Camilla Hart's fingers trembled against the satin of her wedding dress. The scent of peonies filled the lavish suite, but it only made her stomach turn. Laughter and champagne bubbles echoed from the ballroom downstairs — a celebration for a union she never wanted.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror. The woman looking back wore elegance like a mask — smoky eyes, crimson lips, a diamond necklace hugging her throat like a promise she hadn't made. But behind the glamour, her eyes were hollow.
"You can still run." Her best friend's voice rang in her head. But Camilla knew better.
She couldn't.
This marriage wasn't about love — it was leverage. Her father's company was drowning, and the only lifeline came with a contract, a signature, and a groom she barely knew.
Jaxon Wolfe.
CEO of Wolfe Industries. Cold. Calculated. Powerful. She'd met him twice before the wedding, both times under pressure, both times warned to "mind her tone."
He wasn't cruel — just distant. Like he lived in a world no one else had access to. And now, somehow, she belonged to that world too.
The door creaked.
She turned as the man she was now legally tied to stepped in. Sharp jaw, dark eyes, and a presence that made the air tense. His tuxedo fit like it had been sewn onto him, every inch of him composed — except for the flicker of something unreadable in his gaze.
"Ready?" he asked, voice like polished steel.
Camilla swallowed. "As I'll ever be."
He walked closer, stopping just short of touching her. There was something in his eyes — not desire. Not kindness.
A warning.
"You'll do as I say," he murmured, his voice low enough for only her. "Play your part, and we'll both get what we want."
She blinked. "And what exactly do I want?"
His lips curled slightly. "Freedom. Eventually."
Camilla's heart thundered. She had just walked into a marriage built on business — but something in Jaxon's voice made her wonder if there was more at stake than shares and stockholders.
And then, he handed her a small, folded paper.
"Don't open this until tonight," he said. "After the guests are gone."
Their eyes locked.
Camilla took the paper, her fingers brushing his for the first time.
It felt like the beginning of something dangerous.
And irreversible.