Her grey eyes widened as the memory of that boy outside Ross Club struck. "No way! Am… am I cursed because of th-that ghost boy?" she whispered in disbelief.
Aliana couldn't believe her own train of thought.
She had never been the religious or spiritual kind. She didn't believe in things like Gods, ghosts or demons.
In her mind, people who believed in a higher power or followed a religion did so to give themselves a false sense of security, something to cling to if things went south.
But having experienced paranormal encounters such as the boy and the banshee lady in her hospital, she hit a startling epiphany.
What if she had been the arrogant one? What if this was the universe's way of knocking her off her high horse?
It was as if the cosmos was looking down at her and saying, 'Oh, you thought being practical about everything was enough? There, now go figure all the supernatural nonsense you've spent your entire life ignoring.'
Releasing a shaky sigh, Aliana slowly looked up at the sky that was beginning to become lighter and lighter with the dawn finally breaking in.
She let herself sink onto the balcony floor, as she continued staring at the sky and wondered if it was finally time to head to a church and get on her knees.
Perhaps she owed the universe a formal apology for twenty-two years of ignorance.
…..
The city of Astoria was a seamless blend of futuristic glass high-rise and towering solid limestone buildings that exuded an air of timeless luxury. The roads were wide and smooth, filled with professionals rushing to reach their office on time.
Life in Astoria moved at a breakneck pace. Here, the only concern was the pursuit of wealth, and no one truly had the time to spare a thought for anyone else's life. After all, Astoria was the wealthiest and most expensive city in the country, Rhun, boasting the highest concentration of billionaires.
Naturally, the headquarters of billion-dollar corporations were anchored here, staffed by high-calibre individuals who were capable of maintaining the city's exorbitant cost of living. Yet,despite the frantic working life, the people loved to unwind as evening fell, retreating into a vibrant city nightlife.
It wasn't uncommon to see celebrities walking casually on the street, largely ignored by a public busy with their own ambitions.
However, that dynamic shifted whenever a business conglomerate passed through.
The citizens of Astoria knew the city was truly run by these titans, making it essential to remain in their good graces.
Or at the very least, they sought to stay informed about their private lives, especially any scandals that could be used against them or sold to a ruthless competitor who knew exactly how to crash the stock market with a single headline or make a deal in return.
The media was notoriously aggressive towards those at the top of the food chain,desperate to report any scrap of information to the rest of Rhun and the world beyond.
Such was Aliana's reality at this very moment.
Sitting in the car, next to her father, she peered at the passing crowds through her dark sunglasses, mentally bracing herself for the media storm that would erupt the second they entered the Van Empire premises.
Her accident had been the exact bone the vultures had been waiting to chew on, and now she was about to walk straight into the fray.
"You seem very quiet, Aliana. Are you feeling alright?" Alester asked, his eyes narrowing as he observed his daughter, who had been lost in her thoughts for quite some time now.
Ali turned to her father, noting the sharp, ageless lines of his features. Alester Vanderbilt was in his mid-fifties but possessed the vitality of a man in his late thirties.
His dark blond hair was neatly swept back, revealing his piercing dark grey eyes. Although in front of Aliana, he looked merely like a worried father. But to the outside world, he was so cold and intimidating that he could make the grown men tremble.
He was always impeccably dressed in a tailored three-piece suit, maintaining a lean and tough physique because of a strict regime. He carried an air of arrogance that only belonged to someone who sat at the peak of the world, watching everyone labour beneath him.
"I'm fine, Dad. Just wanted to zone out for a moment, since it's been so long since I've stepped into the outside world." Aliana replied, offering him a small reassuring smile before turning back to the window.
Alester fell silent for a moment before clearing his throat, "You know…. I've been thinking about the last time we spoke. Before your… accident."
Ali's eyes snapped back to him as she recalled their last encounter, which wasn't so pleasant to put it lightly.
Well, she had practically barged into his office, spread those scandalous pictures across his mahogany desk, just to watch his eyes pop. She had then demanded he stop setting her up on those ridiculous blind dates before walking as if she were on a fashion runway.
