The CEO and the Purchased Wife

The casino room was a sea of flashing lights, laughter, and whispers. The sound of chips sliding across tables blended with the murmur of discreet conversations and the soft music filling the air. For Lorenzo Bravo, this place was a refuge, a world where he controlled his fate—or so he thought.

Sitting at the highest-stakes table in the casino, Lorenzo eyed the cards in his hand. His brows furrowed slightly. He had already lost considerable sums that night, but he couldn’t afford to let it break him. His reputation was on the line. The watchful eyes of the other players were fixed on him, waiting for his next move.

Across the table, Jorge Robles observed him with a cold smile. He seemed unfazed, his confidence radiating from his calm demeanor. Jorge was a man who always played to win, and this time, he was about to claim something far more valuable than money.

Lorenzo took a deep breath and pushed all his chips to the center of the table. It was a risky move—the kind of gamble he thrived on.

“All in,” he said, with a faint smirk, trying to mask his uncertainty.

Jorge watched Lorenzo’s movement calmly before adding his own chips. The tension between the two was palpable, a true clash of titans. Lorenzo, known for his arrogance and thirst for victory, was willing to risk everything to recover what he had lost that night.

The dealer flipped the final cards. A silence fell over the table. Lorenzo’s smile began to waver.

“Royal Flush, Mr. Bravo,” the dealer announced, revealing Jorge Robles’ cards for all to see.

Lorenzo felt the ground vanish beneath his feet. Everything he had gambled was lost. He sat still for a moment, unable to process the magnitude of what had just happened. His eyes darkened with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

“It seems the game’s over for you, Lorenzo,” Jorge said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “But… we can discuss the terms of your debt.”

Lorenzo clenched his fists. He knew he was cornered. Jorge wasn’t just any man. Money wasn’t enough for him. He wanted more. Much more.

“What do you want, Robles?” Lorenzo asked, trying to maintain his composure, though he suspected the answer would far exceed his expectations.

Jorge smiled, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

“I want you to marry my daughter, Carolina,” Jorge said, in a tone that sounded more like an order than a proposal. “That will wipe your debt. And as a bonus, you’ll gain access to our family’s land. Quite the bargain, if you ask me.”

Lorenzo sat in silence for a moment. He had heard of Carolina, Jorge’s daughter. He had never met her in person, but he knew she was renowned for her beauty and intelligence. However, the thought of being forced into marriage as part of a deal sickened him.

“This is ridiculous,” Lorenzo muttered in disgust. “I won’t marry someone because of a debt.”

“Ridiculous would be losing everything you’ve built,” Jorge replied coldly. “Your company, your reputation. If I choose, I can ruin you, Lorenzo. Or… you can accept this offer, and we both come out ahead. You settle your debt, keep your company, and I secure my daughter’s future.”

Lorenzo gritted his teeth. He knew he had no choice. Jorge Robles had the power to destroy him if he wanted. He couldn’t let his empire crumble because of one foolish mistake.

“Fine,” Lorenzo said finally, tasting the bitter sting of defeat. “I accept.”

Jorge smiled, satisfied.

“Good. I’ll make all the arrangements. The wedding will happen soon. Carolina won’t be happy, but she’ll understand. Like you, she has no choice.”

***

At the Robles Mansion.

Carolina Robles was in the library, absorbed in a book, when she heard her father calling from downstairs.

“Carolina! Come down. Now!”

She closed the book with a sigh, already knowing that whatever her father had to say was unlikely to be good news. Jorge Robles rarely spoke to her in a gentle tone. Carolina was just another piece in his game, a means to consolidate his power and maintain control of his fortune.

As she descended the stairs, she found Jorge sitting in his leather chair, a look of triumph on his face that made her uneasy.

“What’s going on?” Carolina asked, crossing her arms.

“I have good news,” he said, with a cynical smile. “You’re getting married.”

The shock hit Carolina like a lightning bolt. She laughed, incredulous.

“This is some kind of joke?”

“It’s no joke. You’re marrying Lorenzo Bravo, the CEO of Bravo Enterprises. I just closed the deal. This marriage will benefit all of us.”

“You’re selling me to pay off your debts?” Carolina could hardly believe what she was hearing. Her voice trembled with anger. “This is absurd, Father!”

Jorge stood, towering over her with a threatening look.

“You’ll do as I say, Carolina. Our future depends on it. Bravo is in a precarious situation, and we need this marriage. It will be good for you, too.”

“Good for me? Marrying a man I don’t even know? A man who sees this as nothing more than a business transaction? This is madness!” Carolina shouted, fighting back tears.

“You will marry him, Carolina. And you’ll learn to accept it,” Jorge said, his voice firm and cutting.

Carolina shook her head in disbelief, her heart pounding and fear rising. To her, this wasn’t an agreement. It was the beginning of a nightmare.

