Chapter 5 More drama

CHAPTER FIVE:MORE DRAMA

Kylie woke up earlier than usual the next morning, her stomach twisted in nervous knots. She had barely slept through the night. The thought of sitting across from her father again, pretending everything was perfectly normal-when everything had become anything but-felt like trying to play a game she didn't even know the rules to.

She glanced at her phone and saw a single message.

Alexandro:

Be ready by 10. We're visiting the foundation office together. Dress decent, Ms. Smith.

She scowled at the screen. Decent? As though she walked around in a bathrobe. Kylie shoved the phone aside and walked into the bathroom to shower, trying to wash off the anxiety clinging to her skin like sweat.

Ten o'clock came too fast.

She stepped outside and found Alexandro already parked in front of the house, leaning against the side of the Mercedes like something straight out of a luxury magazine. He wore a tailored navy suit and sunglasses, looking like sin wrapped in silk. She hated that he looked that good at this hour.

"You're not going to open the door for your fiancée?" she said as she approached.

He looked her over from head to toe, expression unreadable. "I thought you didn't like theatrics."

She rolled her eyes and opened the door herself, muttering under her breath.

The moment they were both seated, the car eased onto the road. The silence between them was heavy at first, until Alexandro broke it.

"My father seemed... impressed," he said dryly, eyes still on the road.

Kylie turned to look at him. "Impressed is not the word I'd use. More like suspicious."

Alexandro smirked faintly. "He doesn't trust anyone. It's part of the family charm."

She let out a humorless laugh. "You mean the kind of charm that invites a stranger into their mansion and throws desserts at them like peace offerings?"

He glanced at her, brow raised. "You liked the desserts, admit it."

Kylie folded her arms and looked away, unwilling to admit he was right. "Whatever. You could've at least warned me you were going to introduce me as your fiancée. That was kind of important information to spring on a girl."

"I needed it to seem real," he said simply. "Your reaction was... convincing."

"It was real. I was genuinely shocked."

"Exactly."

The nerve of this man.

They reached the office tower-a sleek, glass building nestled in the commercial district. A silver plaque outside read: The Castillo Foundation. Kylie's heels clicked against the marble floors as they stepped into the expansive lobby. Everyone they passed seemed to know Alexandro, giving him polite nods or murmured greetings.

Inside the elevator, he finally looked at her again. "Today is about optics. We're going to meet with the board. My father's been grooming me for this role since I could walk. But according to the will, I need to be 'settled'. Hence-" he gestured between them, "-you."

Kylie resisted the urge to rub her temples. "You mean I'm your human prop?"

He tilted his head slightly, green eyes meeting hers. "You're more than a prop. You're my ticket."

"Wow, romantic," she said with biting sarcasm.

The elevator doors opened with a soft ding.

They were ushered into a glass-walled conference room where several people sat waiting-older men and women, all with sharp eyes and stiffer postures. Kylie recognized a few faces from the news and magazine articles she had googled after agreeing to the deal.

Alexandro introduced her smoothly.

"This is Kylie Smith," he said, slipping a hand around her waist. "My fiancée."

Kylie smiled, hoping her face didn't betray how awkward it all felt.

One of the women, dressed in an elegant pantsuit and sporting a pearl necklace, looked at Kylie over her glasses. "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Smith. You're a doctor, yes?"

"Still in training," Kylie said with a polite nod. "An intern at St. Charles General Hospital."

"Impressive," another man chimed in. "Balancing medicine and a relationship with a Castillo. You must be made of steel."

Kylie let out a soft laugh. "Some days it feels like it."

The meeting continued, mostly centered around project updates and upcoming fundraisers. Kylie remained quiet for the most part, nodding when appropriate and occasionally squeezing Alexandro's hand under the table-on his cue. To her surprise, he squeezed back once. Not just as a signal... but as something else. Almost grounding.

It was strange. She had expected this entire process to feel like a staged play. But here, surrounded by cold business eyes and strategic smiles, Alexandro almost felt... safe. And that was terrifying.

By the time they exited the building, Kylie's feet were sore, and her brain was spinning.

"Did I pass the test?" she asked, slumping into the passenger seat again.

Alexandro looked at her and, for once, offered a genuine smile. "You did good. You weren't too stiff. You didn't overact. My aunt even complimented you."

Kylie blinked. "The woman with the pearls? That was your aunt?"

He nodded. "She's the toughest one in the room. If she didn't like you, you'd know."

There was a beat of silence before Kylie asked, "Why me, Alexandro?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he kept his eyes on the road and said, "Because you don't worship me. You talk back. You don't pretend to be impressed."

"That sounds like the opposite of who you should be marrying."

"I don't want someone to flatter me, Kylie," he said, almost too quietly. "I just need someone real."

The words lingered in the car long after the conversation died.

When they reached Kylie's house, she hesitated. "My dad wants to meet you."

Alexandro raised a brow. "Now?"

"No. Soon. He wants to talk before giving his blessing."

He gave a slow nod. "Set it up. I'll be there."

She looked at him again, this time longer. "Are you sure you can convince him?"

His jaw tightened slightly. "That's what I do best. I convince people."

---

Later that night, Kylie sat at her desk, staring at her laptop, unable to focus on the medical notes she was supposed to review. Her father passed by her door and paused.

"Kylie?"

She looked up.

"I meant what I said earlier," he said. "Bring him over. I want to see who's taking my daughter's hand."

She nodded, forcing a smile. "I will, Dad. Soon."

He left, and she turned her attention back to her laptop-but instead of typing, she opened her phone and pulled up Alexandro's contact.

Kylie:

My dad wants to meet you this Saturday. Lunch. Can you make it?

The reply came seconds later.

Alexandro:

I'll be there. Tell him I like grilled chicken.