Chapter 1: The Bride He Didn't Want
"Sign it."
The pen hit the polished mahogany desk with a cold clatter, louder than it should've been in the silence that followed.
Aria Chen stared at the marriage contract in front of her. The elegant font seemed to mock her, her name printed beside his, as if it belonged there. But it didn't.
She wasn't supposed to be here—not in this room, not at this table, and definitely not about to marry Elias Xian, the coldest CEO in the country. A man whose heart was as distant as the top of the corporate world he ruled with an iron fist.
Her palms were clammy. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as she glanced down at the paper, the weight of her family's expectations bearing down on her chest. The contract wasn't just an agreement; it was her salvation—and her damnation.
Her mother's voice echoed in her mind: "Aria, if you don't agree, your father will lose everything. Our family will be ruined."
She had no choice. She had to save them.
Across from her, Elias Xian sat like a figure carved from marble, his dark grey suit blending into the shadows of the room, his expression unreadable. At twenty-eight, he was already a business legend—ruthless in boardrooms, a phantom in real life. Every woman in the city wanted him, but here he was, marrying someone he barely knew. Someone who wasn't even a blip on his radar before today.
To him, she was just a solution. A contract. A name to fix a problem.
"This doesn't mean anything," he said, his voice a low monotone, void of any warmth or compassion. He didn't even look at her as he spoke. "Don't expect affection. Don't expect a real marriage. This is a business agreement. Nothing more."
His words cut deep, sharper than the chill in the room. But she kept her gaze steady. "I understand," she whispered, though every part of her screamed no.
Her fingers hovered over the pen. They trembled slightly, betraying her composed exterior. But she forced her hand to steady, knowing there was no way out. She needed to save her family. And that was the only thing that mattered now.
Aria signed the paper with a swift motion. Aria Chen.
The ink was still drying when the office door opened, cutting through the tense air like a blade.
"Excuse me, sir." A young woman entered, her movements precise. Aria recognized her as Elias's assistant, the woman who always had an expression so controlled it felt like a mask. "Your father has arrived. He said the board meeting was moved up."
Elias stood immediately, his cold eyes barely flicking toward her. His voice was business-like. "Tell him I'll be five minutes."
The assistant nodded, casting a brief, curious glance at Aria before leaving. Elias didn't acknowledge it.
He turned back to Aria, his gaze finally meeting hers, but there was nothing in his eyes—no connection, no humanity. Just cold indifference. "We'll hold a press statement in three days. Until then, no unnecessary appearances. You'll move into my house tonight."
Aria's stomach churned at the thought, but she nodded. "Yes."
"We'll maintain appearances for the media and your family. But we live separate lives," he added, his words like a warning. "Don't cross any lines."
He started to walk toward the door, but before he could leave, another voice interrupted him.
"Aria, darling?"
Her mother appeared in the doorway, clutching her purse tightly, her smile as forced as it was hopeful.
"Mrs. Chen," Elias greeted her, his tone polite but lacking any warmth.
Aria stood up quickly, her heart sinking. "Mom, what are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to see you... and thank Mr. Xian," her mother said, stepping inside. "Thank you for agreeing to this arrangement. Our families have been friends for decades. I know Aria will make a good wife."
Elias nodded curtly, as if the compliment meant nothing to him. "I trust she understands the nature of our agreement."
"She does," Aria's father chimed in from the doorway, his voice firm, businesslike. "We won't disappoint you, Elias."
Aria's chest tightened. It felt like a transaction, like she was being handed off between two businessmen. Not a daughter. Not a woman. Just a pawn.
Her mother placed a gentle hand on her arm, offering what she probably thought was reassurance. "This is a good match, sweetheart. You'll grow to understand him."
Grow to understand a man who had just made it clear that love had no place in their marriage?
Elias glanced at his watch, and with a clipped tone, he said, "Someone will pick you up at six."
Then he turned and left, just like that.
Aria stood frozen, staring at the space where he had been, as her parents exchanged words she couldn't hear. Her mother's smile was tight now, strained with guilt. What was she really supposed to feel in this moment?
Her mother leaned in, whispering, "This is for the best. Just a little longer, and we'll be fine. After that, you can make your own choices."
Aria nodded numbly, the weight of the silence between them suffocating. She wasn't the daughter they wanted, the one who could hold up the family name. No, she was just the convenient solution to their financial problems.
Turning away quickly, she wiped at the sting in her eyes before her parents could see. The tears were too close to the surface now—too raw. But there was no time for them. Not now.
She had signed the contract. Now there was no turning back