Kenneth's POV
I watched as my grandfather slowly stepped away from his chair and as the door closed shut behind him, silence came and rested around me like an invincible weight.
I just sat there.
Minutes passed. Maybe more.
My gaze was unfocused and distant.
I had heard the whole "family legacy" talk before. Even more than once, but this…..this was different. This was an ultimatum.
Get married or lose everything.
And despite all the names that could have crossed my mind, all the actresses, all the heiresses my grandfather would approve right away, only one face appeared.
Bianca.
She had intrigued me, drawn something out of me that I hadn't expected her to. There was something real about her.
Maybe, just maybe, I could convince her to at the very least play along.
To become my fiancée. Fake, of course. Nothing more.
Was it insane? What is it risky?
Absolutely.
But something inside me, something deep, feels she might say yes.
And that was enough to make me stand.
If I was going to survive my grandfathers known tradition, I'll needed someone by my side.
And I was going to pay her a visit.
I got ready without thinking about the outfit too much. Just threw on a dark blazer over another clean shirt, combed my hair back, and grabbed my keys. And I had one guard follow me, since I was going into an unfamiliar block.
The drive wasn't smooth.
I made took few wrong turns along the way. I kept second-guessing the route, unsure of which way it was. I hadn't paid much attention to the street signs that night, I had been too focused on her.
But after a few turns around the block, I finally saw and recognized the building.
It was a bit old, but not giving to nature, it was quiet and well taken care of.
Exactly the kind of place someone like Bianca would live. Out of sight and out of trouble.
I stepped out of the car and made my way up the stairs, until I reached her front door. I hesitated the moment I go to the door, my hand hovering for a second before I knocked, three times.
No sound, no reply.
I knocked again.
Still nothing.
I reached for the doorknob an turned it. Locked.
She wasn't home.
I looked down the road, hoping to see her coming around the corner. But it was quiet.
I could've left. Could've turned around and waited for another time.
But I didn't.
Instead, I rested on the wall beside her door and exhaled loudly.
After a while, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, I heard footsteps.
And then I saw her.
Bianca.
My face lit up without any warning, a small smile grew at the corner of my lips. I didn't realize just how much I had been waiting to see her again until that very moment, when I saw her again. There was something about her, something about her features that pulled me in.
But that feeling immediately vanished.
Because the look on her face?
It was the same as last night.
Wide eyes. Her stiff posture, her breath short and not even.
Fear.
Her pace was hastened, her steps were uneven like she was trying to keep herself from running a full sprint. And just behind her…I saw them.
Two men, in their mid-thirties. Rough looking, and following her a little too closely. Their body language said everything I needed to know, they weren't out for just a chat. They had intent. Malicious one.
Just before the closest one could reach her, just before his hand even lifted to touch her, I moved.
I didn't think. I just reacted.
I covered the distance between us in seconds, the rush of adrenaline increasing my every sense. My fist connected with his jaw with a loud crack, the force of it sending him staggering backward and falling to the ground.
The second man froze for only half a second, but then his face twisted into something ugly, and he lunged forward, his eyes locked on me.
That was his mistake.
Before he could get close, the back door of my car swung open and my guard stepped out.
Isaac.
He moved like a bull set loose.
The second man barely raised his hand before Isaac grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the wall, and sent a clean, brutal punch to his gut. The third man tried to intervene, but Isaac was faster. A hard elbow to the man's neck, and the alley was filled with the sounds of groaning men.
All of them were bleeding, broken several parts and no longer a threat.
I turned around, still breathing heavily and I caught sight of her. She was half-hidden just around the corner, and her body pressed to the wall like she was trying to disappear into it.
She looked shaken, pale, but still standing.
I walked towards her slowly and carefully, not to scare her, and then stretched out my hand.
She hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then, she took it.
Her fingers were cold, slightly trembling, and I tightened my grip just enough to reassure her, to keep her calm.
"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice low.
She didn't answer right away. Her eyes went past me, landing on the scene behind me, the men groaning, broken, sprawled on the hard floor.
She nodded once.
That was enough.
"Come on," I said. "Let's go get a coffee."
It wasn't a question. Not a suggestion.
And she knew it.
Without a word, she followed me back to the car. We got inside, her on the passenger side, me behind the wheel and Isaac behind us. And I drove.
We got to the café just around the corner.
Isaac positioned himself, just outside the entrance, arms folded, his huge frame looking more like a Hollywood bodyguard than a real person. He didn't speak to anyone, he didn't need to. His presence alone was enough to keep everyone at bay.
Inside, we found a quiet corner. The same kind of seat you would choose when you didn't want to be seen by anyone but would want to observe everyone. Bianca sat across from me, stayed quiet, her hands wrapped around the warm cup like it was the only thing keeping her mind here.
We didn't speak for a while.
I watched her in silence as she she slowly too small sips of her coffee, her eyes distant. A million thoughts must've been going through her head.
But I didn't come here for silence.
After what felt like the hundredth sip, I finally bent forward, resting my elbows on the table.
"Look," I said carefully. "I came to you for a reason."
Her eyes looked up to mine, her brows raising slightly.
"I would like to make you an offer," I continued, steady and clear. "In exchange, you'll get twenty million dollars...and full insurance coverage for anything you need."
Her grip on the cup shifted, like it tightened.
"I want you to be my fiancée. For three months."
That was it. Just the truth.
But the reaction I got from her wasn't what I expected.
She dropped her cup almost immediately.
The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough to cut the air between us. Her eyes widened, her lips parted slightly as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard. It wasn't exciting… or curiosity.
It was an offense. Like shock. Like I had just insulted her.
I opened my mouth again , to explain, maybe to rephrase my words a little, but it was too late.
She stood up, grabbed her bag, and gave me a quick, quiet, "Excuse me."
Then she walked out.