The afternoon traffic outside Star Entertainment flowed steadily as luxury sedans pulled in and out of the underground car park.
Dante Esteban stepped out through the automatic doors, his expression as dark as the gathering clouds overhead.
His expensive leather shoes struck the pavement with sharp, impatient clicks.
His assistant hurried after him, scarcely daring to speak.
Three hours. He had wasted nearly three hours waiting for Marcel Ortega.
Three hours that had amounted to nothing.
Not only had the acquisition meeting been canceled, but Star Entertainment had somehow been sold without so much as a courtesy call.
The humiliation sat like a stone in his stomach.
A black sports car eased to a stop beside the curb.
The driver’s door opened, and a tall man in a charcoal-gray suit stepped out.
Franco Valdez, his right hand man stepped out.
“I came over to celebrate your new acquisition.” Franco’s smile disappeared when he saw Dante’s face. “What happened?”
“The meeting never happened.” Dante continued walking toward the curb, forcing Franco to keep pace beside him.
“Marcel never showed.”
Franco frowned. “That’s unlike him.”
“He didn’t have to.” Dante’s jaw tightened. “The company’s already been sold.”
Franco stopped walking. “Sold? That’s what his secretary told me.”
He looked as though he wanted to punch something. “No explanation. No negotiation and no warning. They simply informed me the acquisition was complete.”
Franco’s brows slowly knitted together.
That didn’t sound like Marcel’s style. He had seemed willing to meet with Dante.
Unless someone had made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
His thoughts instinctively drifted toward one particular man.
Leonardo Madrigal.
Among the younger generation of business leaders, only Leonardo possessed both the financial strength and the influence to make Marcel abandon ongoing negotiations without hesitation.
Franco quietly pieced the clues together.
Marcel didn’t want to sell the company to just anyone but he had seemed so interested in Dante’s offer. Even agreeing to meet up so they could reach an agreement.
Then, seemingly overnight...The company changed hands.
Only one person came to mind. “I think I know who bought it.”
Dante looked over. “Who?”
Franco answered slowly. “Leonardo Madrigal.”
Dante frowned. “Leonardo?”
“He rarely enters an industry without reason. And when he does...” Franco gave a small shrug. “Nobody can outbid him. Since he doesn’t want to meet with you at all. That meant he couldn’t say no and do anything about who bought the company.”
Dante’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Leonardo Madrigal...King Group’s infamous third young master.
Cold.
Calculating.
Ruthless.
Their paths had crossed a few times at business banquets over the years, but neither had ever spoken beyond a polite greeting.
What possible interest could Leonardo have in an entertainment company?
Before Dante could think further, a black Maybach rolled past the entrance.
Its windows were only lightly tinted.
Franco glanced at it absentmindedly.
Then, he froze.
Inside the rear passenger seat, a young woman sat quietly beside a tall man dressed in black.
He caught only a fleeting glimpse.
A familiar side profile.
Long dark hair.
Delicate features.
For the briefest instant, he thought of someone unexpected.
“Jasmine?”
The Maybach continued forward.
Before Franco could look again, it disappeared into the traffic.
He frowned slightly. “Impossible.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. What would Jasmine be doing in a Maybach?
Especially beside a man. Besides, he’d only seen her profile for a split second.
He must have been mistaken. After all, there were countless women with similar appearances. He shook the thought away.
Dante noticed his distraction. “What is it?”
Franco smiled lightly. “Nothing. I thought I recognized someone. But I was probably wrong.”
Dante wasn’t interested enough to ask further. His mind remained occupied by Star Entertainment.
“I want to know who bought it. I want to be certain if I really can’t negotiate further.”
Franco nodded. “I’ll investigate.”
**********
Nearly forty minutes later, the Maybach came to a smooth stop before one of the most luxurious bridal boutiques in the city.
The storefront resembled an elegant art gallery more than a wedding shop.
Large crystal windows displayed breathtaking gowns beneath warm golden lighting.
Above the entrance, a discreet silver plaque read:
Central Ring Bridal Boutique.
Jasmine stepped out of the car. Her eyes widened almost immediately.
“This place...” She had heard of it before.
Every bride in the city dreamed of wearing a gown from Central Ring.
The boutique specialized exclusively in the creations of internationally acclaimed designer Vera. Appointments were booked months, sometimes years in advance.
Before Jasmine could recover from her surprise, Leonardo had already rounded the car and naturally taken her handbag from her shoulder. “Come.”
He held the boutique door open for her.
Inside, the spacious showroom was breathtaking.
Elegant chandeliers sparkled overhead.
Fresh white roses scented the air. Rows of handcrafted wedding gowns shimmered beneath soft lighting like works of art.
The moment Leonardo entered, a graceful woman in her forties approached immediately.
She wore an elegant ivory suit and carried herself with effortless confidence.
