Chapter 2
Sebastian
PRESENT DAY
My head felt like it had been split open with a hammer.
I groaned and rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling like it might explain why I did this to myself every damn time. Light filtered in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, way too bright, way too judgmental.
Fuck.
Last night came back in fragments. A bar. Too many drinks. Laughter that wasn’t funny. Faces blurring together. The familiar weight of excess, money, alcohol, attention, all of it smothering rather than satisfying.
I turned my head.
There was a woman sprawled across my bed, dark hair fanned over my pillow, naked shoulder peeking out from beneath the sheet like she belonged there.
I didn’t know her name. Didn’t even have a guess.
I swore under my breath and swung my legs off the bed, the room tilting slightly as I stood. Great. Hungover and morally exhausted. A winning combination.
I headed straight for the bathroom, flipped open the cabinet, and dry-swallowed an Advil like my life depended on it. Then I braced my hands on the sink and looked up.
The mirror reflected exactly what the tabloids loved to print.
Sebastian Vale. Billionaire heir. Permanent scowl. Dark circles under sharp green eyes. The kind of face people assumed never worried about consequences.
They weren’t wrong, but that didn’t mean I liked it.
My phone buzzed from the bedroom.
I grabbed it, already irritated, and the message punched me straight in the gut.
Assistant: Board meeting. 9:00 a.m. Don’t be late.
I glanced at the clock.
8:59 a.m.
“Shit.”
I moved fast, shower on, clothes off, water scalding as I scrubbed away last night like it had offended me personally. No time to think. No time to regret. Just damage control.
I was tugging on my shirt when I heard movement behind me.
“Hey,” a soft voice said.
I turned. She was sitting up now, sheet pulled to her chest, smiling like this was the beginning of something instead of the end.
“Hey,” I replied, already backing toward the door. “Listen, I don’t mean to…uh…cut your sleep short, but I really have to go.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I’ve got work. Important work. And I’m already late.”
She smiled wider. “That’s fine. I’ll stay. I’ll be here when you get back.”
I stopped short.
“No,” I said. “That… can’t happen.”
Her smile fell. “Excuse me?”
“This was just a one-night thing,” I said carefully. “I don’t know if I mentioned it last night, but I don’t do…”
“Wow.” She laughed, sharp and humorless. “You’re a prick.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I’ve heard that before.”
She threw the sheet aside, yanked on her clothes with furious efficiency, and grabbed her bag.
“Fuck you,” she snapped.
“The door's unlocked,” I said, already reaching for my jacket.
She slammed it behind her.
Silence rushed in.
I exhaled slowly, rubbing my face. I was never beating the Playboy allegations. My face had been plastered across enough magazines to prove that—New York’s Hottest Billionaire Bachelor, like it was some kind of achievement.
God, I hated it.
But I didn’t have time to spiral. If my grandmother found out I was late to a Vale Enterprises board meeting, I’d never hear the end of it.
I grabbed my phone and keys and headed out.
“Office,” I told the driver as I slid into the backseat. “Now.”
The car pulled away, the city waking up around us, and I leaned back, eyes closing for just a second.
Another night erased. Another woman forgotten. And somehow, the hangover wasn’t the worst part.
I made it into the building with exactly zero seconds to spare.
Joanna was already waiting in the lobby, arms crossed, sensible heels planted like she’d been holding the floor together by sheer will. Sixty years old, iron-gray hair in a neat bun, eyes sharp enough to slice through bullshit.
“Sebastian,” she said flatly. “You’re late.”
“I know, Joanna,” I muttered, adjusting my cufflinks as we walked. “I’m sorry.”
She gave me a sideways look. “Please tell me that you didn’t have a new woman in your bed last night.”
I sighed. “I’m not answering that.”
She stopped walking. Fully stopped. “Sebastian.”
“I wasn’t thinking last night,” I admitted, lowering my voice. “I went out for a few drinks. That was supposed to be it. I don’t even know how I ended up back at my place with her.”
Joanna clicked her tongue. “You’re almost thirty. About to take over Vale Enterprises. You cannot keep doing this.”
