New York City, 11:14 PM
The rain hit the pavement like glass shattering across concrete. On the 36th floor of the Valerio Tower, behind thick bulletproof windows and blinding city lights, Celeste Rinaldi stood trembling, rainwater dripping from her eyelashes, her soaked coat clinging to her frame.
Across the room, seated with the poise of a predator, was Lucian Valerio.
Black suit. Black tie. Cold, unreadable eyes.
He didn't look up from his glass of bourbon when he said, "Your father is facing thirty years."
Celeste's heart thundered. "He didn't do it. My father's innocent." Lucian finally raised his eyes. They were the color of storm clouds dark, still, and dangerous. "Innocent men don't leave a trail of fake invoices and siphoned funds tied to offshore accounts."
"I don't believe this." Her voice cracked.
He stood, walked toward her slowly. Not rushed. Calculated. Lucian Valerio didn't move unless it served a purpose.
"I can make this all disappear. Your father walks free. His name cleared. His pension restored. Your family… protected."
Celeste swallowed hard. There was a catch. There was always a catch with men like him.
She looked up at him, defiant. "What do you want?" Lucian's gaze flickered, just once, to her trembling lips. Then he said the words that would destroy her peace for years to come:
"You have seven days to marry me."Silence. The kind that suffocated."…Marry you?" she echoed.He nodded. "Not pretend. Not act. Not PR. I want a real wife. In every way. For two years. After that, we divorce, you walk away with enough money to erase your past."
Her breath hitched. "Why me?"
Lucian leaned in slightly, his voice low and lethal. "Because I need a woman who can be controlled but won't crumble. One who knows pain and doesn't flinch. You were perfect in that courtroom today. Passionate. Desperate. Smart. All the things I require."
Celeste backed away, disgust curling in her stomach. "You're insane." He didn't react. "And your father will die behind bars. Your mother will lose the house. Your sister will never go to college. All because you wouldn't sign a name on paper and play wife."
Her voice shook. "That's blackmail."
His smirk was slight. "That's business."
She slapped him. And Lucian didn't flinch. His cheek reddened slightly, but his expression remained carved from marble.
"Seven days, Celeste. After that, I won't lift a finger to stop the prosecutors. I'm your father's last lifeline."
Twelve Hours Later
Celeste stood over her father's hospital bed. IV tubes. Hollow eyes. Weak heartbeat. Her mother wept quietly in the hallway. Her sister, Jules, sat clutching their father's hand, oblivious to the war raging outside those walls.
She pulled out the envelope Lucian had given her thick, heavy, sealed in black wax with the Valerio crest.Inside: A contract. A non-disclosure agreement. A check for ten million dollars.And at the bottom, in blood-red ink:
Marriage Date: August 12th, 11:00 AM
Bride: Celeste Mariana Rinaldi
Groom: Lucian J. Valerio
Witness: Matteo Valerio
Witness: Zara King
Her fingers trembled.
If she signed this, she wasn't just selling her name.She was selling her soul.