Chapter 1
Valencia Dukas sat rigidly on the edge of a pristine white sofa tucked into the corner of the villa’s vast living room, her fingers curled tightly in her lap. The silence was suffocating, crackling with tension. She hadn’t done anything wrong… yet she felt like a guilty party awaiting judgment. Her father’s fury filled the room like a storm waiting to break, and she didn’t want to be in its path.
Things had gone horribly, disastrously wrong.
Her sister, Mira, was gone. Vanished without a trace.
Tomorrow, Mira was meant to marry Alexander Marcellis… the reclusive billionaire shipping magnate known as much for his ruthlessness in the business world as his wealth. The match had been orchestrated with great care, a merger of powerful families, and now Mira had walked away from it all in the middle of the night. No note, no explanation. Just... gone. A private jet out of Athens, aided by friends only too willing to rescue her from a marriage she never wanted.
Valencia’s heart pounded as her father paced across the gleaming marble floor, his face pale with rage, his hands clenched tightly behind his back. Kristopher Doukas was not a man who took betrayal lightly. And now, he had to face the impossible informing Alexander Marcellis that the bride he’d been promised had vanished.
A shiver traced down her spine. Alexander Marcellis wasn’t a man easily crossed.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway.
She sat up straighter, barely breathing. Her father stopped mid-stride.
And then he entered.
Alexander Marcellis stepped into the room like a shadow draped in power. Valencia's breath caught. She remembered him from the engagement party briefly. He’d barely stayed, just long enough to make an appearance and speak a few polite words before flying out again. He hadn’t looked at her then. But he was looking now.
He wasn’t beautiful in the way her sister usually admired. Her sister loved the models, the actors and those in the entertainment industry. The ones that looked so beautiful–they resembled dolls. Alexander’s features were sharp, masculine his hazel eyes cold and unreadable, his mouth a firm, unsmiling line. But he had a presence that couldn’t be ignored. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a lean strength that radiated danger, control, and something else something that made her pulse race.
Why Mira hadn’t wanted him, Valencia would never understand. Alexander was captivating in a way no actor or model could ever be. He exuded power with every silent step he took.
And now, he had been duped…
His gaze swept across the room and landed on her.
What would he do?
His gaze lingered on her for a moment too long, sharp, assessing, unreadable before shifting to her Dad. And in that moment she almost felt bad for her father
"I'm here now, what's the matter?" Alexander’s voice was low and controlled, but the edge beneath it was unmistakable. It wasn’t a question, but It was a demand.
Kristopher straightened, trying to salvage dignity from the chaos. "Alexander. Thank you for coming so quickly. Please, sit…"
"I didn’t come for pleasantries. And I certainly didn't rush.But I'm here now, so what's the issue?" Alexander’s jaw tightened, his hands loosely at his sides, though she noticed the subtle twitch of a muscle in his forearm…. restrained fury.
Kristopher glanced at Valencia briefly, too briefly and cleared his throat. "There’s been… an unfortunate development."
Alexander didn’t move. His silence was suffocating.
Her father swallowed. "Mira is no longer in Greece. She left last night without warning. We only discovered her disappearance this morning."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Alexander’s eyes narrowed, those piercing hazel irises burning coldly.
"She ran," he said, flatly.
"Alexander, we can–" Kristopher began, but Alexander raised a hand.
"No," he said coolly. "We can't do anything. We don't have a problem. You have a problem and you are going to fix it.
Alexander’s gaze burned with ice, and Kristopher Dukas felt the sting of it like a lash across the face. Valencia's heart stuttered as she sank back into the sofa, as if its cushions could shield her from the moment.
“ I will fix it ,” her father said quickly, stepping forward. “Mira made a foolish, impulsive decision. But I give you my word, Alexander I will fix this. She will be found, and the wedding will proceed as promised.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. His eyes flicked to Valencia, cool and unreadable before returning to Kristopher.
“i expect my bride tomorrow at the altar ” he said coldly. “Or they will be consequences.”
With a final sweeping look at the room, he turned and strode out, his footsteps fading down the hall.
The moment the villa door shut behind him, her father exhaled and turned towards her, the controlled mask of diplomacy cracking into frustration.
“This is a disaster,” he muttered, pacing again. “She’s humiliated us. Me. Do you realize what’s at stake?”
Valencia rose slowly. “Papa, I didn’t know she was going to leave… ”
Kristopher stopped and looked at her with sudden intensity.
“She left, but we don’t have to lose everything.”
She blinked. “What are you talking about?”
He stepped closer. “Alexander Marcellis came here expecting a bride. We will give him one.”
A chill crept into her spine.
“No,” she whispered. “You don’t mean–”
“You’ll marry him, Valencia.”
She took a step back. “I can’t. I’m not Mira. I’m not… ”
“You’re a Doukas,” he snapped. “And this family needs to keep it's end of the deal. We cannot afford to offend him further. You will take your sister’s place at the altar.”
Her heart slammed in her chest. “He’ll know I’m not her. He’ll–”
“He doesn’t care who wears the ring,” Her dad growled. “He wants a Doukas wife, and now it has to be you.”
Valencia stared at him, the walls of the villa suddenly closing in. A gilded cage. A trap in silk and gold.
And tomorrow… she’d belong to a man she barely knew.
One who had been promised someone else.
One who didn’t take betrayal lightly.
