Chapter 1: Weddings and Wills

Ria pinched the rose petal between her fingers before plucking it out, her jaw set in a hard line as she turned the once beautiful bouquet of roses into a deformity. All alone in a well maintained greenhouse, she sat in a bench surrounded by beautiful botanical plants located at the top floor of the Brooke State Hotel where her best friend's wedding reception was being held.

She knew that the flowers were innocent, and yet she took her frustrations on it still. The flowers used to be the brides, and she didn't expect to catch the coveted little thing, but she did, after it bounced off the hands of the ravaging bride's maids who were fighting over it like vultures.

Just thinking of all that chaos happened just because of... this; she grimaced as she stared at the bouquet in displeasure. Honestly, it didn't even look anything special to her. But the bridesmaids thought otherwise and fought for it till scratches were exchanged.

Setting aside the bouquet so she wouldn't be tempted to pluck on its petals once again, Ria decided to keep her hands busy by running her palms on her dress. The sheer, silky texture of the peach colored gown she was wearing gave her a sense of comfort and regret. It was a beautiful gown, off shoulder, with rose patterns all over it that were made from sequins and gold threads. It was an expensive gown, and her best friend, Franny, chose it for her to wear on her special day. However, there was a glaring stain on the gown that marred it's beauty, and it came from the Ube flavored cake she was supposed to eat when the catching event happened and the bouquet landed on it and splattered the dessert all over her dress.

Just remembering the accident made Ria sigh. The bridesmaids were left disappointed, but Ria felt like she just experienced a disaster. Even Franny cringed at the sight of her splattered with violet cake and mouthed her an apology even when it wasn't really her fault.

Ria went to the restrooms afterwards, trying to wash the stains from her dress. But the water was not enough so she abandoned the thought of restoring her dress and went out, grabbed a bottle of alcohol from a roaming server boy, and headed straight to the rooftop so that she could be alone.

She wasn't interested in going back to that reception anyway.

Stepping out of the elevator, Ria was welcomed into a gorgeous greenhouse garden with a fountain at the center and 4 benches around it. She sat on one and her mood was immediately lessened as she closed her eyes and listened to the sound of rushing water.

Perfect. It was the ideal spot to be alone. Why didn't she come to this place earlier, she thought, reprimanding herself. The cake accident would've been avoided if she just left the reception party when she started to feel bored. But leaving early would mean making Franny sad so she had to stay. Anyway, what's done is done.

Opening the bottle she took from the server, Ria chugged a mouthful of alcohol straight from the bottle and coughed when the liquid stung her throat.

The hell?

Tears stung the corner of her eyes as she read the label on the bottle.

Vodka.

She took vodka?

Well, no shit! No wonder it had a strong punch when she drank it straight from the bottle.

Ria is the kind of person who rarely drinks, and only during special events was she ever allowed to let herself drink such a strong beverage without anything to help her with the aftertaste.

She should've brought some lemon juice or slices with her. Ugh! No matter. Ria continued drinking from the bottle again. Anyway, tonight was a good time for her to get drunk on her own. Now that her best friend is married, she's all alone now.

At the late age of 29, she was still single and unmarried. It wasn't because she was unattractive or unsuccessful or anything. Ria was charming on her own way, and she's a successful novel writer, just like her step-dad. What's more, she's a teacher in a well renowned highschool in the country, so she has a stable income.

She had her fair share of blind dates and mixers with her best friend during their mid-twenties, but not one of the men she met during those events gave her that feeling of excitement and curiosity that she wrote about in her romance novels. Her mother told her that her standards were just too high and she should lower it or else she'll live alone just like her grand-aunt Esther, but Ria didn't like the thought of getting married because of the pressure her family and friends were giving her. It wasn't right.

Also, her fortune teller told her that she shouldn't stop dreaming of her ideal life partner and their love story. She was bound to meet him someday in her late 20s or early 30s and they were going to meet in a very unexpected place. Her destined person was also going to be someone who has blond hair and fair skin or something. She forgot the rest of the details from the readings, but she believed the fortune teller. She knew, deep inside her gut, that rushing it will not bring her destiny. Plus, she was satisfied with her current life.

Being single was not a curse, and of course she's going to be lonely from time to time because she's surrounded by couples now. But looking at the bright side, the rest of her daily life gave her that sense of fulfillment she didn't get when she's attending those blind dates her mother forced her to attend.

