MidReal Story
Forbidden Alliance
Scenario: Arranged marriage between female CEO and poor female
Create my version of this story
I never wanted to get married.
I was too busy running the world’s largest conglomerate, Hart Enterprises, to even think about love.
But when my father’s health took a turn for the worse, I was left with no choice but to agree to an arranged marriage.
I thought it would be a simple business transaction.
I thought I’d never have to see my future wife again after the wedding.
I thought wrong.
The first time I met Lily Chen, I knew she was trouble.
She was a struggling artist with a million-dollar smile and a body that could stop traffic.
But it wasn’t just her looks that had me in a daze—it was her attitude.
She had this way of making me feel like I was the only person in the room, even though she barely knew who I was.
And when she looked at me with those warm brown eyes, I felt something stir deep inside me that I hadn’t felt in years.
It scared the hell out of me.
The city skyline glittered outside the window like a bedazzled gown, the lights of the skyscrapers winking in the darkness.
I stood in front of the glass and stared out at the view.
It was hard to believe that just a few days ago, I’d been on my way to a meeting, my mind consumed with the finer details of a new acquisition.
I’d been so close to closing the deal.
Instead, I’d been forced to turn around and rush back to the office after hearing that my father had been hospitalized.
Now, I was facing down one of the biggest challenges I’d ever encountered.
And it wasn’t a business deal gone bad or an employee who’d screwed up—it was my father’s health.
I’d spent the past ten years running Hart Enterprises with an iron fist, transforming it into the powerhouse it was today.
I was one of the most powerful businesspeople in the world, and I’d earned every bit of that reputation.
I was known for being fierce and uncompromising, but I was also fair.
I did what needed to be done for the good of the company, even if that meant making tough choices or pushing people a little harder than they liked.
I’d learned a long time ago not to let anything stand in my way, especially not love.
It was only a distraction, after all.
A weakness I couldn’t afford to have.
But now I found myself staring out the window at the city below, grappling with a decision like no other.
My father’s health had taken an unexpected turn for the worse.
He was still alive, but just barely.
And as we sat waiting for news on his condition, his lawyer had given me an ultimatum: either I agree to an arranged marriage or risk losing everything my father had worked so hard for.
At first, I’d been adamantly against getting married.
I didn’t want or need a partner—especially not one who had been chosen for me by someone else.
It wasn’t like we knew each other or loved each other.
We were two strangers bound together by a legal contract.
It was the last thing I wanted.
But as I waited for news of my father’s condition, I found myself reevaluating my stance.
If he didn’t make it, the company would be mine.
And if that meant I had to marry someone to keep it—well, so be it.
I’d do what was necessary to protect my family’s legacy and the people we employed.
It was what my father would have wanted.
Besides, it wasn’t like I’d be losing anything valuable.
After all, I’d already given up on love a long time ago.
I’d learned my lesson back when I was still a starry-eyed graduate student.
He’d been the last person I expected to capture my attention: a brilliant scientist who would rather spend his time tinkering with machines than talking to people.
I’d been the only woman patient enough to break through his walls and show him the kind of love he’d never experienced before.
But then he’d betrayed me in the worst way possible.
But as I looked out at the skyline and thought about what I was about to do, a shiver ran down my spine.
Could I really go through with this?
Marrying someone I barely knew?
All in the name of business?
It felt wrong on so many levels—like a betrayal not only to myself but also to all the years I’d spent proving that I could run Hart Enterprises with as much success (if not more) than any man who’d come before me.
But as I looked at my reflection in the window, a wave of sadness washed over me.
My eyes—those piercing blue eyes my mother had called windows to my soul—were filled with a grief so profound it made my chest ache.The gray streaks that had started to appear at my temples seemed more pronounced than ever before.
And the fine lines around my mouth and eyes were deeper than they’d been just a few days earlier.
My father was dying, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
The very thought brought tears to my eyes, but I blinked them away before they could fall.
Now was not the time for weakness.
I needed to keep it together.
Everything was riding on this decision.
Including my future.
For a moment, my mind drifted to Lily Chen.
Her warm brown eyes and easy smile were like a balm for my wounded soul, and the memory of her made me forget everything else.
But only for a moment.
As much as I was drawn to her, I knew that getting involved with her would be a mistake.
This marriage wasn’t about love or companionship.
It was a strategic decision, and one that I was willing to make in order to secure the future of my family and the company my father had worked so hard to build.
With that thought in mind, I took a deep breath and turned away from the window.
There would be time to mourn later.
Right now, I had a meeting to get ready for.
The conference room was filled with the anxious energy of those who knew they’d be facing down a formidable opponent, but that didn’t mean they were ready to back down.
They exchanged tense glances and worried whispers, casting wary looks in my direction as I entered the room.
I ignored them and took my seat, my gaze fixed on the door as I waited for the meeting to begin.
The lawyer entered first, followed closely by the woman I’d been told I would be marrying in a few short weeks.
She was even more beautiful than I remembered: her dark hair cascading in waves around her shoulders and her sapphire-blue eyes sparkling with intelligence and determination.
