Chapter 1:
Rafael Mayer had stood at the long window in his office, lost in the view of vibrant London. His mind was far from there. He could almost feel the ghostly intonation of his grandmother's firm voice during their last conversation.
"Rafael, it's high time you settled down. Our family needs an heir, and you are the only one who can ever do this."
Rafael let out a deep sigh and raked his hand through his dark locks. Being the first male blood in his ancestry for nine generations, the pressure to further the Mayer bloodline was overwhelming. He had always been committed to the family business—Mayer's Ores—but now, with the demands of his personal life, things were impossible not to take heed of.
A tappy knock on his door broke into his thoughts. His long-suffering personal assistant, David, stepped in with a stack of documents.
"Good morning, Mr. Mayer. Here are the reports you wanted," David said as he set the papers down on Rafael's desk.
"Thanks, David," replied Rafael, not in his usual sharp tone. Not quite. David knew this and stood for a moment before speaking.
"Is everything okay, sir? You look preoccupied.
Rafael smiled wearily. "Oh, same old pressure, David. Nothing new.
David nodded sympathetically. "Well, anything I could do to help, let me know, okay?"
Rafael appreciated the thought but knew this was something he had to handle by himself. His grandmother was more than adamant about it. He needed to get hitched and at the earliest possible date.
That evening, he found himself having dinner with his longtime girlfriend, Bianca Watson. She was building up to quite a successful model; her career was going through the roof, and they had been together for a few years. Rafael, on the other hand, never bonded emotionally with Bianca, but she seemed to be the perfect candidate to fulfill his grandmother's wishes.
"Bianca, there is something that I really must talk to you about," Rafael said, watching her reaction with a prudent eye.
She looked up from her plate. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "What is it, Rafael?"
Rafael coughed uncomfortably. "Well, my grandmother has been riding my back a bit with regards to marrying and begetting offspring. And lately, I was thinking… perhaps it's time we take our relationship to another level."
Her eyes widened in surprise before lightening with a smile. "Are you saying what I think you are saying?"
Rafael nodded, though he really wasn't feeling that much like it. "Yes, Bianca, I'm going to propose to you. I want us to get married.".
For Bianca, it was all but impossible not to glow, but Rafael felt that sick sense of foreboding twist in his gut. Was he doing this for him, or was he doing this as some kind of attempt to live up to what his family expected?
The same evening Lila Thompson was spending in a very different way. She had not been in a position to leave the small but neat apartment surrounded by the heap of case files from the high-end law firm where she was working as an assistant. She used to be too helpful, and her colleagues had the habit of placing their own work on her desk. It didn't bother Lila a bit, actually—she loved being useful, even if that was at the cost of her time.
Her phone buzzed, and she saw a text from her friend, Jane.
**Jane:** "Hey Lila! You know what? You won in the raffle for the firm's anniversary! You are also going to Bliss Resort!"
One of shock was the look in Lila's eyes. She had put her name in almost on a whim and certainly not thinking that she would win. She just couldn't believe a really fancy holiday spot was in store for her.
**Lila: **"No way! That is amazing!"
"You deserve it, girl! Take a break and enjoy yourself. You work too hard."
At some advice of her friend she grinned at Lila. This was, very probably, exactly the sort of thing she should do: leave her demanding job, and finally unwind for once. She promptly made a plan to take along with her boy-friend Alex. How little did she know?.
As Rafael went on to describe what he was to propose to Bianca, something in his gut kept telling him that something was off. And was he right? And what if all he had so precisely planned went wrong?
Just then, his phone buzzed to life; it was a message from David.
Sir, everything has been set out at Bliss Resort for the proposal tomorrow. Bianca will be arriving tomorrow evening."
Rafael read to himself, nodding. This was it. Starting now, a new chapter of his life was to begin; he just hoped it would unfurl as smooth as he had it planned out.
But fate has its way.
Lila was packing her bags; at that moment, she was feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. She kept looking forward to a romantic holiday with Alex, which, as she said, would cement the relationship between the two in such a way that it will never break. Little did she know what awaited her at Bliss Resort.
Travel plans were being made for Rafael too, but he could have never imagined how his travel would bring him to Lila's doorstep in such a shocking and life-changing manner.
Neither of them had any idea what their journeys had in store for them as the two went their separate ways—the bedrock of a tale of romance, intrigue, and chance encounters.
