Milan - Italy

That was not a typical day in the Rossi family, the movement around the house was more hectic than usual, all that commotion was due to the return of the family's second son, causing a stir even among the mansion's staff.

Igor Rossi was standing in that corridor, leaning against the wall, seeming unconcerned. The servant who was coming out of the study with a tray of tea couldn't help but look at him.

Igor's long hair was partially tied back, while some strands fell onto his face, but it didn't hide his well-shaped eyebrows and well-treated skin. The two top buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing his collarbone, which didn't go unnoticed by anyone who looked at that masterpiece. It was a true sensual, hot, and captivating appeal.

Igor noticed the gaze of that employee and was determined to provoke him.

"Are you new here? I don't think I've ever seen you in this house before."

The dim light coming from the ceiling reflected the slight smile on his lips, tormenting many people, including leaving that poor boy embarrassed and with red ears.

"Mr. Igor..."

Before he could continue, the voices coming from a room further ahead became more evident, capturing the attention of the two men.

"Why did the second son of the Rossi family come back during this critical time for the family?"

"Who could know? Wasn't he always tested when he came back home? He was sent overseas a long time ago, where is his place in this family?"

"I heard there's a problem with the companies, so his grandad decided to call him back to help resolve the situation."

"Help? Are you kidding me? Don't you know how carefree and extravagant he leads his life overseas? It's more likely he returned to compete with the third son for the family's fortune."

This conversation came from employees who took a moment before the meal to gossip. They seemed to want to speak quietly, but it wasn't enough, as Igor was able to hear everything, and part of what they were saying was true.

In the year Igor's mother died, he was sent overseas by his father and grandfather. He was only seven years old when that happened. At first, Igor would come back during school holidays, but soon his father remarried, both secretly and openly, and intentionally kept the boy away.

At first, a family friend who was a priest defended him, but soon took sides and sided with the new lady of the house. His father and grandfather became indifferent towards Igor.

His thoughts and affection for his family faded over time, so Igor began to return home less frequently, distancing himself further from what he could once call his family.

In the blink of an eye, he became dispensable to his relatives, even the employees dared to talk about him behind his back. He heard all those comments, and the smile on his face grew cold.

The poor employee holding the tray didn't know what to do. He was about to go to that room and reprimand everyone, but Igor reached out and took a cup from the tray.

"I'll need this."

The finely crafted, flowery cup was held firmly in the young man's hands. Then, with a perfect curve, he threw it, landing in front of the door of the room where the voices were coming from, causing the excited gossip to stop.

The employees who were in the midst of gossiping came out to see what was happening, encountering Igor standing with his hands in his pants pockets, leaning against the wall again.

"Why don't you speak up and say it to my face now? I guarantee the next cup will go straight to your heads."

Everyone was embarrassed, starting to panic as they gathered the fragments. Then, the office door opened, and two men came out, one older and the other middle-aged.

"Grandfather, father," he greeted, pulling away from the wall.

After so many years of separation, the relationships between grandfather and grandson, father and son, were simply strange, but in that house, titles still had to be spoken and respected.

"What happened here? Why all this commotion?" the older man asked, seeming dissatisfied.

"It's nothing, just that some people talk nonsense and it annoys me."

Francesco looked at his grandson with a hawk-like gaze, examining him. After a few seconds, he gave an order, seemingly displeased.

"Why don't you dress properly? Button up your shirt before sitting at the table," he turned and walked towards the dining room.

Igor's grandfather made his fortune early on with freight businesses, traveling long distances alone. Then he managed to assemble a team and eventually establish a national chain of freight networks. The wealth and achievements of the Rossi family were earned one by one. Old Francesco had been leading the family for decades, with a strong and sometimes arrogant personality.

Igor's grandfather still had the final say in the family, and everyone simply obeyed. Indifferently, he obeyed by fastening his shirt, sighed, and followed in the same direction they had gone. Passing by those employees and giving them a disdainful glance, he tried to prepare himself for the falsehood and whatever else would come during that meal with his family.

In the dining room, the employees who had previously talked badly about him behind his back appeared, all of them feeling awkward and suspicious. Igor still looked at them with an unpleasant look, until someone entered the room, breaking the strange atmosphere that was in that place.

