After fitting of the suits, several days later arion's PA called lian for the signing the contract of their fake marrige.Lian's POV
The conference room was colder than usual.
Not physically — the AC wasn't even on —
but cold in the way that makes your fingertips numb and your heart heavy.
On the table lay a thick stack of documents.
The Marriage Agreement Contract.
Arion sat across from him, posture straight, expression unreadable.
Lian tried to smile, but it felt forced.
The events from yesterday — the suits, the shared looks, the warmth — all replayed in his mind.
He had actually… hoped.
Maybe Arion liked him.
Maybe he wasn't imagining it.
But the cold contract on the table said otherwise.
"Shall we begin?" Arion asked, voice professional.
Not warm.
Not gentle.
Just business.
Just the CEO.
Lian nodded.
His hands trembled slightly as he picked up the first page.
THE CONTRACT❖ Clause 1
"This marriage will last a minimum of three years for stabilizing corporate alliances."
Three years.
Lian swallowed.
❖ Clause 2
"Both parties agree the marriage is transactional and does not imply romantic involvement."
His chest tightened.
❖ Clause 3
"No public scandals.
No interference in each other's private lives.
No obligations of emotional companionship."
Lian felt the words slice through him.
No emotional companionship.
He forced himself to keep reading.
❖ Clause 4
"A private residence will be prepared, but separate bedrooms shall be maintained."
The warmth he thought he saw in Arion yesterday suddenly felt foolish.
Stupid.
One-sided.
❖ Clause 5
"Both families will be informed of this marriage as a mutually decided union without disclosing its contractual nature."
So neither the Vayne family nor the Veris family knew.
It was all a polished lie.
❖ Clause 6
"In these three years there is not any sexual relationship happening for both side and also they are not also related with anyone also, if accidently happened then the contract will be broken at that time and they also separate from each other."
this line was very heavy for him when he read it that time.
Lian's Breath Falters
His vision blurred for a second, but he blinked it away.
He won't cry.
Not here.
Not in front of Arion.
He turned another page.
❖ Clause 7
"Romantic involvement outside the marriage is prohibited for public image reasons."
Public image.
Public.
Image.
Not loyalty.
Not care.
Not love.
Lian felt something crack quietly inside him.
Arion's POV
Arion watched Lian read the contract.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Too quietly.
He expected some annoyance… or questions…
But Lian's face remained painfully calm.
Too calm.
Arion's jaw tightened.
Why wasn't he reacting?
Was he hurt?
…Did he think I wanted this kind of cold contract?
Arion's fingers curled under the table.
The truth was:
He hated this contract.
But it was necessary.
The board demanded structure.
Grandfather demanded stability.
The media demanded clarity.
And Arion…
Arion didn't trust himself around Lian enough to leave things vague.
He could say none of that.
Not without exposing how fast his heart beat around Lian yesterday.
Not without admitting how he stared too long at Lian in velvet.
Not without showing the thing he swore he didn't feel.
So he stayed silent.
And watched Lian's expression grow dimmer with every term he read.
Arion's chest ached unexpectedly.
He looked away.
Back to Lian's POV
Lian reached the final clause.
❖ Clause 10
"In case personal conflicts arise, either party may request temporary separation for a period of up to three months, provided public image remains intact."
Temporary separation.
Even before marriage…
there was already a path to distance.
Lian's throat felt tight.
He signed the last page with trembling fingers.
Arion:
"You don't have to sign all at once. We can—"
Lian (softly):
"It's okay. I understand the terms."
Arion frowned at the dull tone in Lian's voice.
Something was wrong.
But Lian didn't look up.
He pushed the papers forward with a polite smile — the kind that hurt to give.
Lian:
"Thank you for explaining everything.
This… makes our expectations clear."
Clear.
Cold.
Empty.
Business.
Arion opened his mouth to say something — anything — but Lian stood up before he could speak.
Lian:
"I'll return home now. We have preparations for tomorrow."
He bowed slightly out of habit and left the room quietly.
Arion watched him walk away, feeling something heavy drop in his chest.
Lian exhaled shakily the moment he stepped outside.
His eyes burned, but he refused to let tears fall in a business hallway.
He held the contract copy close to his chest.
The words repeated in his mind:
No emotional companionship.
Transactional.
Separate rooms.
How stupid…
how stupid he had been to think Arion's gaze meant something.
The warmth at the boutique.
The protective gesture.
The soft pauses.
The tension.
All tricks of his heart.
He closed his eyes.
"Of course he doesn't like you," he whispered to himself.
"He's doing this for the companies.
For appearances.
For convenience."
And Lian Veris — middle-class, ordinary, soft-spoken omega — was just a puzzle piece that fit the business need.
Nothing more.
He tightened his grip on the papers.
This was reality.
Not romance.
Not slow-burn affection.
A contract.
A role.
A duty.
He forced himself to walk.
But inside, he felt something quietly break.
After Lian left, the silence felt suffocating.
Arion picked up the contract again.
He read every clause.
He hated every line.
He hated that Lian had seen them.
He hated that Lian believed them.
He hated the look of disappointment he caught in Lian's eyes before he walked out.
Arion pressed a hand to his forehead and cursed under his breath.
Why couldn't he just tell Lian the truth?
That the contract protected Lian.
From the board.
From the media.
From pressure.
From Arion himself.
Why couldn't he tell him that feelings weren't forbidden…
but Arion was terrified of having them?
He closed his eyes.
