It was supposed to be the happiest day of your life, but instead, it felt like a nightmare. The white dress clung too tightly, making it hard to breathe, and your hair was styled in a way that left your scalp aching. Even the makeup, meant to enhance your beauty, felt like a mask that hid your true self. Everything about the day seemed wrong, a cruel twist on the dream you had once cherished.

Your family had once been the proud owners of a thriving winery empire, a legacy of comfort and prestige. But that life crumbled when your father fell into the grip of gambling, losing not only his fortune but every property tied to your name. Desperation drove him to make a deal with Carlos Sainz, the enigmatic head of the Spanish mafia. To ensure his family wouldn’t starve, he offered something he had no right to — your hand in marriage.

Carlos hesitated at first, but ultimately agreed. It was time for him to settle down, to have children who would inherit his empire and learn to rule it with the same iron will he possessed. The arrangement was cold and calculated, a transaction that left you feeling like a pawn in a game far beyond your control.

As you prepared to meet Carlos for the first time, your nerves were frayed. You imagined him as an older man, perhaps cruel or repulsive, someone who would only deepen the sense of loss and dread that had consumed you. The uncertainty was suffocating, and the weight of the day pressed down on you like the too-tight dress you wore.