BREAKING NEWS: BUSINESS TYCOON'S HEIR ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT!!!
The city's most eligible bachelor ties the knot with his long-time love.
SPECIAL REPORT | BUSINESS & SOCIETY.
VICTOR BLACKWOOD ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT POWERFUL HEIR CHOOSES AN ORDINARY WOMAN
The city woke up to a headline no one expected.
Victor Blackwood, the sole heir of the globally influential Blackwood Corporation, officially announced his engagement last night sending shockwaves through business circles and social media.
At just twenty-nine, Victor Blackwood is already considered one of the most powerful young figures in the corporate world. As the future CEO of Blackwood Corporation, a multinational empire spanning finance, technology, and real estate, his decisions are known to affect international markets overnight.
Cold. Strategic. Untouchable.
That is how the media has always described him.
Which is why his choice of fiancée has left everyone stunned.
WHO IS VICTOR BLACKWOOD?
A name that commands authority.
Educated in Europe.
Trained under ruthless expectations.
Known for absolute control in both business and private life.
Victor Blackwood has never been linked to scandals or public romances. Insiders often describe him as a man who treats emotions as weaknesses and relationships as liabilities.
Yet last night, cameras captured him holding a woman's hand with unmistakable certainty as he announced his engagement.
WHO IS ELENA PARKER?
And then there is Elena Parker.
No famous surname.
No powerful background.
No connection to elite society.
Elena comes from a simple, middle-class family. Friends describe her as kind, reserved, and independent someone who has never trusted wealthy families or believed money defined a person's worth.
"She never fit into his world," one acquaintance shared.
"She never wanted luxury or attention."
An ordinary woman.
A choice no one expected.
PUBLIC REACTION: THEORIES FLOOD THE INTERNET
Within minutes of the announcement, social media erupted.
"Why would Victor Blackwood marry someone like her?"
"Is this love or a calculated move?"
"She looks completely out of place beside him."
"What is he hiding?"
The television glowed in the dark room.
News anchors smiled brightly as the headline repeated again and again.
"Victor Blackwood Announces Engagement."
Photos filled the screen Victor's calm expression, Elena's gentle smile, their hands intertwined like nothing in the world could touch them.
A low laugh echoed through the room.
A man sat back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, the light from the screen cutting across half of his face. The rest remained hidden in shadow.
He held a tablet in one hand, scrolling through articles, comments, theories.
Perfect couple.
Fairy tale romance.
Happily ever after.
His laughter deepened.
"So naïve," he murmured.
The screen reflected in his dark eyes as he watched the images closely too closely. Like someone admiring a story he already knew the ending to.
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
"You really think you're allowed to be happy?" he said softly, almost amused.
The smile on his lips twisted into something cruel.
"You stole what was never meant to be yours."
He reached out and switched off the television.The room plunged into darkness. But his voice lingered.
"Enjoy it while it lasts," he whispered.
"Because I won't let you keep it."
Silence followed.
Somewhere far away, wedding bells were being planned.
And somewhere in the dark
someone was already counting down to the moment it would all fall apart.
-------------------------
BLACKWOOD COOPERATIVE OFFICE:
Victor sat behind his desk, fingers loosely interlaced, listening with calm attention as the event manager spoke.
"The seaside venue you selected has been fully reserved, Mr. Blackwood," the man said, scrolling through his tablet. "Security arrangements, guest list, and décor themes are all being finalized. Would you prefer a classic evening ceremony or"
"Evening," Victor interrupted smoothly.
The event manager nodded quickly. "Of course. And for the floral arrangements white lilies and"
"No lilies."
The man paused. "I'm sorry?"
Victor's gaze lifted slowly, sharp and unreadable. "Change them. Roses."
There was a brief silence.
"Of course," the event manager said, slightly flustered. "Roses it is. As for the stage design, we thought something elegant but minimal"
"Nothing excessive," Victor added. "This isn't a show."
The event manager smiled nervously. "Understood. We'll keep it refined. Intimate. Just as you requested."
Victor leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting to the glass wall of his cabin. The city stretched endlessly below power, control, order. Everything exactly where it should be.
"Send me the final layout by tonight," he said. "I don't like surprises."
The event manager grabbed his stuff and the left the room.
Then:
A soft knock sounded on the glass door.
"Come in," Victor said without looking up.