She wore a simple black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, drawing attention to the swell of her breasts and the long expanse of her legs.
But for all her obvious beauty, I couldn’t bring myself to smile or do more than offer a brief nod in her direction before turning my attention to the matter at hand.
I would be spending plenty of time with her in the future, after all, and there would be plenty of opportunity for us to get to know each other better.
But that didn’t mean I had to pretend to be happy about it right now.
Her gaze scanned the room as if she were looking for someone in particular.
And then she caught my eye.
I felt a jolt of awareness in the pit of my stomach and forced myself to look away before I did something foolish.
She smiled at me, her expression warm and genuine, and I found myself smiling back before I could stop myself.
Her smile was like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, and it was impossible to resist its pull.
But I forced myself to look away again and clench my hands into fists in my lap.
I couldn’t afford to be distracted right now.
Not when so much was at stake.
We exchanged a few pleasantries as we waited for everyone to take their seats.
She was open and friendly and surprisingly easy to talk to, and for a moment, I allowed myself to imagine what it might be like if things were different—if I were free to pursue a friendship with her or something more.
But then Sarah appeared at my side, offering me a stack of folders and a pen before reminding me that we had a meeting in half an hour and there were still several items on the agenda that needed to be addressed.
I blinked and forced myself to focus on what she was saying, the weight of my responsibilities settling in my stomach like a lead weight.
There would be time for daydreams later.
Right now, I needed to focus on the matter at hand.
The meeting began in earnest after that, with the lawyers guiding us through all the legal ramifications of the marriage and answering any questions we might have about the process.
It was all very straightforward and simple, but it was clear that not everyone in the room was entirely comfortable with the idea of marrying a stranger.
Still, no one said anything—no one voiced any objections or raised any concerns—and as the meeting drew to a close, I realized that this decision was entirely up to me.
I knew what needed to be done.
I took a deep breath as I stepped up to the podium.
The room was filled with people: board members and investors and members of the press.
They all watched me with a mixture of fear and awe, as if they were waiting for me to make a misstep so they could pounce and tear me apart like a pack of wild animals.
I couldn’t blame them.
After all, I’d spent years cultivating my reputation as a ruthless businesswoman who would do anything to protect my company—even if it meant sacrificing myself in the process.
I was used to being seen as a cold-hearted bitch who was impossible to get close to, but I was also beginning to understand that there was more to life than Hart Enterprises.
I was just starting to figure out what I wanted when everything came crashing down around me.
When my father’s health began to fail, I knew it was time to step up and do whatever was necessary to save the company he’d worked so hard to build.
Including marrying a complete stranger.
I sighed as I looked out at the crowd.
I’d spent years working my way up through the ranks of Hart Enterprises—learning everything I could about every facet of the business so I could be prepared when it was time for me to take over—and now all that hard work was about to come to fruition.
Her voice was like honey, sweet and smooth and sultry, and it tugged at something deep inside me that I’d long since buried beneath a cool, corporate exterior.
I frowned as I scanned the crowded ballroom, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from.
There were several speakers set up around the room, playing a prerecorded track to accompany the live band on stage, but this voice sounded different—more immediate, more intimate.
I turned toward the stage and my breath caught in my throat.
There was a woman standing at the microphone, singing with her eyes closed and her head thrown back, her long, dark hair cascading down her back in loose waves.
She was wearing a simple black dress and strappy silver heels, and she looked more beautiful than any supermodel I’d ever seen in a magazine.
But it wasn’t just her appearance that captivated me—it was the way she moved, the way she emoted with every note, as if she were channeling all her energy and passion into this one moment.
And the way she sang… It made my heart ache.
It made me feel things I hadn’t felt in years.
I quickly scanned the program in my lap, trying to figure out who this woman was and how she’d managed to hijack the event, but I couldn’t find anything.
It was possible she was one of the other performers—someone who’d been hired to entertain the guests and encourage them to open their wallets for this worthy cause—but even so, she clearly had no respect for the schedule or the rules.
But then she began to sing in Mandarin, and I stopped caring about any of that.
I stopped caring about everything except the sound of her voice and the way she made me feel—like I was falling head over heels in love for the very first time.
I watched, spellbound, as she sang about longing and desire, heartbreak and hope, and I was filled with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.
It had been years since I’d felt anything remotely like this—years since I’d allowed myself to be swept away by my emotions—and I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it.
The song came to an end all too soon, and the woman opened her eyes and smiled at the audience, seemingly unaffected by her own performance.
She didn’t seem to realize—or care—that she’d just bared her soul in front of a roomful of strangers.
Or maybe she did know but didn’t care.
Either way, there was something about her open-heartedness that made me want to get closer to her—even as it sent a chill down my spine.
I forced myself to look away before I did something foolish and unprofessional like ask for an introduction or invite her out for a drink, even though we both knew I didn’t have time for such things right now.
But when I met Sarah’s gaze across the room a moment later, I knew it was already too late.
Thank you so much for coming,” Sarah said as we shook hands at the end of the event.
“It was great to see you again.”
“It was great to see you too,” I said with a small smile.
