Milana's POV
The second my heels hit Halston soil, I felt home.
Three years and a lifetime of independence later… I'm back.
I slide my sunglasses up onto my head as the family's sleek black SUV pulls up at the airport pickup lane. A uniformed driver steps out before I could reach for the handle.
"Miss Monroe," he says with a courteous nod "Welcome back"
I return the smile.
In the tinted window's reflection, I catch a glimpse of myself,long auburn hair tumbling over my black blazer dress,skin sun kissed from late summer LA, brown eyes bright with something dangerously close to joy.
I've missed this place more than I realized.
The drive to the Monroe estate was smooth, fast. Halston City blurs by steel skyscrapers, black cars, glittering storefronts, and power in every corner. This is where legacy lives and fortunes are made and mine is written in gold across every inch of this city.
The gates to the Monroe mansion swing open like they've been waiting for me.
It's even grander than I remembered tall iron fences, ivy wrapped stone pillars, rows of sculpted hedges, and a fountain that still spills champagne on events,literally.
The mansion rises in creamy white marble, glowing under the late afternoon sun,wide balconies, floor to ceiling windows, and a driveway big enough to host a fashion week after party.
I stepped out and felt the breeze brush against my legs,before I could soak it in, the front doors swung open and there she was.
"Martha"
Our longtime housekeeper,she practically raised me and my siblings when my parents were too busy climbing corporate ladders to notice the world spinning around them. She's older now,in a pale blue uniform, silver streaks slicing through her dark hair like lightning and her eyes, warm and sharp as ever.
"Mila," she smiles, pulling me into a hug that smells like cinnamon and home "Back from LA looking like you belong on a magazine cover."
"I've missed you," I murmured against her shoulder.
"And I've missed you more" She pulls back with a teasing smirk, then calls over her shoulder, "Take her bags upstairs!"
A younger maid rushes past us to the car
I'm still soaking it all in when Martha adds
"He's in his office."
"Wait… my father's home?"
She nods "Didn't go to the company today, said he wanted to speak with you."
My stomach knots,since when does Charles Monroe skip work for anything?
Something's off
"Alright," I said, "let's see what's so important."
I inhaled, steady myself, and walked towards the office.
…
I walked the familiar marble hallway with practiced calm, but my heels clicking sharp.
If my father is home during business hours it means one of two things: someone very important is dead, or something's dying.
The doors to his home office are slightly ajar. A sliver of light spills out, dancing on the polished floors, I knocked once and pushed it open.
The scent of dark roast coffee and sandalwood hits first, then the sound of paper sliding, a pen clicking, and finally his voice.
"You're early."
Charles Monroe didn't look up right away, but I don't need him to. I could recognize that deep, deliberate tone anywhere. It's the same voice that closed deals in Paris, crushed competitors in Tokyo, and raised three children without ever missing a 7 a.m. strategy meeting.
He's seated behind his massive desk, papers spread before him in structured chaos. His hair is still perfectly combed, suit jacket off, sleeves rolled up. The posture of a man who built an empire and won't let it fall,not without a fight.
"I caught an earlier flight," I say, stepping inside "Didn't think you'd be home"
He finally looks up. His eyes,sharp, calculating,studying me like a stock he hasn't checked in years.
"You look well."
"Thanks dad," I said, sitting across from him. "So... what's so urgent you skipped work today?"
He exhales slowly, folding his hands. "Alcrest group is on the edge".
My stomach tenses.
"What is going on? How bad is it?"
He doesn't soften it "Critical,we've taken too many international hits,our renewable energy division lost its Saudi contract, and the robotics arm in Berlin just got undercut by a Chinese competitor. Stock's been quietly bleeding for six months, our board is on edge. If we don't secure a major partnership in the next 90 days... we go under."
I blink This is worse than I thought.
"So what now?" I ask "Is there a solution?"
He leans back "Yes, I called you in... because you're the solution."
Shocked. "Excuse me?"
He leans back in his chair and slides a folder across the desk
I open it slowly, Legal documents, investment terms, corporate jargon. I skim through lines barely understanding until a few words catch my eye:
Equity. Stakeholder shift. Asset transfer.
My brows pull together "What am I looking at?"
"A partnership," he says "I'm giving Sinclair Holdings twenty five percent stake in Alcrest group. If approved, they'll become the second largest shareholder."
I stare at the page "You're giving the Sinclairs a quarter of your company?"