'You need to trust the process.'

That's what Franny tells her all the time, and so, she will. She will live her life the way it has always been, and love will follow.

Plus, she can be rather patient if she wants to. She wasn't in a rush to find her Mr. Destiny anyway.

***

Aleksei puffed a cloud of smoke from his cigarette as he stared down at the city from the rooftop. Going to the rooftop was an effective choice, since he needed to cool his head and some time to himself to gather his thoughts. He needed to get out, or else he'd lose his sanity if he didn't. Everything in his life was spiraling out of control. And he didn't like it, not one bit.

Aleksei suddenly stopped mid-smoke when something vibrated inside his pocket. It was late, and no one would dare call him at this hour except for one person.

He fished the still ringing phone out of his pocket and the corner of his lips rose in a smirk. It was his secretary's ID on the screen, and he's been waiting for the gasbag to call.

"What is it?" He answered.

And Dylan responded, "Boss, it's me... I've checked the document as you've asked."

"And?" Aleksei asked, waiting. His attention was piqued at the slight pause in his words.

"It's real, boss. 100% authentic," Dylan said. "I've had the document checked 6 times and they all came negative."

Dammit.

Aleksei inwardly cursed.

"So the old fox made sure that the document is full proof after he passed," He said under his breath and sneered as his head started aching again. Shit. "Any loopholes?" he asked.

"I've checked that as well," Dylan responded. "I brought the legal team to find some loopholes we could use, but unfortunately, they didn't find anything helpful."

"I see..." He just said.

When Aleksei didn't say anything after that, his secretary immediately assured him that he'll continue searching for more solutions and ended the call.

His words didn't make Aleksei feel any better though. In fact, his headache was getting worse. He needs his supplements but he left them all in the car. Dammit. He cursed at his deceased grandfather resting on his grave. That sly old fox. How could he do this to him, his only grandchild?

Aleksei didn't want to react to his predicament, but his situation was dire. A month ago, his grandfather's attorney visited him with an envelope containing an additional will that was instructed to be delivered to him 6 months after his grandfather's death. He was surprised at first, since he already thought everything was already settled.

The will reading already happened a week after the funeral, and thought that was it, but he was sorely mistaken.

Of course, all of Yuri Ivanov Senior's assets were inherited by him, his only living relative, and the only son of his deceased son, Yuri Ivanov Junior. But apparently, his inheritance had a catch; All of his inherited wealth will be donated to the 7 charities his grandfather has been supporting for more than 20 years, unless he marries and has a child within the 1 year and 6 months deadline.

Hearing the additional will, Aleksei thought it was absurd. But a dreadful feeling in his chest told him that the old man had been meaning to do this from the very beginning before his death. The old fox knew he wouldn't be there to witness him getting married and having children, so he made this ridiculous follow up of his will to secure his dying wish, and that is to get his grandson up his ass and force him to marry.

No wonder the old crook was pestering him to find a decent woman and settle down whenever Aleksei visited him. Aleksei was tired of that conversation and thought that his grandfather was only joking, but apparently he was not.

That sly old fox. Aleksei couldn't help himself calling his grandfather that name inside his head over and over again. He fitted the description of a sly old fox so he wasn't really insulting the old crook, he thought, chuckling bitterly. But even in his grave, the great Yuri Ivanov senior still wouldn't stop controlling his life.

All of his hard earned work will go down the drain if he doesn't find a solution to this problem within a year's time. And to do that, he has to find a woman first, someone that will suit his conditions.

Aleksei threw his cigarette to the floor and stepped on it, calling his secretary back. "Gather a list of eligible women I could marry." He ordered when the ringing stopped.

"Roger that— Wait, what?" His secretary reacted. "You're getting married, boss?"

Aleksei rolled his eyes. He dislikes being questioned when he's giving the orders. If Dylan wasn't such a competent secretary, he would've fired him this instant, but he let him go just this once. The man was clearly surprised.

"Not without a bride." He said.

Sensing the annoyance in Aleksei's voice, Dylan immediately corrected himself. "Right. My apologies. I'll compile the list right away."

"Good," Aleksei nodded. "Put the file on my desk, I'll look it over in the morning."

To be continued…