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 looked at the marriage contract in front of her. Neat print. Elegant font. Her name printed beside his like it belonged there. It didn't.
She wasn't supposed to be here—not in this room, not at this table, not marrying Elias Xian, the coldest CEO in the country.
She kept her hands folded in her lap, forcing her fingers to stay still even though her heart pounded against her ribs. Her family was counting on her. Her mother's voice echoed in her mind—"Aria, if you don't agree, your father will lose everything. We'll be ruined."
She was doing this to save them. That had to be enough.
Across the table, Elias Xian sat in his dark grey tailored suit, his face unreadable, carved from stone. At twenty-eight, he was already a business legend—ruthless in boardrooms, unreachable in real life. Every woman in the city wanted him. And yet here he was, marrying someone who had never even caught his attention before today.
To him, she was just a solution to a problem. A name to attach to a contract.
"This doesn't mean anything," he said, his voice flat, his eyes not even meeting hers. "Don't expect affection. Don't expect a real marriage. This is a business agreement. Nothing more."
"I understand," Aria said softly.
Her voice was calm, but inside, her stomach churned. She picked up the pen. Her hand shook slightly, but she kept it steady enough to sign her name.
Aria Chen.
The ink was still drying when the office door opened.
"Excuse me, sir." A young woman stepped in—elegant, precise. Elias's assistant, Aria assumed. "Your father just arrived. He said the board meeting was moved up."
Elias stood immediately, his expression unchanged. "Tell him I'll be five minutes."
The assistant gave Aria a curious glance before leaving. Elias didn't acknowledge it.
"We'll hold a press statement in three days," he said, turning back to Aria. "Until then, no unnecessary appearances. You'll move into my house tonight."
Her stomach flipped, but she nodded. "Yes."
"We'll maintain appearances for the media and your family. But we live separate lives. Don't cross any lines."
He turned to leave, but before he could reach the door, another voice stopped him.
"Aria, darling?"
Her mother peeked in, clutching her purse tightly, her smile strained but hopeful.
"Mrs. Chen." Elias's tone was polite but devoid of warmth.
Aria stood up quickly. "Mom, what are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to see you... and thank Mr. Xian." She looked at Elias. "Thank you for agreeing to this arrangement. Our families have been friends for decades. I know Aria will make a good wife."
Elias gave a curt nod, as if the compliment was business as usual. "I trust she understands the nature of our agreement."
"She does," Aria's father said as he joined them. His tone was firmer, more businesslike. "We won't disappoint you, Elias."
Something in Aria's chest twisted. It was like she wasn't even in the room anymore—just a pawn passed between two deals, two men.
Her mother touched her arm gently. "This is a good match, sweetheart. You'll grow to understand him."
Grow to understand a man who'd just warned her not to expect love?
Elias checked his watch. "Someone will pick you up at six."
Then he walked out.
Just like that, the meeting was over.
Aria looked at her parents. Her mother's smile wavered when she saw the expression on her daughter's face.
"You're doing the right thing," her mother whispered. "We just need a little time to recover. After that, you can make your own decisions."
Her father gave a nod of approval but didn't say much else. Aria realized then that he was ashamed—not just of the debt that dragged them here, but of her. She wasn't the daughter they expected to trade into a dynasty. She was just… convenient.
She turned away before the tears could come.