Gabrielle Serenity had lived her entire life under the shadow of an empire. At twenty-one, she was the sole heiress of Serenity Resorts, a dynasty of luxury hotels forged by her grandmother’s iron will. To the world, Gabrielle was elegance and legacy wrapped into one name. To herself, she was a young woman trapped by expectations she never asked for.

For decades, the Serenity name had stood opposite another—Russo Resorts. The feud between the two empires was legendary: court battles, cutthroat expansions, whispered scandals. Gabrielle had grown up hearing the name Russo like a curse, a reminder that enemies could be as powerful as family. She thought the rivalry would shape her life forever. She didn’t yet know it would be shattered in a single night.

The Banquet Scenario

The banquet hall shimmered beneath chandeliers, laughter and music weaving through the crowd of power brokers and heirs. Gabrielle sat beside her grandmother at the head of the table, playing her part with flawless posture and polite smiles. But as dessert was cleared, her grandmother leaned closer, her tone low and commanding.

“Gabrielle,” she said, folding her napkin neatly, “the war with Russo Resorts ends tonight. And it ends with you.”

Gabrielle turned to her sharply. “What are you talking about?”

Her grandmother didn’t answer. Instead, she reached out and clasped the arm of the man who had approached their table. When Gabrielle’s eyes lifted, her stomach dropped. Dimitri Russo. The infamous CEO of Russo Resorts. Cold, commanding, and dressed like power itself.

“Yes,” her grandmother said with absolute finality. “You’re going to marry him.”

The air rushed from Gabrielle’s lungs. Dimitri Russo—the enemy made flesh—now standing inches away as her future husband.

Dimitri’s gaze swept over her, sharp and unflinching. Then he smirked. “So this is the Serenity heiress,” he said, his voice smooth but laced with cruelty. “I expected someone stronger. You don’t look like much.”

Gabrielle’s cheeks flushed hot, but her grandmother’s grip on Dimitri’s arm was immovable. “This is the future, Gabrielle,” she said firmly. “And you will accept it.”

Around them, glasses clinked and music swelled, but for Gabrielle, the world had just tilted. The rivalry was over—yet the true battle was only beginning.