"I don't have a choice, Milana. We're bleeding, and Sinclair Holdings has the capital, the infrastructure, and the global leverage to keep us from crashing. This isn't charity, It's strategy."
I flip the next page. "So this is a business merger."
"Not exactly," he says carefully "The papers outline a strategic investment but Sinclair Holdings won't sign unless they trust the long term vision, that's where you come in."
I froze. "What do you mean?"
He clasps his hands, eyes sharper now "I want to strengthen the alliance beyond numbers. A business deal can be revoked, shares can be bought back but a family tie that's harder to break."
I already don't like where this is going.
"I've spoken to Richard Sinclair," he continues "There's interest… in forming a more permanent connection between our families."
My voice drops "You mean a marriage."
"Yes."
I close the folder
He keeps talking
"If we join the Sinclairs not just on paper, but in blood, it solidifies everything. Trust, loyalty, shared legacy. We don't just survive Milana,we gain access to Sinclair's markets, tech divisions, board influence. We become one of the most powerful business families on the East Coast."
"So you signed me away like a business deal?" I said flatly.
"I want you to help me keep what I've built, To protect your legacy, our family name."
I stare at him, my heart ticking in my ears.
He adds "I arranged a meeting and they've agreed to consider the marriage, It's not forced, it's... mutually beneficial."
"Beneficial to who?"
He adds quietly, "If I give away a quarter of my company without anything to anchor it, they can take the rest in five years. I need a reason to keep our name on that building and you, Milana… you're that reason."
"You want me to marry a stranger just so you can hold on to your throne?"
His jaw tenses "This is about more than me. I've built Alcrest group for this family for you and your siblings, I'm not handing it over to vultures."
"And what am I, then? A pawn?"
I push the document back toward him with slow, deliberate fingers.
Before he could reply, the office door bursts open.
"Milana my darling!"
I turn just in time to catch my mother flying in like a gust of rose scented wind. Blonde hair perfectly coiled, pastel silk dress flowing behind her, and eyes already glistening.
"Oh my baby," she says, throwing her arms around me "You're actually here."
"Mum" I sink into her hug without thinking,she smells like lilac and memory.
"You've gotten even more beautiful," she says, pulling back to study me "God, how long has it been?"
"Three years," I breathe.
She cups my cheek "Too long."
Behind her, my father clears his throat.
"Vivian, we were in the middle of…"
"I know," she cuts in smoothly. "Martha told me you were already trying to turn her return into a boardroom briefing."
She turns to me again, brushing a strand of hair from my face "Darling, go upstairs, Unpack, take a hot shower. Dinner will be ready soon."
I nod, still stunned, still silent.
She glances back at him with a tight smile "Let her breathe, Charles."
As she wraps an arm around my shoulder and guides me gently out of the office, she adds casually, "Oh and I've invited Cole to dinner, Serena's coming home early too."
Of course she has invited my siblings
A full family table
What better way to welcome me home...
than by cornering me in it?
Adrian's POV
The office was quiet when I walked in.
Nicholas, my older brother, is already seated, posture stiff, tie perfect. Of course, he's always early, always polished.
"Sit," Father says, without looking up.
I take my seat without a word, flipping open the leather folder in front of me.
My father, Richard Sinclair, looks up. "Alcrest Group is on the brink."
I arch a brow
He adds "Too many losses,foreign contracts pulled,market confidence is crashing,he's offering us twenty five percent equity to keep it afloat, Energy division, R&D and their pending patents."
Nicholas says next "We don't need Alcrest."
"We don't," Father agrees "But owning a quarter of it gives us quiet control in sectors we've been trying to break into, Their green energy research is five years ahead."
"What's the hidden clause?" I ask, already guessing there is one.
Nicholas exhales "He's offering one of his daughters, isn't he?"
Father closes the file slowly "He's proposing a union between families."
I lift my glass and take a slow sip of bourbon "And?"
"And I told him we'd consider it,"Father replies. "They want us to be tied by more than numbers. If we take this offer and you marry the daughter, it'll give us executive veto rights and direct influence over their internal board."
"Strategic marriage," I murmured, "How charmingly medieval."
Nicholas smirks "If the shoe fits…"
"It's not mandatory," Father says "It's an opportunity,take it or don't but I advise you take it, we're not walking away from Alcrest."
I pick up the folder "Send me the final draft when it's clean."
And just like that, I walked out.