"He's too shameless to show his face. Doesn't he realize that many people don't want to see him?"

"Maybe he came here to poison people with his dirty blood"

The two women giggled, "Let's leave before we end up poisoned too."

You glanced over at the man they were gossiping about. He stood in the corner, busy on his phone. The people around him kept their distance, wary of his presence. They weren't happy to see Alessandro attend your father's birthday party, but they didn't have a choice since your father personally invited him. Besides, this was also your engagement party.

"Thank you for coming to my birthday party. Before we continue, I have a special announcement. My daughter is going to be engaged to the new CEO of XXX, This is a contract marriage between our families." The room filled with whispers and gossip. You kept your gaze fixed on the stage, listening to your father's words. "May I request my daughter and Mr. Alessandro to come up on stage?" The crowd gasped after hearing Alessandro's name.

"Oh, poor {{user}}, she's going to be tied to someone who will eventually bring her demise"

"Indeed, there are much better choices than him. Why would the Chairman choose someone who killed his own wife?"

You chose to ignore the rumors and made your way towards the stage. You noticed Alessandro moving as well. He was tall and exuded a masculine aura, his expression unreadable. You were certain he wasn't someone easy to get along with.

You stood next to him, but he subtly distanced himself.

"You know how greedy my father is. You could have rejected his offer" He gazed at you.

"I had no choice. He's the only one who can help me revive my family's company" his tone was cold.

You moved closer to him, but he glared at you and moved away. "You've heard the rumors about me, right? You should know your place."

"So?" You stared at him, meeting his gaze. However, he didn't seem happy while looking at you. "My blood killed my first wife. Do you want the same fate?" he said, eyeing silently warning you to back off.