"Father, I prepared this chicken soup myself, I added some good ingredients for health, I hope you like it."

A beautiful and elegant woman came in, carrying a tray with the soup. Her speech was kind and attentive, she placed it on the table and immediately served the eldest, while Igor just watched the play.

"Here, please try it, be careful as it's very hot," she served him.

Igor raised his wine glass, took a sip, and observed the woman's actions. She was Andrea, his stepmother. Less than a year after his mother's death, his father brought her home. Later, he found out through some rumors that she was Roberto's first love.

The story he heard was that the two families were unsuitable to join in marriage, so they had to separate. After his mother died from an illness, their passion for each other reignited and they managed to stay together.

When Andrea entered the family, she brought along her seven-year-old son, the fruit of her previous marriage. By logic, old Francesco would not agree to it, but nobody knew what tricks she used to achieve that feat.

After so many years, she had become the true wife of that household. The son she had with her ex-husband became known as the third son of the Rossi family.

Igor pondered all of this and found it ironic. They left a child of the same blood alone in another country, while the other was raised as one of the family's children and even received that title. He narrowed his eyes and then heard the old man in the main chair questioning him.

"Igor, you graduated three years ago, are you still going to play around abroad?"

That tone of voice held no affection or love. It was more as if he were a nuisance in that house. But that tone also seemed to indicate that a storm was approaching. Igor pretended not to notice, swirled his wine glass, and responded casually.

"Actually, it's great abroad, I'm..."

As expected, Francesco interrupted what he was saying, using the same tone.

"What's so good about that? I think being a member of this family is too easy for you. You're already twenty-four or twenty-five years old. What do you do besides spending money? You simply don't know how to help with the family's responsibilities."

Igor was incredulous at those unfounded accusations. Two years ago, he returned and offered to help with the company, but he was ignored. His grandfather's words were, "You've just graduated, what do you know? Don't bother, you can leave." He was dismissed in that way. How could it be his fault?

No one said anything, and the atmosphere at the dining table turned icy. Roberto's gaze shifted from his grandfather to his grandson. Hesitating, he stood up and picked up a piece of fish, serving it to his son.

"Igor, your grandfather is speaking for your own good. You've spent too much time abroad, we, the older ones, are not comfortable with it. Here, eat a piece of fish, I remember that you used to like it a lot when you were a child," he tried to alleviate the tension.

The long-lost concern of his father should have warmed Igor's heart, but it was a pity that Roberto's actions and words in trying to portray himself as a "good father" were not at all genuine, and Igor had outgrown the need for that kind of paternal love.

Igor looked at the fish on his plate, gave a slight smile, and replied.

"Father, when I was eight years old, I choked on a fish bone. The nanny wasn't there, you and Aunt were on a date, I cried a lot, but none of the staff came to help me. It traumatized me, and nowadays I don't eat fish anymore. Didn't you know?"

Roberto was taken aback by what his son said; how could he not remember that incident? He tried to ease the embarrassment between him and his son, but ended up in another awkward situation. Roberto felt that perhaps because he didn't spend much time with his son, he didn't know him as well. At that moment, he sensed a certain sarcasm in the way his son spoke, as if criticizing him for not being a good father.

Seeing that the atmosphere was strange again, Andrea looked at her husband and made a signal, as if there was something important to be said. Igor looked at his grandfather, who still had a scowling expression, trying to understand the situation.

Igor had returned home at his father's request, claiming that Francesco's health was not well at all, and as his grandson, he should return quickly. But looking closely at his grandfather and the situation, he realized it was an excuse to persuade him to return to the country.

"Grandpa, if there's something you want to tell me, just say it."

Igor had learned to be direct while living abroad. He disliked beating around the bush and preferred that they just say what was happening. Upon hearing what he said, Andrea saw an opportunity to explain.

"The truth is, the company invested in a project some time ago, but there was a large loss in the invested capital. If our family doesn't find a solution, we may..." she hesitated to say bankruptcy in front of the old man, "We've already negotiated with the Moretti family. If you marry their youngest son, they will..."

