The entire Dante Russo family sat around the long dining table. It used to stand for power, negotiation, and quiet deals. The room had seen fierce debates and decisions that shaped their fortune. Now, it felt heavy and full of regret. The Russos had built a trading empire that lasted for decades. But everything changed when Dante, with no son to take over, gave the company to his brother. He worried that letting his daughter Alessia, who enjoyed a life of luxury and online fame, run the business would be a disaster. Giving it to his brother turned out to be a mistake too.
Dante sat at the head of the table with his hands folded on the polished wood. His wife sat to his right, her eyes sharp but tired. His brother was on his left, nervously playing with a glass of water, guilt and fear clear on his face. The only one missing was Alessia, who seemed the obvious person to blame.
"Why isn't she here yet?" Dante asked, voice calm but edged with irritation.
This was no coincidence.
Alessia had always been late, even at family events. Even when she appears, she brings chaos with her. She came with her camera, tripod, personal assistants, and, inevitably, paparazzi lingering at the entrance.
Alessia Russo. Her name had appeared in the tabloids many times. She was a socialite, influencer, and often linked to celebrities. She had dated heirs, sons of business leaders, and even minor royals, but never managed to win over Lorenzo Morreti.
Dante still remembered that as a joke at her expense.
As Dante sat in his frustration, the familiar sound of heels and the soft chime of Alessia's phone signaled her arrival.
"Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom. Hi, Uncle. Sorry I'm late, I woke up late," she said casually, acting as if her father's legacy didn't matter to her.
"Well, that would have been avoided if you had slept at home," Dante said, voice tight.
"What's wrong with you?" his wife interjected, scanning Alessia with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief.
There was a brief silence, but Alessia didn't seem bothered.
"If you're going to stare and interrogate me, I'd rather leave… I came because you said it was important," she replied, arms crossed and chin lifted.
"Enough, before you get yourself grounded," her mother snapped.
"Break up with that actor and get back to work... the company needs your help," Dante added.
"Work?" Alessia scoffed. "I work on the internet.... what help?"
Her uncle leaned forward, voice sharp. "Does the internet know your family is now bankrupt? And your lifestyle is being funded by your actor boyfriend? That your father can't cover it anymore?"
"That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't given control to the wrong people and made bad investments," Alessia replied, her eyes flashing.
"What exactly am I supposed to do to help?!" she demanded. "I don't work at the company. I don't know the numbers or the deals. How could I possibly fix this?!"
"You need to marry Lorenzo Morreti," Dante said flatly.
Alessia froze. Her voice caught. "What? His fiancée… she was buried three days ago!"
"Yes. But the Moretti wedding will go on. And they are scouting brides. I don't think they will pick you, but I trust your… skills. Put them to use," Dante said.
"My skills? I thought we all agreed I'm useless to this family. What skills?" she asked, incredulous.
"Your skills," her mother said sharply, "are seducing. You are influential, irresistible, and the world knows it. You've never been rejected, not by fans, not by celebrities. You know how to make people bend to your will."
Alessia laughed bitterly. "But I failed with Lorenzo. I've never been so embarrassed in my life."
"You failed then," her uncle said, voice low. "Because he was blinded by love. Now he doesn't need romance; he needs partners. As long as the public doesn't know we are going through a crisis, we are safe."
Alessia let out a breath as she realized how serious this was. "So, what do I get if I succeed?"
Dante's eyes locked on her. "If you can marry him, I will sign all my shares over to you."
"I'll give you 3% of mine," her uncle added.
"That would make you the biggest shareholder," her mother said with a small, knowing smile, patting Alessia's back. "Maybe it's time you proved your worth to us."
"Will there be a written agreement?" Alessia asked cautiously.
"Yes," Dante replied. "And if you fail, prepare to be disowned. Not only that, I'll tell the press about the bankruptcy and reveal that your actor boyfriend has been funding your lifestyle, not your father. You'll lose everything… including the loyalty of your fans."
Alessia's heart raced. "Why go that far? Am I less important than your company?" she asked, standing.
"Yes," Dante said, standing. "This business is my legacy. It has given more than any child could. Prove that you are worth every penny I have invested in you. The agreement will be ready tomorrow." He left before Alessia could respond.
She sank into the chair and stared at the polished table.
Everything was clear now.
This was not child's play.
A plan was already forming in her mind. But she knew one thing for sure: if she failed, she would lose more than money. She would lose her name, her reputation, her family, and the life she knew.
Deep down, a cold, dangerous thought crept in.
Someone else would try first.
They had underestimated her, and she would make sure it never happened again.
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Alessia didn't remember how she got to her room.
The door closed softly behind her, but the silence that followed felt heavy. Her room looked exactly the same: ring lights by the window, fancy bags on the couch, and clothes waiting for videos she hadn't filmed. Everything was set up for millions to watch.
She dropped her phone on the bed and looked around the room, suddenly feeling like she didn't belong in her own space.
So this was it.
This was the moment when everything she thought she had, safety, importance, power, felt like it was slipping away.
She had just kicked off her heels when the door opened again.
Her mother walked in quietly and closed the door behind her.
Alessia didn't turn.
"For once," Alessia said flatly, "you didn't come to scold me."
Her mother sighed and leaned against the door.
"No. I came because you're my child."
That did it.
Alessia laughed, but the sound was shaky. "Funny how that only matters after I'm given a choice I can't refuse." Her mother crossed the room slowly, moving as if Alessia might break if she got too close. She picked up a silk scarf from the chair, folded it, then unfolded it again, trying to delay the moment.
"Listen to me," she said gently. "Your father is… difficult. Proud. Stubborn. But he believes in strength. And he doesn't see yours because you don't use it the way he understands."
Alessia finally turned. "So what am I to him? A tool?"
"To him?" her mother admitted softly. "Yes. But to me, you are my daughter."
Alessia's chest tightened.
"If everyone forsakes you," her mother continued, "I won't. But I need you to prove something, not to him, not to your uncle, to yourself."
Alessia frowned. "Prove what?"
"That you can do everything they think you can't." Her mother stepped closer. "You're more than a pretty face and lots of followers. You have something special, Alessia. A certain aura. Do you know how my friends call me every day for you to just be seen with their son in public? Do you think that just happens by chance?"
Alessia looked away.
"I watch you," her mother said. "Rooms change when you walk in. People listen when you talk, even if they act like they don't. You affect people without even trying. Power doesn't always look official."
"And if you get the shares, you'd have more of luxury, prove to people you don't have to be official to command power and control rooms."
Those words sank in slowly.
Her mother reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from Alessia's face. "You can do this."
A beat.
"And if I want to?" Alessia asked quietly. "If I decide to play their game… how far are you willing to go for me?"
Her mother didn't hesitate.
"Tell me what you need," she said. "Where do you want to start. Who do you want access to?"
Alessia's eyes narrowed a little. "Access?"
Her mother nodded. "I have an insider in the Moretti family. Someone who owes me a favor. If you want an introduction, a chance encounter, a setup, I can make it happen."
Alessia's heartbeat picked up.
Her mother squeezed her hand. "Just say the word."
Alessia glanced around her room again, at the cameras, the mirrors, and the sense of control that wasn't real.
This wasn't about likes anymore.
Slowly, a smile appeared on her lips. It wasn't playful or gentle.
Calculating.
"Then let's do it properly," she said. "No mistakes this time."
Her mother returned the smile.
"Good," she said. "Because once you step into their world… there's no turning back."