Captivated By Desire

Chapter 1: The Arrangement

It was Lunch time, that was why the family was having their lunch after the maids presented and arranged the foods and drinks prepared for them on the dining table.

The soft glow of candlelight bathed the ornate dining room of the Kim's mansion, casting a warm and inviting ambiance over the elegant surroundings. Layla Kim sat at the left of the table rectangular dining table opposite where her mother sat while Layla's younger brother sat next to her, her delicate features illuminated by the lights from the chandelier as she listened attentively to her parents' conversation.

Since their family could all gather together most of the time while dining together, due to their individual busy schedules, that was why most of the topics they needed to share or talked about were shared while they dine together. But if the topic needed further discussions, then they would all set a time to discuss it further. Most of the time, dining together with family was their way of catching up and updating everyone about what was the other was doing.

Father Kim was obviously busy about their family business. Mother Kim was busy with her charities and social gatherings with friends who was also joining her various charities.

While Layla was an actress. She started being an artiste just last year and already made some films and seried being second female leads, and also had some variety show guestings. She also managed to gather thousands of fans as she started becoming popular, due to her works on different project. She was glad and really appreciate the opportunities she had been given. This year, she was aiming to at least become a female lead for a film or series.

On the other hand, Layla also has one younger brother - Lyon short for Leonard - who was on his last semester of college and was also being taught hands on about the goings on inside their family's company business. Layla might be older than her brother but she had no interest with running a business, she wanted to create films and series, being an artiste was in her blood. It was not surprising since her aunt from her mother's side was a popular actress in Hollywood before she decided to semi-retire from acting before deciding to work behind the scenes. Of course, Layla's aunt would still act if there was a great script that was sent her way, but most of the time, she preferred to produced movies or series, or direct them as well. And that was whey, thanks to Layla's aunt, she had someone to guide her when she started navigating the entertainment industry. Her aunt helped and guided her so that her life as an artiste wouldn't be rough like some newbie artistes encountered in their career. It didn't matter to Layla if she had to act as a second or third female lead, she knew that she couldn't become the main lead in an instant, as long as the script was good and that the people she worked with was fine, then there was no problem for her. And her aunt really helped a lot with her smoother path as an actress. She was really grateful for it.Of course, she still had to audition for a role like everyone else, but it was comfortable thought that her aunt was there to guide her and help her so that she won't be wronged by others. After all, everyone knew that the entertainment circle wasn't all that clear and straight forward, there was some shady and murky part of it as well.

That was why, it was obvious that in the future, it would be Layla's younger brother who would handle their family business. He was already being prepared for it since he was in junior high, especially at college where he took business management as his course.

Layla was cheering and supporting her younger brother, because that meant she would be free to do the things she wanted to do and pursue her passion of being an artists. She liked art more than she likes going to an office and dealing with business. She was already contented of being one of the company's shareholder and getting her monthly dividends while pursuing her own passion. She was lucky to have such a genius and business minded younger brother.

Layla's thoughts were interrupted when she heard her mother called her attention.

"Layla, darling, we need to tell you something," her mother began, her tone carefully measured yet tinged with an undercurrent of urgency while daintily cutting on her well-done steak with her fork and knife.

Layla raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "What is it, Mother? Is everything alright?" she asked before drinking from the wine glass of sparkling wine that was more like a fruity drink than wine.

Her father cleared his throat, his expression serious as he decided to talk next before Layla's mother could answer her question. "It's about your future, Layla. We've been discussing some... arrangements."

Layla's heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding settling over her like a dark cloud. She had long grown accustomed to her parents' ambitious attitude when it comes to money and status and the pressures of their high society world, but something about their tone told her that this conversation would be different.

"What kind of arrangements?" Layla asked both her parents, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her mother hesitated, exchanging a meaningful glance with her husband before speaking. "Layla, as you know, our family's standing in the business world is of utmost importance. And in order to maintain and further our influence, sacrifices must be made."

Layla's mind raced with possibilities, each more unsettling than the last. "What kind of sacrifices?"

Her father took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering. "We've been approached by the Sinclairs, a powerful family with whom we've long sought to align ourselves. They have a son, Vincent, who is in need of a... suitable match."

Layla's heart sank as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. "You want me to marry him?"

Her mother nodded solemnly. "It's for the good of the family, Layla. Vincent Sinclair is a wealthy and influential man, and a union between our families would be mutually beneficial."

Layla felt a surge of frustration rising within her. How could her parents expect her to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of their ambitions? But she knew better than to defy them – the consequences would be too great. If the Sinclair's really approached their family for some kind of an arranged marriage and business alliance, then this was not a simple matter at all.

With a heavy heart, Layla nodded in resignation. "I understand."

And so, the seeds of Layla's fate were sown, her future irrevocably intertwined with that of a man she had never met. As she sat in silence, the weight of her parents' expectations bearing down upon her, Layla couldn't help but wonder if she would ever have the chance to break free from this arranged marriage in the future and pursue her own dreams and happiness...