Dating in Disdain

The sprawling Spanish-style villa of the Ramirez family hummed with its usual morning chaos. In the kitchen, the scent of fresh croissants mingled with strong coffee, a backdrop to the lively war zone of opinions. Elena, the eldest at twenty-seven, scrolled through her phone, a familiar expression of mild disgust on her face.

"Another article about Nathan Donovan," she muttered, barely looking up. "Is the entire internet in love with this guy, or am I just unlucky with my algorithm?"

Beatriz, the tech-savvy nineteen-year-old, squinted at the image of the billionaire tech mogul. "Okay, I get the hype. He looks like he walked out of a high-budget HBO drama."

"He looks like a man who hasn't smiled since childhood," Isabella, the middle sister, observed dryly. "Let me guess—he's emotionally unavailable?"

Their mother, Mrs. Ramirez, swept into the room, waving her arms dramatically. "Girls, we must talk!" Her eyes gleamed with an all-too-familiar excitement.

Julia, the second eldest, sighed. "She has that look."

"The matchmaking look," Isabella supplied. "The one you get when you've heard about some rich bachelor and immediately decided one of us needs to marry him."

Mrs. Ramirez huffed. "Well, excuuuse me for wanting the best for my daughters! Michael Bradley is throwing a grand party this weekend, and you must attend! He's looking for a wife!"

Elena took a slow sip of her coffee. "We'll see."