Chapter 1: A Deal with the Devil
The cold breeze swept through Manhattan's Upper East Side, but Ella Hart barely felt it. Her hands were numb, not from the winter air, but from the weight of the decision she was about to make. She stood outside the towering glass building that housed King & Wren Enterprises, her heart thudding against her ribs like a warning.
This wasn't how she imagined her life turning out. She was twenty-three, freshly graduated with a degree in psychology, juggling two jobs and still unable to pay for her mother's mounting medical bills. She hadn't planned on selling herself — but then again, desperation didn't ask for permission.
Ella stepped inside.
The lobby was silent, sleek, and intimidating. Marble floors. Gold accents. Receptionists who didn't smile. She crossed the floor, her heels clicking like tiny screams against the polished surface.
"Miss Hart?" a woman in a black blazer called. "Mr. King will see you now."
Ella's stomach knotted.
She was led into a private elevator that rose too fast, like her nerves. When the doors opened, she stepped into a minimalist office that reeked of power. And there he was — Xavier King, the elusive billionaire.
He was standing by the window, back turned, overlooking the city like he owned it. Maybe he did.
When he turned to face her, Ella's breath caught.
He was devastatingly handsome — tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a tailored black suit. Dark hair. Sharp jawline. Grey eyes that looked at her like they already knew all her secrets.
"You're early," he said.
"I didn't want to be late."
He didn't respond. He walked to the desk, picked up a folder, and handed it to her. "Read it."
Ella opened it. The contract was just two pages long. No romantic words. Just cold, clean terms:
> Marriage Contract
Duration: 1 year.
Compensation: Full medical treatment for Ella's mother.
Clause: Absolute discretion. No emotional entanglement. No real marriage.
Public appearances required.
Her hands trembled.
"This is insane," she whispered.
Xavier raised a brow. "You came here, Miss Hart."
Her eyes flashed. "Because I don't have a choice."
"You do. You can walk away." He paused. "But if you sign, everything you're afraid of — the debt collectors, the hospital bills, your mother's worsening condition — they all disappear. Just like that."
He snapped his fingers.
Ella hated him in that moment — for being right, for knowing she would say yes, for making her feel like a pawn.
Still, she asked, "Why me?"
He walked closer. "Because I need a wife who won't fall in love with me. You need money. I like clarity. You need a miracle. Seems fair."
His voice was calm, as if they were discussing stocks.
She stared down at the paper. "No emotional entanglement," she read out loud.
"That means don't expect a fairy tale. This is a business deal. You keep your distance. I'll keep mine."
Her pen hovered over the signature line.
"I want to visit my mom whenever I want," she said firmly.
"Done."
"And I won't sleep with you."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "Noted."
Ella signed.
The ink bled into the paper, sealing her fate. She had just agreed to marry a man she didn't know, for reasons that had nothing to do with love.
Xavier took the folder back and nodded once. "We get married this Friday. In public. Your mother's treatment begins tomorrow."
She didn't thank him. She couldn't. It didn't feel like a favor. It felt like a transaction.
As she turned to leave, he called after her.
"One more thing, Ella."
She paused, glancing over her shoulder.
"You belong to me now. Don't forget that."
Her pulse spiked. Not from fear — from something far more dangerous.
Excitement.