Arec's POV:
As soon as I stepped out into the cool night air, I could feel the tension in my body start to unwind, only to tighten up again the moment I thought of my grandmother.
My hands shook with anger as I reached for my car keys, the steel biting into my palm like a reminder of everything I was trying to escape.
I knew I should've stayed calm, that I should've found a way to diffuse the situation, but I couldn't. Not this time. The pressure had finally become too much, and all I could think about was getting away from her relentless nagging.
I slammed the door shut behind me and started the engine, the familiar hum of my car offering a slight reprieve from the thoughts swirling in my mind.
But as I pulled away from the driveway, the tension in my chest didn't ease. Instead, it grew with each mile, as if I was trying to outrun something that was chasing me from within.
Her voice was still there, echoing in my head. "You need to get married, Arec. Without a wife, you can't take over Denco Groups. It's not just about you; it's about the family legacy."
I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white as I tried to drown out her words. But they were like a persistent itch, impossible to ignore.
What was I supposed to do? The idea of marriage, of settling down with someone just to tick a box on some outdated family requirement, made my skin crawl. But the thought of losing everything I'd worked for, everything I'd sacrificed for, was even worse.
I could feel the control I prided myself on slipping through my fingers, replaced by a gnawing sense of frustration and an overwhelming loneliness that I'd buried so deep I'd almost forgotten it was there.
For the first time in a long while, I felt completely lost. All the careful planning, the calculated moves I'd made to get to where I was, felt meaningless in the face of this one obstacle I couldn't seem to overcome.
I sighed, rubbing my temples as I tried to make sense of it all. There had to be a way out of this, a way to satisfy my grandmother and the board without compromising everything I believed in. But right now, I couldn't see it. All I could see was the wall in front of me, the obstacle that stood between me and the future I'd always envisioned.
Before I knew it, I was pulling into the parking lot of the nightclub I frequented whenever I needed to clear my head.
The neon lights flickered in the distance, a beacon of distraction that I desperately needed. The familiar faces of the bouncers greeted me with nods as I made my way inside, their recognition a reminder that I'd been here too many times before.
"Good evening, Mr. Weston," one of them said, his voice gruff but polite.
I gave a small nod in return, not trusting myself to speak without the anger still simmering beneath the surface coming through. My usual spot at the bar was empty, as if it was waiting for me, and I slid onto the stool with a heavy sigh.
"Rough day?" Sam, the bartender, greeted me with a knowing smile, his tone light as he started making my usual drink.
"You could say that," I muttered, trying to force a smile. Sam was one of the few people who knew how to read me, and while he liked to flirt, I knew he was just trying to cheer me up.
"Come on, Arec. You know what I always say, there's nothing a good drink and some bad decisions can't fix." He winked as he slid the glass over to me, the amber liquid shimmering under the low lights.
I chuckled, despite myself. "Sam, I've told you severally, that I'm not gay."
He grinned, leaning over the bar with a playful glint in his eye. "Well, and I keep telling you that, you're missing out. But don't worry, you'll bend as soon as you taste my peaches."
That earned me a genuine laugh, the tension in my chest loosening just a bit. Sam had been my best friend back in high school, and even though we'd lost touch for a few years, running into him here had been like finding a piece of my past that I didn't even realize I'd missed.
His playful banter and unrelenting optimism were exactly what I needed on nights like this.
As Sam moved on to attend to other customers, and probably to prepare my drink as well. My mind couldn't stop my thoughts from drifting back to the argument with my grandmother.
"You're missing the point, Arec. It's not just about competence. It's about tradition, about upholding the legacy that your ancestors built. If you can't see the importance of that, then maybe you're not as ready to lead as you think you are."
The way she'd looked at me, disappointed, frustrated, like I was failing her somehow, cut deeper than I wanted to admit.
She wasn't wrong, exactly. The rule was in place for a reason, and it wasn't just about me. It was about the family, about the legacy. But that didn't make it any easier to swallow.
Was I being stubborn? Shortsighted?
The words echoed in my mind, and I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she was right.
I had spent so long dismissing the idea of marriage, of love, as unnecessary distractions.
My focus had always been on the company, on achieving the goals I had set for myself. But what if I was wrong? What if there was more to life than just work, more to being a leader than just ambition and drive?
I let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through my hair. "What if... "
"Here's your drink, handsome," Sam interrupted my thoughts, placing the glass in front of me with a flourish.
"Thanks, princess," I teased back, forcing a grin as I tried to push the doubts from my mind.
Sam chuckled, rolling his eyes before moving on to serve the next customer.
I took a sip of my drink, letting the burn of the alcohol chase away the lingering frustration. But even as the warmth spread through my chest, my thoughts keep drifting back to what was expected of me.
I was about to take another sip when the door opened, and she walked in.
At first, I thought I was seeing things, the most beautiful, sexiest woman I'd ever laid eyes on, stepping into the club like she owned the place.
Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, her dress clinging to every curve in a way that made it impossible to look away. Was I drunk already without even drinking much from my drink?
I watched as she made her way through the crowd.
Who was she?