Marriage with a Fixed Price

Episode 1

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.