'That wasn't much of a conversation to begin with,' Aliana thought, yet her interest was piqued. She wondered where he was going with this.
Alester adjusted his perfectly knotted tie, a tell-tale sign whenever he was a little ticked off or uncomfortable, and he cleared his throat again.
Ali mused inwardly, knowing she was one of the few people on earth who could rattle this stone-cold man. Hiding her amusement, she asked, "What is it, Dad? We're almost reaching the company, you know."
"Right," he replied, intertwining his fingers in his lap. "I've thought about what you said and… ahem, what you showed me that day. I take your point."
Aliana narrowed her eyes, straining her ears as if to confirm if she had heard him correctly.
Still not quite believing her ears, she asked, "So… what does that mean? Are you saying you will stop setting me up on those blind dates?"
Alester met her gaze and replied, "Yes. You're my only daughter, and I just want the best for you. But apparently, that best did not turn out the way I expected," he added, a slight frown forming on his otherwise composed face.
He continued, "The point is, you have to understand, I wasn't trying to force you into something that would make you unhappy. I was only trying to secure your future, so no one else could take that away from you."
"Okay…. I'm hearing this, but there's a catch, isn't there?" Ali asked, her eyes fixed on him.
"Since I can't seem to find you someone suitable at the moment, I'll give you that liberty to find someone yourself. Someone who can become a part of our family."
Ali's eyes widened behind her sunglasses in disbelief.
"A-are you serious?" she asked, her voice dropping slightly.
"Yes. I know you have good judgement when it comes to reading people, so instead of sending you on those useless blind dates, as you've called them, I'll give you some time to find someone yourself. After all, you'll be spending the rest of your life with that person. And knowing my daughter, I trust you understand the kind of family we would be comfortable with as well." Alester finished, offering her a confident smile.
Ali could hardly believe she had woken up to such a complete three-sixty shift in her father, a man who was usually so firm in his decisions. But she also knew that such a rare change never came without a reason.
Then again, who was she to question it when it worked in her favour?
"Thank you… Dad. That was an unexpected surprise," she said at last, returning his smile with her own.
"However, I'll give you three months of this liberty while I will still continue with my own search. Just in case you are unable to find a good suitor." Alster added, dropping the bomb so casually that her smile crashed like a volatile stock market.
"Three months? Dad! You cannot be serious?!" Her temper flared instantly.
"Your accident was an eye-opener for us. It made us realise just how fickle life is. This is a now-or-never situation when it comes to securing your future." Alester reasoned calmly.
"You mean a necessity for the company," she replied, her tone turning ice-cold.
"That is a part of it," he admitted, "but more than that, we don't want you to be alone, constantly buried in work. You need a life partner, someone who can share your burden, Ali."
"And here I thought you finally cared about me enough not to put me under more stress," Ali muttered under her breath, turning her face towards the window. "Seems like you'd rather want me back in the hospital again."
"Of course not," her father replied, his voice certain. "We want you to have a stable life. That's the only reason behind it."
"Three months is far too little time to truly know a person. You should know that, Dad," she shot back, her voice sharp.
Alester sighed, leaning back against the leather seat, "Fine, how much time do you think you would need?"
"At least a year! Or perhaps ten," Ali replied defiantly.
"Be reasonable. That's not going to happen," Alester countered, his expression darkening with displeasure.
"A year then," she said, shifting into her negotiation stance.
"Four months."
"No! Six months!" she insisted, meeting her father's gaze once more.
Father and daughter locked eyes in a tense stare-off before he finally relented.
"Fine. Six months and not a single day more. Do we have a deal?" He extended his hand towards her, the same gesture he used after signing off on a billion-dollar merger.
"Deal," Ali replied, finally taking his hand.
She knew him well enough to realise he would not budge beyond six months, and if she pushed any further, he might shorten the deadline or pull away from the table completely.
Just then, the car slowed as they reached the grand gates of Van Empire.
Aliana straightened her white blazer over her white bodycone corporate dress and adjusted her sunglasses, knowing it was showtime.