Chapter One
In a large villa located in New York, Natalia was in her room, studying with intense concentration.
She was sitting at her desk, with her blonde hair strands falling over her notebooks.
Natalia, who had just turned 18 this year, was an example of the alliance between intelligence and beauty. She had broken the rule that pretty blondes were just superficial idiots, caring only about makeup and beauty salons, capable of dissolving into hysterical tears if a nail ever chipped.
Natalia, with white skin, gray eyes, and cherry lips, was different from most other girls.
Her preoccupation was not men, nightclubs, or romantic stories. Instead, she always focused on academic excellence and had skipped two grades thanks to her sharp intelligence.
She was now about to start her third year of university, aiming to become a successful CEO like her father, whom she had always considered her role model and motivation.
She was aware that her family placed great weight on her shoulders, so her studying was not just a passion, but definitive proof that she deserved to take charge of her father's empire one day, and that she would not allow anyone to question her ability to lead.
The scent of old books and dry ink was her favorite perfume, sharply contrasting with the expensive fragrances her mother favored. In this luxurious isolation, Natalia found her true identity, far from the pressures of the elite class.
She was deeply engrossed in writing notes, with papers and books scattered all over the desk, when she heard a light knock on the door.
Her mother, Marilyn, opened it and asked:
Marilyn: "Natalia, what are you doing here, my daughter? Are you studying even during the holidays?"
Natalia: "Mom, there are no holidays for me, and you know how intensive my program is and that I take extra courses even during the summer."
Marilyn: "You are putting too much pressure on yourself, and I am starting to worry you'll become obsessed."
Natalia, still writing on her papers, replied: "Mom, obsession with studying isn't frightening."
Her mother frowned. Her daughter's disregard annoyed her; it had become almost impossible to talk to her and consider her a normal person at home. Maternal anxiety is always strong, even without reason, let alone in the presence of such a reason.
Despite her daughter's intelligence and success, Marilyn feared that Natalia was becoming a stranger to social life.
She wished her daughter would dedicate some time to normal feminine interests, something to soften the edge of her rigid personality and make her more attractive and acceptable in their high-society circle, where appearance was no less important than wealth. Her pictures on magazine covers needed a girl worthy of the empire she would carry her name.
Marilyn (in a firm voice): "Natalia, get up from that desk and change out of your nightwear. Your uncle Stuart is arriving today."
Finally, her mother's words captured Natalia's attention. She lifted her head and said: "My uncle Stuart is coming? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Her mother knew how much Natalia loved her uncle, whom she considered her second father.
She replied: "Because you never sit with us. We only see you in this house at the dinner table, and you only stay for two minutes before slipping away."
Natalia realized she couldn't blame her mother; the mistake was hers.
Nevertheless, she acted with a touch of childishness, quickly standing up from her desk and saying: "Oh my God! You should have warned me, Mom, that's not an excuse!" Then she continued: "When will he arrive?"
Her mother said: "He will be here in an hour."
Natalia hurried toward the bathroom, her bathrobe in hand, exclaiming: "I will never forgive you for not warning me sooner, Mom!" She entered and closed the door.
Her mother then went to open her daughter's closet, took out a medium-length blue dress and white shoes, placed them on the bed, and headed to the kitchen to check on the servants' dinner preparations.
Marilyn loved order and focused on every small detail. This was what had made her husband, Jonathan, fall in love with her the first time he saw her trying to organize books correctly and methodically in the university library.
That was the day she stole his heart and tortured him for a long time before he finally secured a first date with her, only to marry her later.
After finishing her shower, Natalia came out and saw the dress and shoes laid out on her bed. She was very surprised that her mother had chosen her clothes, as she only did so for specific events, not for a simple visit from her uncle.
Natalia strongly disliked her mother's actions, which she saw as an attempt to control her personality, contrary to her own tastes.
Marilyn, the elegant woman who loved everything to be perfect, found that her daughter did not share the same mentality and did not resemble her at all.
Natalia always wore simple clothes: shirts, jeans, or long skirts and sneakers. Marilyn tried to change her daughter's dressing style at every opportunity, but without success.
While all the other girls wore elegant and revealing clothes, Natalia wore modest and unfashionable garments. She always avoided short clothing, as if her body were misshapen and she wanted to hide it.
Her daughter's strange behavior raised many questions for Marilyn, who had even considered taking her to see a psychologist, but Jonathan had objected, telling her she was exaggerating.
Marilyn felt personally insulted when Natalia refused to wear the custom-made dresses; in this world, clothes served as a shield protecting the family's image, and Natalia's refusal was an implicit rejection of the rules of the social game Marilyn had mastered.
Natalia stared at the dress in surprise, then headed to her hairdryer. She dressed a simple pair of jeans and a white shirt tied her hair in a ponytail, and went down to the living room.
Marilyn was sitting on a black leather sofa, wearing a long white dress and black shoes, her blonde hair, inherited by Natalia, fastened with a beautiful silver pin.
Her father, Jonathan, was at her side, wearing a gray suit and a striped tie. Jonathan was a tall, blonde man with blue eyes and short hair, with a few strands starting to gray.
Natalia sat on the chair opposite them, facing her mother's silent displeasure.
Marilyn: "I had hoped you would wear something more... festive, Natalia. Your uncle Stuart hasn't visited us in months."
Jonathan (smiling): "Leave her be, Marilyn. Natalia is elegant no matter what she wears. The most important thing is that her mind is always wearing the formal suit."
The sound of the doorbell cut the tension. Natalia's eyes lit up with genuine joy, and she rushed towards the door ahead of her parents.
Stuart stood there, the spitting image of his brother Jonathan: the same height, the same short, slightly graying blonde hair, the same broad shoulders and blue eyes.