His secretary stepped inside, tablet held close to her chest. She hesitated for a second before speaking, clearly choosing her words carefully.
"Mr. Blackwood," she began, "the event manager asked if Miss Elena would like to review the wedding arrangements as well. They usually prefer the bride's opinion on the venue, décor, and"
Victor finally looked up.
There was no irritation on his face. Just calm certainty.
"That won't be necessary," he said.
The secretary blinked. "Sir?"
Victor leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. "Elena doesn't care about those details."
There was no doubt in his voice. None at all.
"She likes whatever I like," he continued. "She trusts my decisions."
The secretary nodded slowly, though something flickered in her eyes uncertainty, perhaps.
"Of course," she replied. "I'll inform them."
Victor added, almost absently, "Make sure everything is finalized today. I don't want to involve her in unnecessary stress."
"Yes, sir."
Victor picked up a file from his desk when his secretary cleared her throat.
"…May I ask something?" she said carefully.
Victor didn't look up. "If it's about the wedding schedule, I've already approved it."
She smiled. "Not work-related, sir."
That made him pause.
He glanced at her. "Go on."
She hesitated for half a second, then spoke with a grin.
"So… after the wedding, should I start preparing for new schedules?"
Victor raised an eyebrow. "New schedules?"
She gestured vaguely. "You know. Shorter meetings. Fewer late nights. Newly married life and all."
He gave a low chuckle. "You're assuming a lot."
She laughed. "Sir, you're getting married. That comes with assumptions."
Victor leaned back in his chair, arms folding loosely. "Such as?"
"Well," she said casually, "honeymoon leaves, sudden mood changes, and" she paused, eyes twinkling "eventually… children."
The word hung in the air.Victor's smile didn't fade.But something else did.
For a brief moment, his gaze shifted away toward the window, toward the city far below.
"Kids?" he repeated quietly.
His secretary noticed the pause immediately. "I mean someday," she added quickly. "No pressure."
Victor exhaled softly, his fingers tightening almost imperceptibly against the armrest.
"Someday," he echoed.
The humor returned to his voice, controlled and smooth. "That's a conversation for the future."
She nodded, sensing the line she shouldn't cross. "Of course, sir."
Trying to lighten the mood, she smiled again.
"At least the first night should go well. The event manager said the suite is"
"That will be all," Victor interrupted gentlybut firmly.
She moved back to leave....
The room stayed quiet long after the secretary reached the door.
Her hand paused on the handle.
"…Sir?" she said softly.
Victor didn't respond.
He was staring out of the glass wall, the city lights reflecting faintly in his eyes. For a moment, he looked distant almost hollow.
She turned back, uneasy. "Did I say something wrong?"
Victor blinked once.
Slowly, he turned his chair toward her.
"No," he said calmly. "You didn't."
His voice was even. Too even.
She let out a small breath of relief. "I didn't mean to cross any line. I was just"
"Children," Victor interrupted.
The word cut through the air.
He stood up.
The movement was sudden enough to make her straighten instinctively.
"Do you know what people misunderstand the most?" he asked quietly.
She shook her head. "Sir?"
"They think wanting something means you're allowed to have it."
He walked past his desk, stopping near the window. The city lights shimmered below like something alive.
"Marriage is manageable," he continued. "Love is manageable. They're choices. Decisions."
His secretary frowned slightly. "And… children?"
Victor smiled.
It wasn't warm.
"Children aren't choices," he said. "They're consequences."
The word sent a chill through the room.
She swallowed. "That's… an unusual way to look at it."
Victor turned to her fully now.
"For someone like me," he said softly, "some consequences aren't meant to exist."
The silence that followed was heavy.
His secretary felt it then that subtle pressure in the air, the sense that she was standing in front of someone she didn't fully understand.
She forced a polite smile. "I'll… leave you to your work, sir."
Victor didn't stop her.
As she left, the door closing quietly behind her, Victor remained where he was, his reflection staring back at him from the glass.
Powerful.
Controlled.
Engaged.
Perfect.
Yet beneath it all, something dark shifted something unfinished, something that had already gone wrong once before.
Victor reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
His thumb hovered over a contact.
A number without a name.
For a moment, his expression hardened.
Then he whispered, barely audible
"Not this time."
The lights of the city flickered outside.
And somewhere in that vast darkness, fate listened.