VIAQUEZA GRAND HOTEL

VANESSA

Vanessa Zaragoza smirked

“Nothing to say, Señor Viaqueza?” she taunted, voice smooth as silk yet edged with challenge.

Vincent’s lips curled slightly, something dark and intrigued flickering in his gaze.

“You play a dangerous game, Princesa,” he murmured, deliberately using the title meant to box her in. “Are you sure you’re ready for the consequences?”

Vanessa tilted her head, her hair cascading over one shoulder in a way that was almost hypnotic. “You think I’m afraid?”

“I think,” Vincent mused, stepping closer, “that you’ve spent your whole life waiting for a way out of your father’s cage. And somehow, you think I might be your escape.”

Her breath hitched, but her expression remained unreadable.

Vincent’s smirk deepened. “You should be careful what you wish for, Prinsesa.”

Don Jayme had heard enough.

“This is ridiculous,” he snapped. “The bet was a game, nothing more. I’ll pay whatever price you want, Viaqueza. Name it, and we’ll consider the matter settled.”

******

VINCENT

Vincent turned, expression unreadable. He could take the money, the property, the assets Don Jayme would offer. He could play it safe, step back from this little spectacle and pretend none of it had ever happened.

But then he glanced at Vanessa again.

At the way she stood, unwavering, between him and her father. At the way her fingers curled slightly at her sides, her entire body wound tight, as if she was preparing for the battle ahead.

She wasn’t afraid.

And that intrigued him more than any deal Don Jayme could offer.

“No,” Vincent said, voice smooth but absolute. “I think I’ll keep my winnings.”

The air turned razor-sharp.

Don Jayme’s entire demeanor changed, his anger simmering beneath a controlled exterior. “You have no idea what you’re doing.”

Vincent chuckled, low and amused. “On the contrary. I know exactly what I’m doing.” He looked at Vanessa, his smirk unwavering. “The question is, does she?”

Vanessa met his gaze without hesitation. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

Her father exhaled sharply, his patience thinning. “Enough of this nonsense. You will come home with me, Vanessa.”

But Vanessa took a single step closer to Vincent.

“No, I won’t.”

It was the first time in her life that she had ever directly defied her father in front of an audience.

A sharp inhale echoed from the IT expert still frozen in the corner of the room, watching the drama unfold like a man witnessing the start of a war.

Vincent barely contained his smirk. Interesting.

Don Jayme turned to his daughter, voice low and deadly. “Vanessa.”

But she didn’t falter.

“I am not a child anymore, Papa,” she said, voice even. “And you don’t own me.”

*******

His expression darkened, but Vincent stepped in before things could escalate.

“Well,” Vincent drawled, adjusting the cuffs of his jacket. “It looks like I’m leaving with more than I bargained for tonight.” He cast a glance at the IT expert. “You, pack up your things. We have business to discuss.”

The man nodded quickly, eager to escape the tension in the room.

Vincent then turned back to Vanessa. “And you, Princesa? Are you coming willingly, or shall I have my men escort you?”

Vanessa narrowed her eyes at the challenge. “I don’t need your men, Señor Viaqueza.”

Vincent’s lips quirked. She really is something else.

Don Jayme, however, wasn’t done.

“This isn’t over,” he warned, stepping closer to Vincent, voice low enough for only the two of them to hear. “You may have won tonight but make no mistake, ---there will be consequences for taking something that belongs to me.”

Vincent didn’t flinch. Instead, he merely smiled.

“She doesn’t seem to think she belongs to anyone.” He let the words sink in before adding, “That’s something you should’ve considered before putting her in a bet, Don Jayme.”

The words hung in the air like a challenge neither of them would speak aloud. With a sharp exhale, Don Jayme turned on his heel and left the room, his footsteps echoing as his men followed in tow.

Vanessa watched the scene unfold, a small part of her triumphant for the first time in her life. For once, she hadn’t been the one to step aside. For once, she had stood her ground against her father. And for the first time… he had walked away.

Vincent let out a quiet chuckle as he turned to her. “Well, that was entertaining.”

Vanessa exhaled, the adrenaline still humming through her veins. “That depends on your definition of entertaining.”

His smirk was positively wicked. “Oh, you’ll be entertaining, Prinsesa.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

Vincent extended a hand, half-mocking, half-serious. “Shall we?”