Natalia hugged him tightly.
Natalia: "Uncle Stuart! I missed you!"
Stuart: "And little Natalia is not little at all anymore." He looked at her with a warm smile, then gestured to the young man behind him. "Come say hello to your cousin Cedric."
Natalia froze for a moment. Behind her uncle stood Cedric, a younger, broader-shouldered version of her father and uncle.
Tall, with short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Natalia hadn't seen him in years, but she couldn't help but hear her inner voice scream in anger: "That idiot came with my uncle to ruin my peace! He has his own company in Russia, so what brought him here to interfere in our affairs?"
Natalia exchanged a quick look with Cedric, a look weighted with years of silent resentment. Cedric was not rude; he was polite and confident, but Natalia saw in that quiet confidence the very proof of arrogance, believing he considered himself superior to her and everyone else.
She felt a lump in her throat. His mere presence represented a clear threat to her future in the company, as he was always seen as the alternate heir or the primary rival.
The marriage of her uncle and father into one family had unified two empires, and Natalia felt that Cedric, by virtue of controlling his own company, was now planning to lay hands on her share of this complex family merger.
Stuart and Cedric entered the living room.
Stuart (smiling at Marilyn): "Hello Marilyn, you look stunning as always." Then he shook Jonathan's hand: "Hi, brother."
Cedric followed his father and, with a confident and calm stride, offered polite and brief greetings to his uncle Jonathan and Natalia's mother.
Everyone settled down in the luxurious living room.
The two families exchanged news about Stuart and Marilyn's recent holidays in France, where Marilyn recounted with tedious detail the sophisticated dinners she had attended. Jonathan and Stuart engaged in friendly discussions about European stock prices without delving into company affairs.
As for Natalia, she spoke passionately to her uncle about her complex university courses and how she had managed to skip certain subjects.
Throughout this, Cedric calmly participated in the discussions, asking intelligent and stimulating questions that demonstrated his extensive knowledge, which only reinforced Natalia's conviction that he was only trying to display his superiority to her in every context.
At dinnertime, everyone moved to the lavish dining room. A warm atmosphere prevailed at the table, although it lacked Natalia's spontaneity, as she was torn between the pleasure of being with her uncle and keeping a watchful eye on Cedric.
After dinner, while Marilyn was laughing with Maria, the housekeeper, about a new recipe, Jonathan placed his napkin down and looked at his brother and Cedric with sudden seriousness, which stopped Natalia's breath.
Jonathan: "Stuart, Cedric. I apologize for interrupting this family evening. Can we go to the office to talk privately for a few minutes?"
Stuart and Cedric immediately stood up, as if they had been waiting for this exact moment.
The scene appeared extremely formal and calculated. Stuart gave his brother a calm smile, while Cedric's gaze became attentive and expectant.
Natalia watched her father, wondering, because the matter seemed more formal than a simple discussion about "stock prices." She felt the painful sting of exclusion. It had happened again.
This locked office was the place where all the fateful decisions regarding "her future" were made without her participation, which fueled her silent anger.
But Jonathan nodded to reassure her, then followed Stuart and Cedric across the hall to his office, where he gently closed the door behind them, leaving Natalia and Marilyn alone facing the heavy silence.
Inside the office, Jonathan settled behind his massive ebony desk as if ascending an invisible throne. He leaned his back against the leather chair and scrutinized the two men before him with a piercing gaze that had not lost its sharpness despite the holiday atmosphere.
Stuart sat in the chair opposite him, while Cedric chose a side sofa, sitting in an alert posture, placing his elbows on his knees and interlacing his fingers so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Jonathan cleared his throat and directed his gaze toward Cedric, who was watching an old pipe placed on the desk: "Are you alright, my son? You look as if you are carrying the weight of the whole world on your shoulders."
Cedric raised his head slowly, maintaining a calm and disciplined tone of voice despite the hidden turmoil in his eyes: "Yes, uncle... I am fine."
Jonathan leaned his body forward and rested his chin on his interlaced hands: "Did your father brief you on the reasons that made me insist on your presence today?"
Cedric did not answer with a word, but merely gave a short nod of his head. He knew perfectly well that this trip of his was not just a family visit, but rather the first step in the "taming" plan his uncle had drawn to bring him closer to Natalia, in preparation for a day when he would have no choice of refusal.
Stuart moved in his seat with discomfort and toyed with his shirt collar as if the air in the room had become scarce: "Jonathan... we still have six full years before that date.
Why the rush? Why do you want Cedric to start getting close to her from now?"
Jonathan's gaze settled on his brother, a calm look that was enough to silence any objection: "The earlier we tighten the grip, the smoother the path will be, Stuart.
Time is the only enemy we cannot buy."
Stuart bowed his head; his older brother's authority was like gravity, impossible to escape. Since their parents' passing, Jonathan had been the wall he leaned on and the word that ended any discussion.
Cedric broke the silence, his voice coming out slightly hoarse as he looked toward the closed door: "Uncle... do you really think Natalia will accept this 'idea'?" Cedric delivered the word "idea" with a sarcastic tone he could not suppress.
He had loathed Natalia since his early childhood; for him, she was nothing but a shackle imposed on him since the moment his uncle told him he was "promised" to his daughter.
Jonathan narrowed his eyes and tapped his pen on the desk surface in regular clicks: "Natalia must not know anything now.
My daughter tends toward drama, and if she catches wind of the news, she will turn the next six years into a hell of defiance and confrontations that we can do without."
Cedric relaxed his shoulders slightly and sank into a deep silence. He wished at that moment if the earth would swallow him up, or if Natalia would disappear from existence entirely; for perhaps only then would that golden shackle be shattered the one that bound his fate to the fate of that girl whom he saw as an obstacle in the path of his freedom.