Once Erick has practically bolted out of the office, Maximiliano still can’t refocus on his work. He picks up his phone and puts it down again, over and over, unsure whether to dial that number or not. In the two years of his marriage to Sofia, he’s never called her directly. Now, he wonders if that’s even still her number.
In fact, until this moment, he never saw much of a problem with their arrangement. From the day they got married, both of them knew it was just a contract, something their families had agreed upon long before. So, he didn’t see why he should take their marriage seriously. He remembers their conversation right after the wedding all too well.
“Tomorrow, I’ll assign security for you. From now on, you’re Mrs. Montenegro,” Maximiliano says indifferently in the living room of their new home, while Sofia calmly sips her coffee before responding. “There’s no need for you to use your security. I have my own, so you don’t have to worry about that. Let’s just not get involved in each other’s lives. Once the two years of the contract are up, we’ll get divorced, and that’ll be the end of it. I’m really sorry that my situation forced you into this sacrifice, but after all, it’s not that hard. Seems like you got upset over nothing,” Sofia states calmly before walking away. She was well aware of how annoyed Maximiliano was about the marriage—he even threatened to resign from the company. But in the end, his grandfather convinced him to go through with it. It was a promise his grandfather had made long ago, so Maximiliano had no choice but to agree.He still remembers the conversation with his grandfather.
“Grandpa, you know I don’t want to get married. Right now, I’m completely focused on growing the company. We’re about to launch a huge mega-project that needs all my attention. This isn’t the time for a marriage,” Maximiliano tries to explain his reasons, but then his grandfather sighs and sits down. “Max, I understand, but couldn’t you do this for me? I’m asking as a very special favor. My dear friend just passed away. You know everything we owe to Patricio Villareal,” Sebastián recalls sadly. His lifelong friend, the one who reached out to help without hesitation during the darkest moment when he thought his beloved company would collapse, had just died. Patricio didn’t care that he might lose everything too. Thankfully, that didn’t happen, and because of his help, their companies became the biggest in the country.Maximiliano, who knew the story well and had also called Patricio ‘Grandpa’ since their families had been lifelong friends, felt he was being too stubborn. He had a personal reason in his heart for rejecting this marriage, but when he heard what his grandfather said next, his resolve began to waver.
“The only thing I can do for him now is to look after and support my dear Sofia. I thought you two were friends. You got along so well as kids,” Sebastián says with affection. “Yes, Grandpa, but we’ve grown up, and just because we were friends as kids doesn’t mean we should get married,” Maximiliano counters. “Besides, we can help her without needing to get married,” he adds, a bit frustrated. It’s not that he doesn’t want to help Sofia—he, more than anyone, wants the best for her, wants her to be completely happy, especially now that her grandfather has just passed away, years after a tragic accident took her parents. “A marriage would give Sofia the full backing of the Montenegro family. Plus, as vice president of Montenegro Corporation, she’ll gain all the experience she needs to eventually take the reins of Villareal Industries. In the meantime, it also gives us the freedom to take control and prevent her uncle Fausto from doing so,” Sebastián explains, while Maximiliano sighs. It seems he has no other choice if they want to help Sofia. With nothing more to say, he simply agrees. “Alright, Grandpa, we’ll do it your way,” he commits.A genuine smile spreads across Sebastián’s lips, first because he’ll be able to keep his promise to his friend, and also because he’ll be able to help Sofia, whom he loves as if she were his own granddaughter. Above all, he feels this marriage might bring some unexpected surprises.
“I really appreciate this, son. I promise it’ll only be for two years. That’s enough time to get everything under control and for Sofia to claim what’s rightfully hers. Of course, I’d be thrilled if you two made the marriage real,” Sebastián says with hope. “That’s not possible, Grandpa,” Maximiliano declares with certainty. But Sebastián notices a shadow of sadness pass through his grandson’s eyes. He feels it’s not the right time to ask about it, though. For now, he’s satisfied that Maximiliano has agreed. And so, the contract—and the marriage—came to be.Hey there, thanks so much for your support and for taking the time to read this story! I really appreciate your ratings, likes, and all your comments. I’ll be updating with a new chapter daily, but if I see a lot of comments and likes, you’ll get more than one chapter a day!
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