LOVING HIM IS RED

He watched her say her farewells to her father, her hand trembling slightly, probably with fear. He wanted to scoff, but the tears threatening to spill from her eyes stopped him.

But he couldn’t sympathize. She was forced to adjust to a life she never asked for.

“Thank you for forgiving my father,” she said, looking ashamed.

“It was merely a formality, nothing more,” he replied coldly, his tone devoid of warmth or empathy. “Your father should learn his lesson. He should stop his gambling and drinking.”

Standing up, he towered over her. She looked so small in front of him.

“I’m sorry,” she looked down at the floor.

“Do you always apologize for something you have not done?” his words dripped with disdain, each syllable laced with bitterness. Some people would often do that to gain sympathy, and he couldn’t stand it. “It’s pathetic,” he continued, “Don’t show me a weak-willed woman like your father is. He’s pathetic and spineless.”

She flinched at his words, her eyes shutting to hold back her tears. She was told to be strong, but in front of him, she was nervous all the time.

“I’m sorry.” She flinched once again, realizing her words. Her shoulders slumped. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

He sighed with a grunt. “You can rest in your room.”

Without waiting for her response, he turned on his heel and strode out of the office. He was annoyed by her continual submission.

.....

Willow

In the morning, to thank Sebastian, I decided to do something for him before he left.

I chopped vegetables, trying to recall the few recipes I had learned from my mother. The sizzle of oil in the pan filled the room as I prepared breakfast, hoping to make a good impression.

Finally, I set the table with care, arranging the food neatly on the plates. I glanced at the clock; he would be leaving soon.

Just as I finished, I heard his footsteps approaching. I started feeling nervous again. I just couldn’t help it. Turning to greet him, a hopeful smile on my lips.

But his expression was cold, seemingly already occupied with the day ahead. “I’ll leave now,” he muttered, barely sparing a glance at the breakfast I had prepared.

My smile faltered, but I tried to hide my disappointment. “I made breakfast for you,” I said softly, fisting on the hem of my shirt with nervousness.

He looked at me, and I looked down at myself. He didn’t like what I wore today, seeing the slight crease at the corners of his eyes. Plain white shirts and brown cotton shorts, I felt comfortable with them.

“I’m in a hurry. I’ll grab something on the way,” he replied dismissively, not bothering to explain further.

I felt a pang of hurt in my chest, but I swallowed it down, forcing a smile. “Okay,” I said, my voice was barely heard.

As the door closed behind him, I let out a sigh, my shoulders slumping in defeat. I knew I had tried, but it seemed like my efforts went unnoticed once again.

I wanted to make a good impression on him as I wanted to thank him. He had shown kindness to my father, something I hadn’t dared to hope for. And for that, I wanted to repay that kindness, to somehow show him that I appreciated what he did.

A simple breakfast might make him smile I thought, but it didn’t.

I sighed. It had been a week since I married Sebastian. It felt surreal, this sudden shift in my life, this unexpected marriage with him. I hadn’t imagined myself married at such a young age, let alone to a man like him.

I never once met him.

I had become his wife not out of love or choice but because of his father. I was the pawn in a game I had never agreed to play, but because I loved my father, I agreed.

The memory of that day haunted me—the hurried vows exchanged in a cold, impersonal ceremony. I had watched my father’s debts pile up, his desperation growing with each lost bet and each empty bottle.

And when Sebastian had offered him a solution, a way to clear the debts and save his family from ruin, I was his only hope.

There was no love between us. And yet, despite the lack of affection, there was a strange feeling that tethered me to him. When our eyes met, I saw sadness in his eyes. And I felt the desire to unweave the unknown hidden behind his stoic facade. Something inside me wanted to reach the depth of his emotions.

Whatever the reason, I found myself drawn to Sebastian in a way I couldn’t fully comprehend.

...

SEBASTIAN

As my associate left, I leaned back in my leather chair. Business was booming, as always.

“Congratulations. You did it again. You’ve acquired the modeling agency.” Zac said, pouring himself a whiskey. “I just wondered why you were interested in it. It’s just a small business.”

“It’s not about the size of the business, Zac, it’s about the potential for growth. It will be a modest venture.” I took a sip of my whiskey, savoring the smoky flavor as it danced across my tongue.

“But why a modeling agency?” he pressed, his brow furrowing with curiosity. “Seems like an unusual choice for someone like you.”

I leaned back in my chair, a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of my lips. “Because beauty sells, Zac,” I replied, chuckling “And in this world, perception is everything. With the right connections and the right branding, you can mold these models into stars.”

“Me?” he spat the question. Surprised.

I laughed at his reaction. “Yes, you.”

“No way. I love women, but I don’t think I’m cut for that.”

“You’re going to manage it. If you can’t, you’re good at putting people for it. I trust your judgment.”

He sighed, his gaze lingering on me. “You always know better than anyone the lengths I will go to achieve my goals.

“It’s the relentless drive that fueled your ambition. I’m giving you that opportunity. Besides,” I added, a glint of mischief in my eyes, “it never hurts to have a few beautiful faces around you, does it?”

Zac chuckled, raising his glass in a silent toast. “To beauty and ambition,” he said, shaking his head.

Yeah, he loved women and was a heartbreaker, but in business, he was a great partner, and my best pal.

“How’s your reluctant bride?” he asked with a soft chuckle.

My thoughts drifted to her. “She prepared me a breakfast I couldn’t eat this morning. I was in a hurry.”

“You heart the poor thing’s feelings, Seb.”

My brows creased. “I didn’t ask her to prepare.”

He scoffed. “The poor thing wants to play a good wife.”

“I married her not for that purpose.”

Zac’s brown eyes narrowed a bit as if he was thinking about something deeply. “It seems unfair, don’t you think? She’s a contradiction. She seems a delicate flower in your world of thorns.”

I chuckled lightly. “Spare me your definition of women, Zac. I don’t need it.”

“I was there, man. I saw how your eyes lingered on the photo Farah showed you.” His smile was teasing, drinking from his glass.

“I was checking if she was worth the price I had to settle for her father’s debts. That was all.”

“But you can’t deny she’s a beauty. Nineteen. Young and innocent. She looks like she can’t break a glass.”

He was right. Willow was a petite and delicate woman. She had flowing blonde hair with natural waves, and her blue eyes were soft and doe.

With her gentle features, a heart-shaped face, and a warm, sweet smile, she would be a perfect woman for the role.My mother would go ballistic.

“She might be faking it for sympathy. He’s like his father. Spineless and pathetic. Innocent women are dangerous, Zac. Women are dangerous. They can cry at the drop of a hat to manipulate you. You know that, obviously. She was not innocent. She agreed to marry me for money, to save his father’s reputation. She knew what she was getting into when she agreed to marry me.”

The desperation in her father’s eyes, the shame that hung in those eyes as the words of our marriage vows fell from our lips. She may have appeared innocent, but she was no stranger to the harsh realities of life.

“I didn’t force her into this marriage,” I added. “She made a choice, just as I did.”

“I know, Seb. But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s caught in the middle of all this.”

“She knew what she was getting into,” I repeated, though the words sounded hollow even to my own ears.