Vanessa hesitated, her gaze lingering on his outstretched hand. There was no denying the electricity in the air between them, something undeniable that tugged at her despite herself.

After a brief pause, she placed her hand in his, her fingers brushing against his. The moment their hands connected, a surge of warmth shot through her, steady and unyielding, and she could see the same realization flash across Vincent’s eyes.

It was tempting.

But it was also inevitable.

For the first time, they both understood that this was no longer just about a bet. It had become something far more complicated. Something far more dangerous. And neither of them planned on losing.

As Vincent’s grip tightened around her hand, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of the choice before her: to choose between two kings. One who had shaped her world in ways she couldn’t escape, and the other who threatened to turn it upside down.

And in that moment, Vanessa knew she wasn’t the only one with something to lose.

*******

The ride to Vincent Viaqueza’s private suite was steeped in thick, charged silence.

Vanessa Zaragoza had always been good at keeping her composure, but there was something about the man beside her that set her nerves on edge. Not fear---never fear---but something equally disturbing.

Vincent sat across from her in the back of his black Mercedez, the hum of the car filling the space between them. He was watching her, not blatantly, but with the sharp attentiveness of a man who didn’t let anything slip past him.

His presence was overwhelming, a combination of self-assured power and quiet menace. The dim glow of the car’s interior light cast a golden sheen over his dark, tailored suit, emphasizing the sharp angles of his jaw and the amusement lurking behind his whiskey-colored eyes.

Vanessa refused to let him see her discomfort. Instead, she mirrored his cool demeanor, crossing her legs and leaning back against the seat with feigned ease.

“If you have something to say, Señor Viaqueza,” she said smoothly, “say it.”

Vincent smirked, his eyes flickering with something unreadable. “I’m just wondering…” He leaned slightly forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Did you want me to win that bet? Was it tactic, or a mere opportune moment for you?”

Vanessa’s fingers twitched against the leather seat.

She hadn’t expected him to ask that.

“What are you implying?” she asked, keeping her tone neutral.

Vincent tilted his head, studying her with open curiosity. “You didn’t seem particularly unhappy about the result.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t enjoy being used as a pawn, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

“But now you’re free,” Vincent pointed out, his voice laced with quiet amusement. “That was the goal, wasn’t it?”

Vanessa clenched her jaw. She hated that he saw through her so easily.

Yes, she had wanted out. But not like this.

Not tethered to another powerful man who could very well be just as dangerous as her father.

She had spent years meticulously planning her escape, earning degrees in secret, making quiet moves behind her father’s back, learning how to navigate the world he had tried so hard to keep her from. Tonight was supposed to be a step toward her freedom. She had been this close to securing a powerful asset for herself.

Then Vincent Viaqueza had stepped in.

And now, instead of answering to her father, she was sitting in the car of a man whose name carried just as much weight—and twice the mystery.

Vanessa lifted her chin. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

Vincent let out a low chuckle. “No, Princesa, you don’t.”

But the way he said it, the way his gaze swept over her with lazy interest, made it clear. He didn’t believe for a second that she hadn’t maneuvered this outcome in some way.

She hated how much that irked her.

They arrived at the Viaqueza Grand Hotel’s private penthouse soon after. The elevator ride up was another lesson in silent tension. Vincent stood beside her, tall and composed, his hands tucked into the pockets of his dark suit.

He looked too at ease. Too in control.

Vanessa wanted to rattle that control.

The doors to the penthouse opened with a soft chime, and Vanessa turned to face him, but before she could speak, Vincent’s voice broke through the air like a predator closing in.

“Ms. Zaragoza,” he began, his voice smooth as sin, “forgive me if I don’t take your words at face value. But you are a Zaragoza. And our families... don’t exactly inspire trust.”

Her steps paused. She turned toward him, eyes sharp. “What are you saying?”

Vincent’s voice softened, but not with kindness. With calculation. “Your father and mine made enemies long before either of us could talk. You were born into that war. Groomed to be a prize, not a player.”

Her heart beat faster. He wasn’t wrong.

But he wasn’t entirely right, either.

She stared him down. “Being a prize doesn’t make me weak. And stepping into your web doesn’t make me naive. If anything, it makes me braver than you give me credit for.”