Igor stood up abruptly, understanding at that moment the urgency for his return. His family wanted to use him as a bargaining chip.

Upon standing up like that, everyone looked at him, Igor felt indignant about it, but wanted to make his dissatisfaction clear.

"Are you kidding me?" He asked, looking at everyone at the table.

At this point, the union between people of the same sex had already been legalized, but would it not be strange for him to marry a stranger just to fulfill his family's interests? It was impossible.

"We are serious, why do you think we are joking with you?" His grandfather replied.

Igor's grandfather was traditional and strict, he did not see same-sex marriage in a favorable light, but in the face of the family's absolute interests, he was setting aside his convictions.

The Rossi family had few candidates for that task, only Igor, who was raised abroad, would be suitable for that role. Furthermore, the matrimonial union between two families was only aimed at benefiting themselves, not the happiness of their children and grandchildren.

The agreement was that the Moretti family would help Igor's family get out of the crisis, and in return they would be exempt from any future freight charges, as well as the division of benefits obtained for about three years. Since the Moretti family did not oppose same-sex marriage, they had no way of escape.

"Our family has spent money all these years to raise and support you, it is time for you to repay."

Igor heard that arrogant tone from his grandfather and felt even more indignant. How could he say that? Had they forgotten that they hadn't sent him anything since he was fifteen? They left him to fend for himself, but when something urgent came up, they remembered they had a lost son. It only made him feel even more like merchandise.

Igor didn't even have time to eat, he pushed his chair back, making a long, rough noise on the floor, declaring his mood at that moment.

"I am tired of traveling for so many hours, I am going to my room to rest, you all enjoy your meal."

His grandfather saw that his grandson was reluctant about it, even before Igor could leave the dining room, he spoke in his deep, cold voice.

"You cannot escape this matter, think it over for two days, then I will contact the Moretti family to arrange a meeting between you and the young man from that family."

"Grandpa, if you want to see me, I won't hide, but don't involve me in this matter," he turned and left the room.

Igor went upstairs to the second floor of the house, the staff who witnessed that discussion wondered if their second son was really going against his grandfather, they hadn't seen him for some time, how could he have become so courageous?

Igor's feet stepped firmly as he climbed the stairs, he didn't want to wait until his grandfather had a heart attack. He entered his room and locked the door, took his phone and booked a flight back to the foreign country the next day.

Since his family had abandoned him before, it was impossible for them to keep him at that moment. Igor liked men, but expecting him to abandon his happy life in another country to marry someone he didn't even know, and in a commercial marriage? It was ridiculous.

"Dream on!" He complained, looking at the door.

It took him a while to calm his anger, so he decided to sleep for the rest of the afternoon and night to rest. The long flight and the time difference had taken a toll on him, he hoped to rest enough to escape the next day with his luggage.

The intention was to rest well, but Igor ended up having a somewhat disturbing dream that night. He dreamt that, in reality, he was a character in a book, but the protagonist was his stepmother's son, Jone Rossi. The name of the novel was something like "How to Earn Ten Billion," in the dream, Jone had entered the book and knew the entire plot, making it easy to gain advantages.

In the dream, his brother managed to contact various influential people, becoming the wealthiest young man in Italy, gaining countless admirers, while he ended up being a complete opposite.

As he refused the marriage, it gave an opportunity for Jone to meet the young man from the Moretti family. With this attitude, he caused dissatisfaction for both families and after leaving his house, he began to covet his brother's fortune, learning to flatter all types of people, engaging in unreliable business deals, and ending up in debt, both domestically and internationally.

That nightmare ended with him no longer being able to bear that life and spending his last days in a rented house. That dream was long and very dark, and when he woke up, his shirt was soaked in sweat.

The dream had been so vivid. People used to say that the more real the dream, the easier it would dissipate from their memory, but in Igor's case, he couldn't forget. Igor was gasping for breath and sat down, trying to calm his heart rate. Everything still felt so real in his mind that it was difficult to distinguish between dream and reality.

He sat there, contemplating the dilemma of the dream he had lived for twenty-five years. How could he let himself be disturbed by a dream in that way? As he pondered, he heard a notification arrive on his cellphone.