I walked over to him with confidence and greeted him. "Hello, Mr. Luis."
He didn't respond, lost in thought, so I spoke again. "Hello, Mr. Luis."
He finally stirred, his voice low. "Oh, please sit."
I took my seat, and he introduced himself. "You must be Aliyah Gómez?"
"Yes, I am," I replied.
He smiled, his eyes gleaming. "I finally met the daughter of one of the most powerful men in Colombia."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please don't flatter me. I didn't come for that. My dad organized this stupid date so we can talk. So let's talk. What's your deal with me? From what I've heard, you don't do relationships, and marriage isn't in your dictionary. So why marriage, and why me?"
Luis chuckled, his eyes crinkling. "My wife did her research well."
I corrected him sharply. "Cut the crap, Luis; I'm not your wife. Answer the damn question."
Luis smirked, his eyes glinting. "She's feisty and demands things in a powerful tone. I like her already."
"I need a wife to maintain my empire," he explained. "Not having one will make me lose everything I and my family have built."
I scoffed. "Bullshit! You would have hired someone or gotten a woman of your kind. You're a criminal, Luis, and I don't do criminals."
Luis leaned in, his voice taking on a menacing tone. "If you did your research well, you'd see that no one uses that tone with me. And if anyone does... they don't live to see another day."
I stood up, anger flashing. "Are you trying to threaten me?"
Luis's smile grew wider. "No, wife, I'm just saying. You asked a question, and I'll answer."
I spat, "Luis Moreno Salazar, end whatever deal you've made with my father and end this sham of marriage. I don't like you."
I stormed out, leaving him sitting alone.
Did this girl just walk out on me? I thought, incredulous.
I followed her, my adrenaline pumping.
As I reached Aliyah's car, I pulled her back and shut the door.
"No one speaks to me like that, especially not a woman," I growled.
Aliyah's eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, we just stared.
I was taken aback by her beauty, and my anger dissipated.
"What's your deal with women?" she whispered.
I didn't answer, lost in her gaze.
---
Aliyah's POV:
I spoke to him without thinking, driven by confidence and rage.
He was a dangerous man, but I wasn't scared.
As I turned to leave, someone pulled me back and shut the car door.
It was Luis.
No one had ever looked at me like that before.
All thoughts of hate vanished, replaced by mesmerization.
This man was beautiful, and I couldn't look away.
He was really tall, and his blazing suit matched his physique. His skin was smooth, and his furrowed brows made him look fierce. His beard matched his status.
I was trying to talk to her, but she wasn't giving me a listening ear. Instead, she looked at me from head to toe; I was sure she was admiring me.
"Done staring?" Luis spoke.
Aliyah finally got hold of herself. "I wasn't," she said, pushing Luis away, her cheeks flushed.
Luis rolled his eyes. "You need to learn how to respect me, wife. You'll soon be mine, so deal with it."
"I have a man in my life already," Aliyah retorted.
Luis winked. "Not for long, princess."
He entered the car and drove away.
Aliyah quickly entered her car to avoid embarrassment.
"Carlos, drive me back home, OK?"
"Gosh, I made a fool of myself; I was literally drooling," Aliyah thought.
"Handsome or not, he doesn't stand a chance with me."
…
In Luis's mansion, Luis lay on his bed, lost in thought.
"I've never seen a woman like her; her confidence was radiating. The way she speaks, the way she looks. Everything about her was perfect. She doesn't even fear me; her small figure was perfect for me."
He laughed. "I don't do relationships, but I want this one. Whoever that man she spoke of is, she's definitely dumping him because she's mine."
…
In a dark residence, a man with a dark aura stood.
"Come here, boy," the man ordered.
"Good evening, boss," Gabriel replied.
"Don't 'boss' me. What have you gotten from the Gómez family?"
"Nothing, boss," Gabriel said.
"What! Gabriel, you're the best of all my men. That's why I chose you for this mission. You befriended the daughter; you got close to her. Now you're telling me nonsense, that you've nothing for now. Are you having second thoughts?"
"No, boss, I'm not. Don't tell me you've fallen for that girl?"
"I've been getting head-ups from my spies that you've been gallivanting with that girl."
"I wouldn't, boss. I can't jeopardize the mission."
"Good, because if I find out you've something to do with her, I'll kill her and then kill you. Don't test me, boy. Her father owes me money and doesn't want to pay off his debts, and I can't take that. I don't joke with my money."
"Boss, that's why I'm here; Juan is marrying her off to Luis Moreno. So how does that benefit us?"
"She hates the man, boss; she's not into criminals. That's where I come in; I'll make her turn against her father."
"I made her think that I can help her; now she's going to steal some documents. That's what we're going to use on the old man."
"Well done, Gabriel."
Gabriel left his boss's hideout and went back home.
"Ugh, that was close; I couldn't afford for my feelings to be out yet. I love Aliyah so much; I couldn't get her killed. I hope she'll be able to forgive me someday, but I have to do this."