Forced promises

The First Encounter

The engagement party was held at the Rivera family estate, a sprawling mansion that screamed wealth and power. I had never felt more out of place. I stood in the corner of the grand ballroom, clutching a glass of champagne, watching as guests mingled and celebrated me upcoming marriage. They had no idea I was internally screaming inside.

My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for Aries, but he was nowhere. I hadn't spoken to him since the engagement was announced. He had sent me a curt text acknowledging the arrangement, but that was it. No attempt to ease the tension, no effort to make this easier for me.

"Looking for someone mia cara?" a familiar, icy voice drawled from behind me.

I turned sharply, my heart skipping a beat as I came face to face with Aries Rivera. He looked just as I remembered—tall, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, with dark hair that was always perfectly styled. His piercing green eyes were as cold as ever, and the smirk on his lips told me he was fully aware of the effect his presence had on me.

"Aries," i said, my voice tense. "I didn't think you'd show up." I said

He raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his own drink. "Why wouldn't I? It is my engagement party too, after all." He looked at me up and down.

I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to snap at him. This was not the place for a scene. "Do you have anything to say about this? About... us?"

Aries' smirk faded, replaced by an expression of mild indifference. "What's there to say, Vivian? We both know this is just business. We don't have to like it. We just have to do it."

I felt a surge of anger. "You're unbelievable. You don't even care, do you? About any of this, I mean of course you don't."

Aries' eyes flashed with something unreadable, but his tone remained cold. "Why should I? This isn't about feelings. It's about securing our families' futures" he takes another sip of his champagne.

"You make it sound so easy," i muttered, looking away from him.

"It is easy," he replied, his voice soft but sharp. "Don't complicate it."

I bit back a retort, realizing there was no point. Aries Rivera would never see this as anything more than a business transaction. He was as emotionless as ever, hiding behind that cold, calculated exterior. But as much as I hated to admit it, a small part of me was hurt by his apathy. I had always expected him to be indifferent, but now that we were actually standing on the precipice of marriage, the reality of his detachment stung more than I anticipated.

Aries glanced around the room, clearly bored. "If you'll excuse me, I have guests to greet."

What an asshole.

And with that, he walked away, leaving me standing there, fuming.