The silence in the meeting room was suffocating. The large glass table reflected the soft lights from the chandelier above, and the scent of leather from the luxurious chairs filled the air. Lorenzo Bravo sat at the head of the table, absentmindedly flipping through some documents, as if this were just another routine business deal. His face remained expressionless, but his mind was racing. This marriage, though unwanted, was his only way out.

The door opened softly, and Carolina Robles entered. She was impeccably dressed in an elegant black dress that accentuated her firm and determined posture. Her eyes met Lorenzo's for a brief second before she looked away, full of disdain. Everything in that room felt suffocating to her, but it was Lorenzo who bothered her the most. To her, he was the man who saw her as a commodity, something he had "bought."

"Miss Robles, I'm glad you came," Lorenzo said, standing up formally. His tone was neutral, but there was a hint of superiority in his voice. He gestured to the seat across from him. "Please, have a seat."

Carolina ignored him for a moment, preferring to survey the room around her as if searching for an escape. She knew she had no choice. When her gaze finally returned to him, there was a mixture of anger and disgust in her eyes.

"I won’t stay here any longer than necessary, Mr. Bravo," Carolina said, her voice firm and controlled. She finally sat down but remained rigid, refusing to get comfortable in the setting. "Let’s just formalize this and move on with our lives."

Lorenzo raised an eyebrow, surprised but not intimidated by her hostility.

"Straight to the point, I like that," he said, leaning back in his chair. "It will make things easier for both of us."

Carolina glared at him coldly. The way he spoke, as if this were just a simple business contract, deeply irritated her.

"Easier?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you think this is easy for me, Mr. Bravo? Being forced to marry a man I’ve never met, all because my father decided I’m a bargaining chip to save his empire?"

"Let’s not pretend you don’t know how things work in this world, Miss Robles," Lorenzo replied, his tone calm but with a slight edge of irritation surfacing. "Your father isn’t just saving me. He’s protecting you too. Your family needs this marriage as much as I need this debt to be cleared."

"Don’t put me in the same category as you, Lorenzo," Carolina said, narrowing her eyes. "I didn’t ask to be in this situation. I didn’t ask to be traded like an object."

"An object?" Lorenzo leaned slightly forward, his eyes locked on hers. "That’s not how I see it. This is an arrangement, like any other. And like any arrangement, we both benefit. I clear my debts, and you… well, you gain a comfortable life."

Carolina felt a lump form in her throat. She knew Lorenzo was cold, but hearing these words directly from his mouth made her disgust for him grow even stronger.

"A comfortable life?" she repeated, her voice full of bitterness. "How generous of you. There’s nothing comfortable about being forced to marry someone who clearly sees me as a possession, as property to be bought and sold."

Lorenzo laughed, a short, humorless sound.

"Carolina, let’s stop pretending we’re victims here. You were born into this world just like I was. No one is here because they want to be. It’s a power game, and we both know it. The difference between you and me? I don’t pretend this is more than what it really is."

"Maybe that’s because you don’t know what it’s like to feel something real," she shot back, her voice sharp. "For you, everything is a game, isn’t it? A game you always have to win. But this time, Lorenzo, know that I’m not a piece on your board."

Lorenzo stared at her for a long moment, his eyes darkening. There was something about the way she spoke, a strength he hadn’t expected. Carolina wasn’t like the other women he had met. She wasn’t someone who would passively accept the situation.

"You have a lot of confidence, Carolina," he said, with a slight hint of provocation in his voice. "That’s something I admire. But don’t forget, despite all this attitude, you’re still sitting here at this table, about to sign the papers. Just like me."

"I have no illusions about my situation, Lorenzo," Carolina responded, her voice colder than ever. "I know very well that I’m here because I was forced. But that doesn’t mean you’ll have control over me."

Lorenzo gave a slight smile, but his eyes remained hard.

"We’ll see."

The silence that followed was thick, filled with unspoken tension. Carolina, still maintaining her composure, picked up the pen that was on the table and signed the marriage papers with quick, precise strokes. Lorenzo watched her closely, as if trying to decipher each of her reactions.

"Done," Carolina said, pushing the papers toward him. "Now we’re officially a couple. How romantic, isn’t it?"

Lorenzo couldn’t help but smirk. Her sarcasm amused him, though he wouldn’t admit it aloud.

"Romance isn’t part of this deal," he said, signing the papers immediately after. "But who knows? Things might change."

Carolina stood up quickly, straightening her dress. She shot one final look of disdain at Lorenzo before heading for the door.

"Don’t count on it," she muttered, leaving without looking back.

Lorenzo remained silent for a few moments, watching the door close behind her. Carolina Robles wasn’t like the other women he had known. She had a strength he hadn’t expected, and it intrigued him. For the first time, Lorenzo wondered if this arrangement might not be as simple as he had thought.