Neon desire

chapter 1: The stage of destiny

The Aurivale Celestia Tower Ballroom buzzed with the usual high-society chatter. Holographic displays shimmered against the marble floor, and every guest tried to look more important than the next. Theodore Perez entered quietly, letting his presence settle over the crowd without needing to announce it. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as whispers followed him.

He didn’t look for Emiliano Sanchez. He already knew Emiliano would be here—he always was.

The lights dimmed. A hush fell over the room. On the grand stage, Valeria Sanchez and Sebastian Perez stepped forward, side by side, commanding attention without a word. Every conversation stilled. Every eye turned.

Valeria raised a hand. “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight marks more than just a celebration of corporate achievement. Tonight, we honor the uniting of two families—the Perez and Sanchez lineages—through marriage.”

A ripple of murmurs spread across the ballroom. Theodore’s lips pressed together, expression unreadable. He raised an eyebrow slightly at the screen behind the stage: the Perez and Sanchez family crests had merged.

Emiliano’s jaw stiffened, and he stepped closer to Karen Miller, whose wide-eyed innocence seemed even more forced than usual. His eyes flicked to Theodore, narrowing. “What the hell—”

“Marriage,” Valeria continued smoothly, “between Theodore Perez and Emiliano Sanchez.”

Theodore’s lips curved into the faintest of smiles. Nothing more. Outwardly, he made no move, no reaction. Yet inside, a storm was gathering. A family arrangement. A man who… indulges every woman, yet is now his husband by decree.

Emiliano’s fists tightened. His mouth opened and closed. “This… this isn’t happening,” he growled.

Theodore’s gaze met his briefly, unblinking. Nothing. And yet, the mere steadiness of that look—without arrogance, without flair—felt like a challenge Emiliano hadn’t expected.

Karen gasped, softly at first, then louder. “What?” Her hand clutched Emiliano’s sleeve as if trying to stake her claim.

Emiliano turned sharply to her. “Don’t.” His voice was low, tight. Then he faced Theodore again, expression unreadable but burning with frustration. “You don’t… you can’t expect me to—”

Theodore tilted his head, quiet. He said nothing. A single, deliberate pause. His lips curved just enough to show he was listening, weighing, unshaken. Emiliano’s words seemed to fizzle against him.

Inside, Theodore’s thoughts spun. There goes my dream of wanting to find true love and live forever after, he sighs inwardly like he'd just aged ten more years in an instant. Not in this. Not with someone like him. But they think I’ll play along?

Outside, Emiliano’s mind roared with anger. Not just at the arrangement, but at the ridiculousness of finding himself in an arranged marriage with the man before him, he disliked him and the feeling is mutual as per his observation. The man who didn’t flinch. Didn’t beg. Didn’t even seem offended. He doesn’t fear me. Why doesn’t he fear me? He thought in his mind.

The hall was alive with whispers, but Theodore’s focus never left Emiliano, watching his jaw tighten, the way his fingers flexed, the subtle twitch of his dark eyes.

Karen’s lips pressed into a thin line, green eyes flaring with barely contained fury. She smiled politely at Theodore, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She would need a plan.

Theodore stepped back. Polite, composed. Hands in pockets. Outwardly indifferent. Inside, every thought churned. He hated the idea of being tied to someone who thought the world revolved around him. He hated being part of a political game instead of a choice. And yet… he would endure. At least for now.

Emiliano stormed away first, muttering, his jaw tight, back rigid, trying to shake the sense of being outmaneuvered by someone he didn’t yet understand.

Theodore lingered for a moment longer, letting the room settle, letting the eyes and whispers fall on him, letting the first tremors of what would be an unforgettable battle begin.