“I know,” I said. “I really do.”
She studied my face for a moment, then turned sharply toward the hallway. “The meeting has already started. Come on. Your father’s in a mood.”
“Great,” I muttered. “Fantastic. Love that for me.”
She pushed open the boardroom doors.
Every conversation died instantly.
All heads turned toward me. My father sat at the head of the table, jaw tight, expression carved from stone. My grandmother’s chair beside him was empty, but her presence still lingered. It always did.
“Good morning,” I said calmly, like I hadn’t just walked into a firing squad. “Ladies and gentlemen.”
I took my seat. My father didn’t look at me.
“As I was saying,” he continued coolly, “before we were interrupted…”
I clenched my jaw and focused.
The meeting moved fast. Expansion reports. Market projections. Risk assessments. Vale Enterprises wasn’t just money; it was infrastructure, real estate, logistics, and energy holdings. Legitimate on paper. Ruthless beneath it.
“We’re finalizing the Midtown redevelopment,” one board member said. “Commercial towers, mixed-use housing, retail space. Projected ROI at twenty-eight percent within five years.”
“We need tighter oversight on construction contracts,” I added. “Too many middlemen. We streamline now, we cut costs long-term.”
A few heads nodded.
“International shipping routes are seeing delays,” another executive chimed in. “We propose shifting operations through Rotterdam to bypass congestion.”
“Approved,” my father said. “But only with enhanced security protocols.”
I leaned forward. “And we diversify. Tech investments. Fintech. Quiet acquisitions. We don’t put all our weight on physical assets.”
This time, more nods. Even my father glanced at me.
Good.
The meeting wrapped up forty minutes later.
“Thank you for your time,” my father said. “This meeting is adjourned.”
Chairs scraped back. People filed out. Slowly.
Too slowly.
Soon it was just the two of us.
He stood, hands braced on the table. “You were late.”
“I know, Dad. It wasn’t intentional.”
“You’ve said that the last ten times,” he snapped.
“I’m aware.”
He gestured sharply toward the door. His assistant appeared, holding out a tablet.
“Do you know what this is?” my father asked.
The screen lit up.
Me. In a club. Laughing. A drink in my hand. Music blaring. The caption read:
Vale Heir Parties While Empire Burns
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Do you know how embarrassing this is?” he continued. “Every week, Sebastian. Every single week.”
“I was just out with friends,” I said. “I’m allowed to have a life.”
“You are a public figure,” he shot back. “That means there are places you don’t go. Things you don’t do. Responsibilities, and most importantly, Family Legacy you don’t get to ignore.”
He paused, then lowered his voice.
“You’re thirty. You should be settled by now. Instead, you’re with a different woman every week. Arm candy. Headlines. And the board is starting to ask if you’re fit to be CEO, the same way I’m questioning if you’re fit to be the next Don.”
That hit harder than I expected.
“I won’t disappoint you, Nonna,” I said quietly.
His expression tightened. “You better not.”
He left without another word.
I slumped back into my chair, exhaling slowly.
Joanna hovered nearby. “That… was not good.”
“No,” I said. “It really wasn’t.”
My phone rang.
I looked down at the screen.
Grandmother.
I straightened immediately.
“Shit,” I whispered.
And answered.
“Hello?” I said, already bracing myself.
“Good morning, Young Master.”
I groaned inwardly. Gerald. My grandmother’s assistant. Which meant one thing and one thing only.
“Hey, Gerald,” I said. “Where’s my grandmother?”
“She’s currently occupied,” he replied politely. “However, she’s requested that you come to the estate immediately. She’d like a word.”
“Shit,” I muttered before I could stop myself. “Okay. I’ll be there.”
The call ended.
Joanna was watching me with that knowing look she reserved for moments when my life was about to implode.
“Trouble?” she asked.
“My grandmother,” I said flatly.
She winced. “Ah.”
“Yeah,” I sighed, grabbing my jacket. “Wish me luck.”
“You’ll need it,” she said. “Try not to look guilty.”
“No promises.”
