Chapter 2: The First Time I Saw Him
The first time Aria saw Elias Xian, he didn't even look at her.
She was led into a high-rise boardroom at Xian Corp by his assistant, her heels clicking awkwardly against the pristine marble floor. The air was crisp with subtle cologne and money. Her palms were damp, her heart a frantic drum in her chest. She had rehearsed what to say—how to appear composed. But it all vanished when she saw him.
He stood with his back to the room, hands clasped behind him, staring out at the glittering skyline as if the city belonged to him.
"Mr. Xian, Miss Aria Chen is here," the assistant said politely.
He turned—and Aria forgot how to breathe.
He was younger than she'd imagined, maybe twenty-eight, but he carried the weight of someone who'd fought and won a thousand silent battles. Tall. Sharp-jawed. Effortlessly commanding. His charcoal suit fit like it was sewn into his skin. And his eyes—cold, assessing—barely lingered on her face.
"Sit."
Just one word. No greeting. No smile.
Aria obeyed, settling into the chair across from him, her knees brushing the underside of the sleek glass table. She felt small, out of place, but lifted her chin anyway.
He slid a folder across to her. "Terms of the agreement. Duration, clauses, compensation."
His voice was clipped. No warmth, no hesitation.
She opened the folder and skimmed the lines, her vision blurring at the edges.
Two years.
No emotional expectations.
No physical intimacy unless mutually agreed.
Public appearances mandatory.
Full debt clearance upon marriage.
"I'm guessing this wasn't your idea of a fairy tale," he said, watching her.
"Is it yours?" she asked, the words out before she could stop them.
His lips twitched—almost a smirk. Almost.
"I don't believe in fairy tales. I believe in order. Strategy. You were recommended as someone who wouldn't complicate things."
She flinched. "You mean someone easy to manage."
"Exactly," he said without apology.
Aria's fingers clenched around the folder. The chair beneath her felt colder now. "And what if I say no?"
"Then your father loses everything. You know this." He leaned back slightly, as if bored by her hesitation. "I'm offering security, not sentiment. Your silence in exchange for your family's survival."
There it was. The truth without any dressing.
She stared at the contract, but all she could hear was her mother's voice from the night before—"If you don't do this, Aria, we lose the house. Your father loses his dignity."
Her throat tightened.
"I won't be paraded like a puppet," she said quietly.
"You won't be. You'll be invisible, if that's what you want. Just keep your name beside mine where it needs to be."
She looked up—and for the first time, he met her gaze fully. Cold, yes. But behind it, something flickered. Not kindness. Not cruelty. Just… calculation. As though she were a risk he'd already decided was worth taking.
After a long pause, she said, "Fine. I'll sign."
His brows rose slightly, clearly surprised by her calm.
"Smart choice."
As she reached for the pen, her hand trembled. She masked it as best she could and scribbled her name.
Aria Chen.
When she looked up again, Elias was already standing.
"I'll have my assistant arrange the rest. The wedding is in three days."
She blinked. "That fast?"
"I don't waste time," he said, already walking to the door.
Neither did she. But somehow, it felt like she'd just lost something she'd never get back.
As the door closed behind him, Aria stared at her signature, dark against the white page.
A new life had begun.
And she hadn't even looked back.