“Mr. Madrigal.” She bowed respectfully. “You’ve arrived.”
Leonardo gave a small nod. “Vera.”
Jasmine blinked.
So this was the legendary designer herself.
Vera’s attention shifted toward Jasmine.
Her normally composed face softened into a warm smile. “You must be Mrs. Madrigal.”
Jasmine instinctively felt embarrassed. “We...”
She almost said not really. After all, she didn’t want to get used to being Mrs Madrigal. This was only a temporary marriage.
Before she could finish, Leonardo calmly answered. “Yes, this is my wife.”
The simple words silenced her.
Vera smiled knowingly.I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
She gestured deeper into the boutique. “Everything has been prepared.”
Jasmine followed her inside.
Moments later, she stopped walking altogether.
Her eyes slowly widened. The private fitting hall was enormous.
Wedding gowns lined both sides of the room. Some glittered with thousands of crystals.
Others were delicately embroidered by hand. Each one looked more breathtaking than the last.
Vera smiled proudly. “I prepared twelve main wedding gowns.” She pointed toward another section. “And twenty-four formal dresses.”
Jasmine stared at her. “Twenty-four?”
Vera nodded naturally. “Each one was completed according to your measurements.”
Jasmine looked utterly bewildered. “My measurements?”
“I received them weeks ago.”
Jasmine subconsciously looked toward Leonardo.
He merely stood quietly with one hand in his pocket, as though preparing thirty-six custom-made outfits for someone was perfectly ordinary.
Jasmine couldn’t help asking, “How... did you even know my size?”
Leonardo answered calmly, “I had someone investigate.”
Jasmine became speechless. She wasn’t sure whether she should feel touched or scared that he must have found out more than just her size.
Vera smiled politely. “Would you like to begin?”
Jasmine looked helplessly toward Leonardo. “Isn’t this a little...” She searched for the right word. “Extravagant? It’s only a contractual marriage.”
The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
The room fell quiet. The assistants discreetly lowered their heads.
Vera pretended not to hear. Leonardo looked at Jasmine for several silent seconds.
Then he walked over. His deep voice remained gentle. “It doesn’t matter.”
She blinked. “What?”
“As long as you like them.” He looked directly into her eyes. “Nothing else matters.”
Jasmine’s breathing faltered. Her heartbeat skipped unexpectedly.
Why would he say something like that?
Why was he so nice to her?
This wasn’t the man she read about, he wasn’t the man everyone had said he was.
Or was it still too early to judge?
Heat quietly crept into her cheeks. “I...”
She couldn’t find any words.
Instead, she obediently followed Vera toward the fitting room.
**************
Nearly twenty minutes later, the dressing room curtain slowly parted.
Leonardo, who had been reading documents while waiting, looked up absentmindedly.
Then he forgot to breathe. Jasmine stepped out hesitantly.
The satin mermaid-style wedding gown embraced her figure with breathtaking elegance. The smooth ivory fabric flowed like liquid moonlight, accentuating her slender waist before cascading gracefully toward the floor.
The off-shoulder neckline revealed the delicate curve of her collarbones.
Tiny pearl embellishments caught the light with every movement.
Her long hair had been loosely pinned back, allowing several soft strands to frame her face.
She looked...Radiant. Almost unreal.
Jasmine shifted awkwardly beneath his gaze.
“Is...” She nervously smoothed the skirt. “Do I look strange?”
Leonardo remained perfectly still. His dark eyes never left her.
Even Bruno, standing quietly by the entrance, unconsciously looked away to give the couple privacy.
Vera smiled knowingly. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
The assistants quietly withdrew.
Soon, only Leonardo and Jasmine remained.
The silence became almost overwhelming.
Jasmine lowered her eyes. “If it doesn’t look good, I can...” She never finished.
Leonardo slowly walked toward her until only a single pace separated them.
His gaze remained fixed entirely on her face. Jasmine’s heartbeat became impossibly loud. “Leonardo...”
A loose strand of hair had fallen across her cheek.
Without saying a word, he slowly raised his hand.
His fingers gently brushed against her skin as he carefully tucked the stray lock behind her ear.
The touch was featherlight. Barely there. Yet it sent warmth rushing through Jasmine’s entire body.
She instinctively looked up and their eyes met. For a long moment neither of them spoke.
Then Leonardo lowered his head slightly.
His deep voice became almost a whisper.
“My wife...” His thumb lightly brushed beside her ear. “My wife is so beautiful. Even more beautiful than an angel.”
Jasmine’s mind went completely blank. Her heart slammed wildly against her ribs.
Heat exploded across her cheeks before spreading all the way to her ears until they burned a brilliant crimson.
She lowered her head so quickly that several loose strands escaped once more.
Unable to meet his gaze, she could only stare at the shimmering satin beneath her trembling fingertips, desperately trying to calm the frantic rhythm of her heart that refused to listen.