BNB#1: Hereafter Against Kismet
2 parts Ongoing Briseida Montrose has always been the black sheep of the powerful Montrose Dynasty - Asia's most influential family of social media moguls, owners of Montrose Media Group, a billion-dollar empire built on image, influence, and control.
To the public, they're flawless. To her, they're strangers.
After being ghosted by her own family for two months, Briseida is suddenly summoned for what she's told is a "family dinner." What she doesn't know is that it's a setup - an arranged engagement designed to strengthen business ties with another powerful family: the Santoros, a dynasty of world-renowned chefs.
Her supposed fiancé, Evanridge Santoro, is a mute chef whose silence speaks louder than all the noise around her. Calm, patient, and grounded, Evanridge becomes the quiet contrast to her chaos - the one person who doesn't judge her for falling apart.
But love doesn't come easily for Briseida. With a boyfriend who betrays her, a family that treats her like a pawn, and a career that's the only thing keeping her alive, she must choose between protecting her fragile world or risking it for something real.
Because maybe, just maybe... the man who cannot speak will be the one who finally teaches her how to be heard.