In the quiet room, he whispered something he would never admit aloud:
"…I didn't want this to hurt you."
His voice cracked the smallest amount.
Just once.
He clenched his jaw again, swallowed the emotion, stood up, and left — as if leaving the room could silence the ache inside him.
✨ BONUS CHAPTER — "The Silence Between Lines"
Lian's POV — In the Car Ride Home
Lian sat in the back seat of the car, staring out the window.
The city lights blurred into gold streaks, but nothing sparkled enough to distract the heaviness sitting in his chest.
The marriage contract…
The cold sentences…
The impersonal terms…
They replayed in his mind like a cruel echo.
Lin was talking beside him — something about new earrings — but Lian barely heard a word.
He kept remembering yesterday:
Arion staring at him in that velvet suit.
Arion watching him in silence.
Arion getting possessive when the designer touched Lian's waist.
Arion's eyes softening—just a little—
Was all of that… imagined?
Lin:
"Bro? Are you even listening?"
Lian (softly):
"Ah… sorry. I was thinking."
Lin leaned closer and whispered dramatically:
Lin:
"You look like someone stole your ice cream."
Lian smiled, faint and brief.
"I'm fine," he lied.
Lin wasn't convinced, but before she could question more, the car stopped in front of the house.
The moment they entered the house, Mrs. Veris began talking about dinner plans.
Lian excused himself quietly.
Lian:
"Mom, I'm just a little tired. I'll go to my room for a bit."
His mother nodded gently.
Lin watched him walk away with a small frown.
Inside his room, Lian closed the door and sat at his desk.
He pulled out the copy of the contract.
He stared.
Every sentence felt heavier tonight.
Separate bedrooms.
No emotional obligations.
No romantic expectations.
Was he really so unimportant?
Was Arion truly so unmoved by him?
He pressed a palm to his chest.
It hurt.
Quietly, painfully.
"Don't hope anymore," he whispered.
"This is just an agreement… nothing more."
One tear slipped down.
Lian wiped it quickly.
He wouldn't allow himself to fall apart.
Arion's POV — Vayne Mansion
Arion stormed into his office after returning home.
He loosened his tie aggressively, tossed the contract on the desk, and slammed the door shut behind him.
Why did Lian look so hurt?
Why didn't he say anything?
Why did he just… accept everything?
Arion raked a hand through his hair in frustration.
He had wanted to explain.
To soften the terms.
To say the contract doesn't define their relationship's future.
That feelings weren't forbidden.
Just unspoken.
Just… complicated.
But Lian left.
With that distant smile.
That polite bow.
Like Arion wasn't a person he could speak to, just a CEO.
The memory of Lian's trembling signature haunted him.
Arion closed his eyes.
"…I'm doing a terrible job," he muttered.
Farrah enters the room.
Farrah didn't knock.
She never knocked.
She flung the door open dramatically.
Farrah:
"I saw your face at dinner. What did you do to the poor boy?"
Arion glared.
Arion:
"I didn't do anything."
Farrah:
"That explains EVERYTHING."
Arion looked away.
Farrah sat down opposite him, crossing her arms.
Farrah:
"Arion. What. Happened?"
He hesitated.
"…The contract was finalized."
Farrah's face dropped.
Farrah:
"You showed him the contract? The cold one? The business-only one?"
Arion didn't answer.
He didn't have to.
Farrah groaned.
Farrah:
"Oh my god, you idiot. That thing was practically written by a robot with no emotions!"
Arion's jaw tightened.
"It was necessary."
"No, what's necessary is using your brain and your heart at the same time."
He glared.
She glared harder.
Meanwhile — Lin Sneaking Into Lian's Room
Lin cracked open Lian's door slightly.
Lin:
"Bro?"
Lian quickly wiped his eyes.
Lian:
"Yeah?"
Lin stepped inside and sat cross-legged on his bed.
She didn't joke this time.
She didn't tease.
She simply stared at him with soft concern.
Lin:
"…You're sad."
Lian looked away.
Lian:
"I'm just tired."
Lin leaned forward.
Lin:
"Is it Arion?"
The name alone made Lian's heartbeat stutter painfully.
He lowered his gaze.
Lian (whispering):
"It's nothing. Really."
Lin's eyes softened.
Lin:
"You know… even if it's just an arrangement… you deserve to be happy too."
Lian breathed shakily.
Lin didn't push further.
She just stayed beside him quietly, offering silent comfort.
Back to Vayne Mansion — Farrah Lands the Truth
Farrah:
"Do you LIKE him?"
Arion's head shot up.
His heart jumped.
His silence was answer enough.
Farrah smirked.
Farrah:
"Oh. My. GOD. You do.
You absolutely do."
Arion looked away sharply.
"I don't."
"You do."
"Farrah."
"ARION."
He exhaled sharply.
"…It's complicated."
Farrah raised a brow.
"So complicated that you handed him a contract that says 'no emotional companionship'?"
Arion flinched.
Farrah softened slightly.
Farrah:
"If you're scared, fine.
If you're inexperienced, fine.
But don't hurt him because you can't admit you've already caught feelings."
Arion said nothing.
He stared at the contract silently… painfully.
Lin Texts Farrah That Night
Lin:
I think Lian cried.
Farrah stared at the message.
Her expression turned serious.
She replied:
Arion messed up.
We need to fix this.
Lin responded immediately:
Operation Dumb Brothers: Begin.
Farrah grinned.