Heart attack

The room exudes tranquility and beauty, making it the perfect place to unwind after a long day.

Ophelia sits on the bed, staring at a picture of a ten-year-old girl. Her eyes are filled with sadness and regret.

Julio enters the room and says, "We need to find a way to help our son. The rumors about him won’t stop spreading."

"What son are you talking about? Is Richard our son?" Ophelia asks, confused.

"Not this again, Ophelia," Julio replies wearily. Ophelia throws the picture at him.

"She is our daughter, not Richard! After you adopted Richard twenty years ago, you completely forgot about our daughter—the heiress to the Hernandez family!" Ophelia shouts.

"It's high time you accept that we may never find our daughter!"

"And whose fault is that? If you hadn’t been so careless and left our daughter alone in that mall, she’d still be here with us! Instead of searching for her, you adopted a devil!"

"Richard isn’t a devil, and you know it!"

"It’s easy for you to say, since you weren’t the one who gave birth to Adriana! From the day Richard came into our house, I’ve resented him because you adopted him as a replacement for our daughter! He’s always had that cold attitude, and yet you brought him here!"

"I’m sure there’s a reason for his attitude. Even though it’s been over twenty years, I believe there’s more to it. Richard works tirelessly to make our company a success. You should be grateful, instead of clinging to the past and longing for a daughter we may never find. It’s been over twenty years—accept our fate and Richard as your son!"

"Over my dead body, Julio!" Ophelia shouts.

"You’re not thinking clearly. You should sleep on it."

"There’s nothing to sleep on! I’m going to destroy Richard!"

"You know what Richard is capable of. We may have adopted him twenty years ago, but he’s more powerful and influential than us. If he harms you, I won’t be able to protect you! And if you’re the one spreading those anonymous rumors about Richard, you’ll face the consequences," Julio says as he walks out of the room.

Ophelia screams in anger, smashing everything on her dressing table. Her eyes blaze with fury.

"I’m going to ruin you, Richard! Spreading rumors about you being gay is just the beginning. I’ll destroy you completely, along with everyone around you!" Ophelia hisses.

---

When Kristin arrives at Richard’s mansion, she’s stunned by its beauty and grandeur. The mansion is enormous, with a vast garden full of trees and flowers.

The long, curved driveway leads to a grand front door, and the meticulously maintained garden is impressive. The mansion’s grandeur suggests it could house several more buildings. Kristin has never seen such opulence in her small town of Glenwood; this mansion must be worth billions.

If the exterior is breathtaking, she imagines the interior is even more spectacular. Kristin thinks to herself, her eyes taking in every detail, until she bumps into Richard’s chest.

She steps back. "I’m sorry; I was mesmerized by your mansion," Kristin says with a bubbly smile.

Richard, ignoring her, addresses Luke. "I’ll take it from here. You should head home and take one of the cars with you," Richard says as he heads toward the entrance.

Richard’s voice cuts through her thoughts. "Are you coming or not?"

Kristin nods and follows Richard inside. Meanwhile, Luke smiles and drives off in one of Richard’s cars.

The garage is filled with numerous cars of various colors and sizes.

Kristin almost faints as she enters the house with Richard. The living room alone is larger than all the houses in her neighborhood.

The entire house is decorated in white and glass, exuding luxury. Kristin curses herself inwardly for mistaking Richard for a thief.

The thought of living in such luxury makes her smile, but her reverie is interrupted when Richard snaps his fingers in front of her face.

"Are you done daydreaming?" he asks. Kristin nods with a nervous smile.

"Follow me," he orders.

Kristin starts to follow him upstairs but remembers she isn’t carrying her luggage. "My luggage!" she exclaims.

Richard looks at her, hands in his pockets. "Why do you need it?"

"My clothes are in that luggage! I need to get it," Kristin says, turning to leave. Richard grabs her by the hood of her hoodie, just as he did before.

"You’re not going anywhere, Peanut," he says, letting go of her hood.

"Why?"

"You won’t need those clothes. You’re my wife now, and from now on, your wardrobe and lifestyle will change completely."

---

It is dawn, and the morning sun is shining, but Kristin is reluctant to get out of bed. Richard has given her a room in his mansion, and it’s the first time she’s slept in such comfort without the disturbances she faced in Glenwood.

She smiles in her sleep, unaware that Richard is watching her. She tosses and turns until she opens her eyes and sees Richard standing by the bed with his stern expression.

Kristin screams and jumps out of bed. "What… what are you doing here?" she stutters.

"Where else would I be, if not in my own house?" he replies.

"I know it’s your house, but seeing your cold face first thing in the morning is enough to give me a heart attack," Kristin says, touching her chest.

"Get ready; we’re going out."

"Where are we going?"

"To change everything about you. The way you look irritates me. We’ll make a change before I announce to the public that you’re my wife. Have your bath and make it quick; I’ll be back," Richard says as he leaves.

"Have your bath and make it quick, I’ll be back," Kristin mimics Richard and scoffs. She notices a beautiful dress and some lingerie on the couch, she picks them up, and smiles.

"It’s so beautiful. Who would have thought Mr. Grouchy knew how to pick a dress?" she muses.

She hurries into the bathroom and spends several minutes playing in the bathtub and singing with the hand shower.

Kristin dances under the shower, forgetting Richard is waiting for her. It’s her first time using such luxuries.

When she finally emerges from the bathroom, dressed and ready, Richard is waiting by the door.

"I’m ready," she says.

Richard assesses her outfit. Though she’s slightly skinny, the dress fits her perfectly.

"Follow me," he orders, walking away.

Kristin follows him downstairs, where she’s awestruck by the array of delicacies on the dining table. The professional chefs are setting up the table with an impressive variety of dishes.

Richard notices Kristin’s fascination with the food and guides her to one of the glass chairs.

Kristin’s mouth waters at the sight of the spread. She’s only ever had one kind of meal growing up, and now there are sushi, truffles, oysters, and much more.

"Why aren’t you eating?" Richard asks.

"This is the first time I’ve seen so much food," Kristin says with a smile, her eyes misty.

"Eat as much as you want. We have a lot to do," Richard says.

Kristin nods and begins sampling the various dishes, smiling and savoring the taste.

Being wealthy has its perks, enjoying the luxurious meals, she wish her family could experience this too.

Richard watches her eat. He’s not a big fan of food and eats slowly.

Kristin notices that all the chefs are male and wonders if the rumors about Richard are true. She puts down her utensils and asks, "Are you done eating? Can I ask a question?"

"Did I mention in our contract that you’re allowed to ask questions?" Richard replies.

"It’s important."

"If your question annoys me, you won’t like my response. Are you in?" Richard’s tone is firm.

Kristin nods slowly, her gaze shifting to the chefs.

Richard understands and sends the chefs away. They don’t live with him but come in to cook and then leave.

"What’s your question?" Richard asks.

"Are you gay?" She questioned.