I slid into the back seat of the car and told the driver to head straight to the estate.
As the city blurred past the window, my thoughts spiraled.
I’d given my entire life to Vale Enterprises. From the moment I could walk, it was already decided: Sebastian Vale, future heir. No alternatives. No rebellion phase. No dreams that weren’t already mapped out for me.
My grandfather had built the company from the ground up. An American businessman with ruthless ambition who fell in love with an Italian immigrant woman just as formidable as he was. Together, they’d created an empire and a powerful mafia.
When he died, my father stepped in as CEO. My grandmother stayed on as Chairwoman. And now…now it was supposed to be my turn.
I had plans. Real ones. Expansion. Modernization. Turning Vale into something untouchable.
And yet here we were, my competence questioned because I couldn’t keep my face out of the tabloids.
The car slowed as we entered the estate grounds.
Home.
I stepped out, straightened my suit, and headed toward my grandmother’s wing. Gerald stood by the door, hands folded neatly.
“Young Master,” he greeted warmly.
“Gerald,” I said, forcing a smile. “How are you today?”
“Very well, thank you. She’s upstairs.”
“Yoga?” I guessed.
He nodded.
Of course.
I climbed the stairs quietly and found her in the sunlit room, seated cross-legged on a mat, eyes closed, breathing slow and controlled.
I didn’t interrupt.
I just stood there and watched her.
She wasn’t frail, not really. White hair pulled back neatly, posture perfect, energy calm but powerful. Still strong. Still formidable. Still terrifying.
This woman had raised me.
My mother died hours after giving birth to me. No siblings. No replacements. My father never remarried, just women who passed through his life without names I ever learned.
My grandmother had been everything.
Her eyes opened slowly, sharp and knowing.
A smile spread across her face.
“Sebastiano,” she said warmly. “Il mio bellissimo nipote.” My beautiful grandson.
She stood, pulling me into her arms before I could react.
“Hello, Grandmother,” I said, kissing her cheek. “You look… fit.”
She laughed. “I must stay alive long enough to see my great-grandchildren.”
I rolled my eyes. “Here we go.”
She stepped back, studying my face, and then her expression hardened.
“You’re on the news again.”
I exhaled. “Grandmother…”
She turned on the television.
There I was. Again. Lips locked with a woman in a club.
“Oh, for God’s sake. How do they even get these?” I muttered.
“Because they are everywhere. Watching. Waiting,” she asked coolly.
“I don’t want to be a public figure,” I admitted quietly.
She looked at me sharply. “Then you were born into the wrong family.”
Fair.
“Sebastian,” she continued, softer now. “I’m not getting younger.”
I stiffened.
“I want to see you settled. With someone who loves you. Who treats you well?”
I hesitated. “Grandmother, I...”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re too old to still be playing these games. Have you ever met a woman you’ve fancied?”
My mind betrayed me, flashed briefly to a woman from months ago. Heavy makeup. Sharp F eyes. A night I couldn’t fully remember, yet somehow never forgot.
And then, nothing.
“No,” I said. “There’s no one.”
She sighed. “You’re thirty. At your age, your grandfather and I were already married. We had your father.”
“I know, Nonna.”
She stepped closer. “This chaos ends now.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m adding a clause to your inheritance.”
I froze. “What?”
“You must be married before you take over Vale Enterprises.”
My stomach dropped. “You can’t be serious. What does my nuptials have to do with running the company?”
“If you can lead a home,” she said calmly, “you can lead an empire.”
“That makes no sense…”
“It makes perfect sense,” she snapped. “This is final.”
She softened immediately after. “Please. Do this for me.”
I clenched my jaw.
“…Fine,” I said. “I’ll do it.”
Her smile returned instantly.
“Perfect, I’ve already arranged a date for you.”
I blinked. “Of course you have.”
“Her name is Ingrid Corvino, she’s a very lovely girl. You’ll love her, I promise,” she said confidently.
I’m sure I won’t, but I won’t say that to her.
I smiled tightly, already planning exactly how to ruin it.
And that was how my life officially went to hell.