eventually agree, because just like me… she can’t escape this arranged marriage.”

“So that means the wedding is definitely happening, right?” Brandy asked, and Dion responded with a nod. “Then when is the wedding?”

“Soon. I’ll let you both know once the date is set.”

“Ah, we’ll definitely come. Now I’m curious—I want to see your fiancée as soon as possible. Is she really that beautiful?”

“Yes, you can judge for yourself later.”

Dion and Brandy seemed enthusiastic as they discussed Rhea, unlike Alvin, who appeared pensive, as if something was bothering him.

“If you’re going to get married, then what about your relationship with Keily?”

That single question slipped out of the bespectacled man’s mouth, instantly grabbing the attention of his two friends. Dion and Brandy immediately stopped talking.

“Ah, good point. What about Keily? Are you planning to end things with her?” Even Brandy joined in the questioning.

Both Brandy and Alvin stared seriously at Dion, waiting for his answer. But Dion said nothing—he just flashed a wide grin, as if a plan was already dancing around in his head.