I walked into my penthouse, feeling exhausted after a long flight from Shanghai. I had just closed a major deal with one of the biggest clients in China, and I was looking forward to some rest and relaxation. But as soon as I entered the living room, I saw a familiar figure sitting on the couch, sipping a glass of champagne.
"Mother?" I said, surprised and annoyed. "How did you get in here?"
She smiled and put down her glass. "Oh, Nico, darling, don't be so rude. I'm your mother, after all. I have every right to visit you whenever I want."
I sighed and dropped my suitcase on the floor. "Mother, you know very well that you don't have a key to my apartment. And you shouldn't threaten my security team to let you in. They're just doing their job."
She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, please, they're no match for me. You should see how easily I persuaded them to give me a spare key. They're so afraid of losing their jobs, they'll do anything I say."
I shook my head and rubbed my temples. "Mother, that's not how it works. You can't just barge into my place without my permission. It's an invasion of privacy."
She pouted and gave me a look of hurt. "Nico, don't you love me? Don't you miss me? You never come to visit me anymore. You're always so busy with your work, your travels, your women..."
I felt a pang of guilt and walked over to hug her. "Mother, I do love you. And I do miss you. I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. It's just that I have a lot of responsibilities, you know? I'm the CEO of Gonzales Industries, one of the most successful companies in the world. I have to work hard to maintain our reputation and our profits."
She hugged me back and kissed my cheek. "I know, darling, I know. You're such a smart and handsome boy. You make me so proud. But you also need to take care of yourself. You need to have some fun, some balance in your life."
I smiled and kissed her back. "I do have fun, mother. And I do have balance. I just have different priorities than you."
She pulled away and looked at me with a serious expression. "Speaking of priorities, Nico, there's something very important we need to talk about."
I felt a surge of dread and sat down on the couch next to her. "What is it, mother?"
She took my hand and squeezed it gently. "Nico, darling, you know how much I love you, right?"
I nodded warily. "Yes, mother."
"And you know how much I want you to be happy, right?"
I nodded again. "Yes, mother."
"And you know how much I care about our family name, our legacy, our reputation, right?"
I nodded for the third time. "Yes, mother."
She smiled and leaned closer to me. "Well then, Nico, darling, you'll be happy to hear that I've found you the perfect wife."
I felt a jolt of shock and pulled my hand away from hers. "What?!"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, it's true! I've arranged everything for you! You're going to marry Diana Romano!"
I stared at her in disbelief and horror. "Diana Romano? As in the daughter of Mr Romano? The one who just died?"
She nodded again. "Yes, yes, that's the one! She's such a lovely girl! And she's my best friend's daughter! And she's like a daughter to me too! We're practically family already!"
I shook my head and stood up from the couch. "Mother, are you insane? You can't just decide who I'm going to marry! That's not how it works! This is the 21st century! People have free will! They choose their own partners!"
She frowned and stood up too. "Nico, don't be silly. This is not about free will or choice or love or any of that nonsense. This is about business. This is about strategy. This is about power."
I clenched my fists and glared at her. "What are you talking about?"
She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.
She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Nico, you know very well what I'm talking about. You know how the media portrays you. You know how they call you a playboy, a womanizer, a heartbreaker. You know how they say you're not fit to run Gonzales Industries. You know how they say you're a liability, a risk, a scandal waiting to happen."
I rolled my eyes and snorted. "Mother, please. The media is full of lies and gossip. They don't know anything about me or my business. They're just trying to sell their stories and get attention."
She shook her head and tutted. "Nico, you're so naive. The media is powerful. They shape public opinion. They influence investors, clients, partners, competitors. They can make or break your career. And right now, they're making you look bad. Very bad."
I shrugged and walked towards the door. "Mother, I don't care what the media says or thinks. I know who I am and what I do. I'm a successful businessman, a visionary leader, a generous philanthropist. I don't need anyone's approval or validation."
She followed me and grabbed my arm. "Nico, stop being so stubborn and listen to me. You do need approval and validation. You need respect and trust. You need stability and security. And you can get all that by marrying Diana Romano."
I jerked my arm away from her and turned to face her. "Mother, how can you say that? How can you think that marrying someone I don't love, someone I don't even like, will give me any of those things? How can you think that marrying Diana Romano will solve anything?"
She smiled and touched my cheek softly. "Nico, darling, trust me. I know what's best for you. Marrying Diana Romano will solve everything. It will be the perfect match. It will unite two of the most powerful families in the world. It will create a strong alliance that will benefit both our businesses and our reputations. It will silence the media and the critics. It will make you happy."
I pushed her hand away and shook my head vehemently. "Mother, no! No! No! No! Marrying Diana Romano will not make me happy! It will make me miserable! It will trap me in a loveless marriage with a woman I barely even know"I breathed out " we would talk about this later darling , maybe Saturday over lunch " she said cupping my cheeks " you cannot just push this conversation mum" I said frustrated " well I have places to go so bye honey" she said as she picked her bag and left, I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of vodka from the cabinet taking a gulp I grab my phone and placed a call to sandra " I want you here in 10" I spoke into the phone, " ok baby she said in her usual whinny voice. its going to be a long night.