The mansion was silent.
Too silent.
Ava stepped inside the grand foyer, her heels echoing off marble floors as a housekeeper took her coat. The place was massive—cold white walls, silver fixtures, modern furniture that looked more like art than comfort.
Everything screamed perfection.
But nothing felt like home.
"This will be your room," Jace said from behind her, his voice crisp as he motioned toward a doorway on the right. "My room is down the hall."
She turned slowly. "Separate bedrooms. Of course. Wouldn't want to risk bumping into your heart in the hallway."
Jace's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond.
Instead, he walked past her, tugging at his tie. "Dinner is at seven. You don't have to come if you're not hungry."
"I wasn't planning to," Ava replied, chin raised.
But even as he disappeared into another room, she couldn't stop the strange ache in her chest.
---
Her bedroom looked like something from a luxury hotel catalog—too clean, too curated, too empty. She sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her reflection in the full-length mirror.
Who was this woman?
Engaged. Living in a billionaire's house. Wrapped in a contract with a man who didn't believe in love.
Her phone buzzed. A message from her mom:
> "Heard you got engaged. Is it true? I'm proud of you, honey. You're doing what's best for the family."
Ava's eyes stung.
What if she was slowly losing herself in the process?
---
Dinner was awkward.
The long dining table stretched between them like a chasm. They didn't speak much, aside from the occasional clink of silverware and the sound of Ava pretending not to notice him watching her when he thought she wasn't looking.
Finally, she broke the silence.
"Why me?" she asked. "You could've married any model, actress, heiress. Why choose the daughter of a disgraced CEO?"
Jace wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Because you're the only one who didn't want this."
She frowned. "That makes no sense."
"It does to me," he said quietly. "A woman who's not interested in my money or name is the only one I can trust to keep her distance."
The words were meant to be cold, logical.
But they hit Ava like a slap.
"You really think love is that dangerous?" she asked.
"I know it is."
She stood, pushing her chair back. "Then you're more broken than I thought."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out.
---
Later that night, Ava stood by the balcony outside her room. The city glittered below, endless and alive. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly unsure of everything.
Behind her, a quiet voice said, "You forgot your phone at the table."
She turned to see Jace, holding it out.
"Thanks," she said, avoiding his gaze.
He didn't leave.
Instead, he stepped beside her, looking out at the skyline.
"Do you regret it already?" he asked.
Ava thought for a long moment.
"Yes," she whispered. "But I'd still do it again."
Something flickered in Jace's eyes—surprise? Admiration?
And for the first time, he didn't feel so far away.