For the next two weeks, Sophia tried very hard not to think about what Ethan meant by "try."
They fell into a rhythm. Morning coffee together before work. Dinners most nights—not fancy dates, just cooking together in the kitchen, talking about their days. On Tuesdays and Fridays, they went out publicly, holding hands like the married couple they technically were.
It was almost... nice.
Which was the problem.
Sophia started noticing things about him. The way he focused completely on whatever he was doing. His laugh, which was easy and genuine when he wasn't being corporate. The small scar on his jaw that she'd never seen before. His hands when he was working, moving across his laptop keyboard with practiced efficiency.
She hated it.
"We need to talk about boundaries," she said one night, three weeks into their marriage. They were sitting on the penthouse balcony with wine, watching the city lights.
"What kind of boundaries?"
"The kind where we don't become... close. Where this stays what it's supposed to be. A contract."
Ethan was quiet for a moment. "Is that what you want?"
"Yes." It was a lie, but a necessary one.
"Okay." He sounded disappointed. "If that's what you want."
But it didn't stay a contract. It couldn't, because they lived together and saw each other every single day, and Ethan was funny and smart and annoying in a way that made her smile. He listened when she talked about her business problems. He celebrated her wins. He made her feel like her success mattered to him.
And she did the same for him.
By week four, they'd developed inside jokes. She made fun of his obsession with work emails. He made fun of her inability to cook anything that wasn't pasta. She'd learned that he took his coffee black and always read the news first thing in the morning. He'd learned that she sang in the shower and kept a handwritten list of business goals in her nightstand.
"We're being too friendly," Sophia said one night, pacing her bedroom. She'd called Marcus in a panic. "This wasn't the plan. The plan was separate lives, fake marriage, one year and done."
"And how's that working out?" Marcus asked.
"It's not working out at all!"
"Do you like him?"
"No! Maybe! I don't know!" Sophia sat on her bed. "This is Ethan Blake, Marcus. We're supposed to hate each other."
"Why are you supposed to hate each other?"
"Because he's my rival!"
"Or maybe," Marcus said slowly, "you're attracted to him because he challenges you. And you've been misinterpreting that as hate."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"Is it though?"
After she hung up, Sophia sat in the dark and thought about her first week of university. That's when she'd met Ethan. He'd outbid her on an apartment lease. She'd countered by buying the building next door. They'd gone back and forth for years, each victory feeling sweet because he was the one she was beating.
What if it wasn't about winning? What if it was about wanting his attention?
She grabbed a pillow and screamed into it.
That Saturday, they had to attend a charity gala. Sophia wore a red dress that made her feel powerful. When Ethan saw her, he actually stopped breathing for a second.
"You look... wow," he said.
"Thanks." She didn't add that she'd spent an hour choosing this dress specifically because she wanted him to react like that.
At the gala, they were perfect. The charming couple, always touching, always looking at each other like they couldn't believe their luck. People asked how they fell in love. Ethan told a version of the truth: they'd been competing for so long that they'd finally realized they were perfect for each other.
"She brings out the best in me," he said, squeezing her hand. "She always has. I was just too stubborn to see it."
Sophia's throat got tight.
Later, on the dance floor, Ethan pulled her close. "Is this okay?" he asked quietly.
She nodded, unable to speak. He was so close she could smell his cologne. His hand was warm on her back.
"I'm not trying to complicate things," he said. "I know we said boundaries. But Chen, I—"
He didn't finish because his ex-girlfriend appeared at his elbow.
"Ethan!" She was blonde and beautiful and looked at him like she still owned him. "I can't believe you actually married her. That's so... not like you."
"Hello, Victoria." Ethan didn't let go of Sophia. "This is my wife, Sophia. Sophia, this is Victoria. We dated briefly, years ago."
Victoria's smile was cruel. "Dated until you got bored and moved on to the next challenge. I'm sure Sophia will experience the same thing."
Sophia felt Ethan tense. She turned to Victoria and said sweetly, "That's interesting. He seems completely focused on me. Maybe you just weren't interesting enough to hold his attention."
Victoria's face went red. She walked away.
When they got back to the penthouse, Ethan pushed her against the wall just inside the door. His eyes were dark and intense.
"Don't do that again," he said.
"Do what?"
"Defend me like you actually care about me. Because you're going to make me forget that you want boundaries."
Before she could respond, he kissed her.
This wasn't like the wedding kiss. This was urgent, passionate, like he'd been holding it back for weeks. His hands were in her hair, on her back, pulling her against him. Sophia kissed him back without thinking, all her reasons for keeping distance dissolving.
When he pulled away, he was breathing hard.
"I'm going to my room," he said. "Because if we don't stop now, I'm going to carry you to my bed, and we both know that's not what the contract says."
He left her standing there, trembling, wanting to follow him.
**Should she follow him?**