Family with Problems

She tried to stay calm as they walked toward the entrance.

Alexander's parents greeted her warmly, and she responded awkwardly, trying not to seem too nervous.

But the moment she crossed the front door, she saw him.

A tall man in an elegant suit had just turned toward them as they entered.

And the moment he saw her... he smiled.

A real smile.

Warm.

Happy.

The same blue eyes she saw every morning in the mirror were looking straight at her.

Her father.

His hair perfectly slicked back.

His suit impeccable.

The same cold gaze she'd imagined so many times as a child.

And yet... when he saw her, something changed.

His eyes lingered on her longer than necessary.

As if he'd forgotten for a moment who else was there.

As if he were truly seeing her.

Her father's wife immediately grabbed the man's arm. Seeing Estefania so well groomed and dressed made her doubt it was really her.

"Mr. Castellanos, I hope Estefania is behaving properly."

Alexander barely responded before continuing toward the study with documents in hand.

"I heard your daughter nearly backed out of the wedding. I don't know what finally convinced her."

Alexander asked directly.

The woman's smile tightened slightly.

"But she's here. That's what matters."

Estefania stayed silent.

She didn't fully understand the conversation.

But she did notice something.

Every time someone said the word daughter, her father's face changed slightly.

As if the word weighed on him.

He looked at her again.

And when they walked toward the living room, he slowed his pace until he was beside her.

Then, slowly, he put an arm around her shoulders.

The gesture caught Estefania completely off guard.

It was the first time in her entire life that her father had touched her that way. In fact, it was the first time she'd ever seen him. She had so many questions.

She felt a lump rising in her throat.

"You don't need to hug her," his wife whispered immediately.

The man clenched his jaw.

"She's my daughter."

The words made Estefania look up instantly.

But the woman responded without hesitation.

"Your daughter is traveling. She is not your daughter."

The air seemed to vanish around Estefania.

That hurt more than she'd expected.

Much more.

The man slowly removed his arm from her shoulders and walked toward the study without looking at her again.

Alexander and his family watched the scene in complete silence.

Beyond what was said, at first glance they simply looked like a family with disagreements.

Her father's wife approached her discreetly.

Her strong perfume nearly made her dizzy.

"Remember — just as I pulled you out of that convent... I can send you back."

The threat was enough to make Estefania lower her gaze.

She was the last one to enter the study.

An older man sat behind the enormous dark wood desk.

Despite his age, his presence commanded more authority than anyone else in that room.

His fingers tapped softly on the contract before he spoke.

"For one year you will be husband and wife in every public regard. I don't want scandals, rumors, or mistakes that tarnish the Castellanos name."

Alexander remained completely serious.

As if he'd heard all of this too many times before.

"You will live together, attend every event together, and maintain this alliance above any personal issues."

Then the old man's gaze fell on Estefania.

And for the first time since she'd arrived, she felt real fear.

"And understand this clearly, girl... once this contract is signed, no one will be able to separate you before the year is up. No one."

Estefania felt a small shiver run down her spine.

She nodded slowly.

Alexander picked up the pen first and signed the documents without even reviewing the pages again — he'd gone over them so many times he practically knew them by heart.

Then they handed them to her.

As she wrote her name with slightly trembling hands, she heard the old man's voice again.

"You're my grandson, Alexander. And it pains me to see the Castellanos name being dragged through the mud... but this was the only way to force you to come to your senses."

Everyone seemed to accept those words as normal.

Everyone except Estefania.

Because she'd just understood something important.

That man wasn't just Alexander's grandfather.

He was the one who'd ordered this union.

The man who controlled the money.

The one who'd joined the two families.

And, judging by the way everyone fell silent in front of him... he was also the only one capable of destroying them.

Her father signed as a witness.

Alexander's father did the same.

After that, the old man set the pen on the desk.

"I need to speak with my grandson alone."

No one argued.

Everyone began filing out immediately.

Estefania walked behind the others until she reached the enormous, well-lit kitchen.

Alexander's mother smiled excitedly.

"Daughter-in-law, I had a wedding cake brought in."

Estefania stared at the enormous white cake on the marble island.

It was bigger than any cake she'd ever seen.

"Why don't you call your mother to come join you?"

The question made her freeze.

She didn't know what to say.

How could she explain that the woman would never agree to stand beside her in front of others?

Luckily, Jose appeared, leaning against the doorframe with an amused smile.

"Auntie, let's wait for Alex."

The woman nodded distractedly.

And Estefania noticed something curious.

In that family, no one actually addressed each other like family.

No aunts.

No nephews.

No cousins.

Everything sounded too cold.

Too distant.

She picked up the knife somewhat nervously while she waited.

Seconds later, Alexander finally appeared in the kitchen.

His expression was still just as serious.

But the moment he saw the cake, he frowned.

"What is this nonsense?"

His mother sighed tiredly.

"It's your wedding, Alexander."

"Mother, Father, I'm going home. I've got things to do."

Estefania looked at the cake again.

It looked too good to ignore.

So, before she could overthink it, she cut herself a slice.

Silence fell over the kitchen.

She took a napkin and set the cake on top of it as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Everyone was staring at her.

Even her father's wife shook her head slowly with obvious disapproval.

Alexander simply closed his eyes for a second.

As if trying to summon patience.

Then he started walking toward the exit.

Estefania followed quickly.

But before leaving, Alexander stopped.

Everyone's gaze immediately fell on her... and on her father.

They were supposed to look like a family.

The man barely cleared his throat before speaking, but she beat him to it.

"Father... we'll talk later."

Estefania immediately saw the expression on his wife's face.

The warning was crystal clear.

Don't you dare call me mother.

And honestly... she had no intention of doing so.

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