Vincent’s grin widened, dark and amused. He leaned a bit closer, his voice low, teasing. “Be careful, Princesa. Flatter me too much, and you just might get what you wish for.”

Vanessa’s breath caught in her throat, the weight of his words settling in the charged air between them. For a moment, neither spoke. The tension was suffocating.

She finally tilted her head, meeting his gaze with quiet intensity. “I never make wishes, Vincent. I make plans.”

His smirk softened, as if he were momentarily impressed. He stepped closer, his tone darkening. “And it looks like your plan just brought you here, Vanessa.”

 “So, what now?”

Vincent stepped further inside to what looked like a lounge, loosening his tie slightly as he glanced over his shoulder at her. “That depends.”

Vanessa arched a brow. “On?”

Vincent turned fully, watching her as he leaned against the marble counter. “On what exactly you plan to do now that you’re ‘free.’”

The way he said it made her bristle.

“I don’t need you to dictate my next move, Señor Viaqueza.”

“I’m not dictating,” Vincent replied smoothly. “I’m just curious.”

Vanessa crossed her arms. “And why, exactly, are you so curious?”

Vincent pushed off the counter, closing the distance between them with a slow, deliberate pace. He didn’t touch her, but his presence was enough to make the air between them shift.

“Because” he murmured, his voice laced with amusement, “I’m wondering if I just acquired a liability… or an investment.”

Vanessa’s breath caught for a split second.

Then she tilted her head, meeting his gaze with a slow, challenging smirk. “That depends, Señor Viaqueza.”

Vincent’s brow arched slightly. “On?”

Her smile deepened, sharp as a blade. “On whether you are as dangerous as everyone says.”

A pause.

Then Vincent grinned. Wicked, knowing, and utterly unshaken.

“Oh, sweet Prinsesa,” he murmured, voice low and rich with promise.

“You have no idea.”

Vanessa Zaragoza had grown up in a world of power. She knew how to navigate dangerous men. But Vincent Viaqueza wasn’t just dangerous.

He was something else entirely.

The air between them was taut, charged with something that neither of them wanted to name. He stood before her like a man who was never denied anything, his sharp, assessing gaze locking onto hers with quiet amusement. It was a look that said I see you, and that unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

Vanessa had spent her entire life being underestimated. Shielded, caged, wrapped in silk and security details. But Vincent was looking at her like he knew exactly what she was capable of. Like he expected her to play dirty.

And maybe that was what intrigued her the most.

She stepped past him, deliberately brushing against his arm as she strode deeper into the penthouse. She didn’t need to look around to know what she would find. Opulence, wealth, understated luxury. Everything about the space screamed power, and yet, it was devoid of warmth.

Much like the man who owned it.

Vincent watched her with lazy amusement, his hands still in his pockets. “Make yourself comfortable.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Vanessa replied smoothly, her fingers trailing idly along the back of a leather chair. “I won’t be here long.”

Vincent tilted his head. “You’re assuming I’m going to let you walk out of here.”

Her eyes snapped to his, challenging. “Are you saying I can’t?”

Vincent smirked. “I’m saying you haven’t thought this through, Princesa.”

Vanessa’s fingers curled slightly against the leather, but she kept her expression unreadable. “Oh? Enlighten me.”

Vincent took a slow step forward. “It seems to me that you are more than eager to free yourself of your father’s control. And tonight, you finally did it.” His voice was smooth, measured. “But now, you have a choice.”

Vanessa didn’t respond.

Vincent continued, his gaze locked onto hers. “You walk out of here, and Don Jayme will come after you. He won’t stop until he has you back under his thumb, and you and I both know what that means.” He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. “Or… you stay. With me.”

Vanessa’s breath caught, but she recovered quickly. “And what? Trade one powerful man for another?”

Vincent’s smirk deepened. “With me, not under me.”

Her pulse flickered, betraying her.

He was dangerous. Not just because of his reputation, but because he understood her.

Vanessa had spent her life surrounded by men who saw her as a possession, a bargaining chip, a daughter to be controlled. But Vincent wasn’t treating her like something to be owned.

He was treating her like an equal.

Or so he wants her to perceive as  much.

She exhaled slowly, crossing her arms. “And what exactly do you get out of this arrangement?”

Vincent chuckled. “Besides the privilege of your company?”

*******