I shouldn't have gone.
That was the only thought repeating in my head as I stood in front of the towering glass building, my reflection staring back at me like a stranger.
Blackwood Corporation.
Even the name felt intimidating.
Cold.
Powerful.
Untouchable.
People like me didn't belong in places like this.
People like me didn't get calls from men like him.
And yet…
Here I was.
You don't have a choice, Elena.
The hospital bill flashed in my mind again.
Two hundred thousand dollars.
My mother's pale face.
The sound of the monitor.
Flat.
Beeping.
Fading.
I clenched my fists.
Then stepped inside.
Everything about the lobby screamed money.
Marble floors.
Crystal lights.
People in tailored suits walking like they owned the world.
I felt… small.
Out of place.
Like a stain on something perfect.
"Excuse me," I said quietly at the reception desk.
The woman behind it barely looked up.
"Yes?"
"I—I have an appointment with… Adrian Blackwood."
That got her attention.
Her eyes snapped up instantly, scanning me from head to toe.
Judging.
Measuring.
Dismissing.
"Name?"
"Elena Carter."
She typed something quickly, then paused.
Her expression changed.
Respect.
No—fear.
"He's expecting you," she said immediately. "Top floor. Private elevator."
Of course he was.
Men like him didn't wait.
They summoned.
The elevator ride felt longer than it should have.
Each second stretched.
Each floor climbed felt like I was getting deeper into something I couldn't escape.
By the time the doors opened—
My heartbeat was out of control.
The hallway was silent.
Too silent.
Like even sound wasn't allowed here.
At the end of it stood a single door.
Black.
Massive.
Intimidating.
I hesitated.
My hand hovered in the air.
You can still leave.
But then—
My mother's face flashed again.
And I knocked.
"Come in."
His voice.
Deep.
Calm.
Commanding.
It didn't ask.
It ordered.
I pushed the door open.
And everything—
Everything changed.
He was sitting behind a large desk, sunlight cutting across the room and framing him like something unreal.
Adrian Blackwood.
No picture.
No imagination.
No warning—
Could have prepared me for this.
He was… overwhelming.
Sharp jaw.
Dark eyes.
Perfectly tailored black suit.
Power radiated off him like heat.
Dangerous.
Controlled.
Unreachable.
But it wasn't just how he looked.
It was how he sat.
Relaxed.
Unbothered.
Like the entire world existed beneath him.
Like I did.
His eyes lifted slowly.
And landed on me.
I froze.
Because the moment they did—
I felt it.
Pressure.
Like being pinned in place without being touched.
"You're late."
His voice was flat.
Emotionless.
But it still sent a shiver down my spine.
"I—no, I'm actually right on time," I said quickly.
His gaze didn't change.
Didn't soften.
Didn't care.
"In my world," he said calmly, "on time is already late."
I swallowed.
Hard.
Of course it was.
Everything about him screamed control.
Precision.
Perfection.
"Sit."
Not a suggestion.
An order.
I obeyed.
Because somehow…
It didn't feel like I had a choice.
He didn't speak right away.
He just looked at me.
Studied me.
Like I was something to be evaluated.
Something to be… bought.
The thought made my stomach twist.
Finally—
He reached for a file on his desk and slid it toward me.
"A contract."
My fingers trembled slightly as I picked it up.
The paper felt heavier than it should have.
Like it carried consequences I didn't fully understand.
"I assume you read before signing things," he said.
There was something in his tone.
Cold amusement.
Like he already knew the answer.
"I do," I replied quietly.
"Good."
A pause.
Then—
"Because this will change your life."
My chest tightened.
I opened the file.
And the words hit me instantly.
Marriage Agreement.
My breath caught.
Even though I already knew…
Seeing it written like that—
Made it real.
Too real.
"You want me to marry you," I said slowly.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No explanation.
Just—
Yes.
"Why me?" I asked.
That was the question that mattered.
Because men like him didn't need women like me.
He leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving mine.
"You're disposable."
The word sliced through me.
Clean.
Sharp.
Merciless.
"I need a wife," he continued calmly. "Temporary. Obedient. Unattached."
Every word felt like a deliberate insult.
"And you," he added, "fit the criteria."
My hands tightened around the file.
I should've been angry.
I should've walked out.
I should've thrown the contract in his face.
But instead—
All I could think about was—
Two hundred thousand dollars.
"How long?" I asked quietly.
His eyes flickered.
Just slightly.
Like he hadn't expected that question.
"One year."
One year.
One year of this man.
Of this… situation.
"And after that?"
"Divorce."
Simple.
Clean.
Like it meant nothing.
"Rules?" I asked.
Because there had to be rules.
There were always rules.
His lips curved slightly.
Not a smile.
Something colder.
"You will live in my house."
"You will attend public events as my wife."
"You will not interfere in my business."
"And most importantly—"
He leaned forward.
And suddenly—
The air changed.
He was closer now.
Too close.
My breath caught.
"You will not fall in love with me."
My heart skipped.
Just for a second.
Because the way he said it—
Wasn't arrogant.
It was certain.
Like it was a fact.
Like it was inevitable.
"I won't," I said quickly.
Too quickly.
His eyes darkened.
"Everyone says that."
Silence fell between us.
Heavy.
Charged.
Dangerous.
"And in return?" I asked.
Even though I already knew.
He didn't break eye contact.
"I pay for your mother's treatment."
My chest tightened painfully.
Every word felt like a chain wrapping tighter around me.
"And anything else you need."
Anything.
The word echoed.
Because for the first time in my life—
Everything I had ever struggled for…
Was suddenly within reach.
All I had to do—
Was give myself up.
"Why me?" I asked again, softer this time.
Because there had to be more.
There had to be something I wasn't seeing.
Something I wasn't understanding.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't random.
This wasn't—
A coincidence.
His expression didn't change.
But something in his eyes did.
Something darker.
Older.
More dangerous.
"Because," he said slowly…
"You won't survive without me."
My breath caught.
Not because of what he said—
But because of how true it felt.
And he knew it.
Of course he did.
Men like Adrian Blackwood—
Always knew.
"Take your time," he said, leaning back again like none of this mattered.
Like my entire life wasn't hanging on this decision.
"Or don't."
His gaze sharpened.
"But understand this, Elena—"
My name sounded different coming from him.
Heavier.
Owned.
"This offer doesn't come twice."
Silence.
My hands trembled.
My heart raced.
My mind screamed at me to run.
To leave.
To say no.
But then—
My mother's voice echoed in my head.
Soft.
Weak.
Fading.
And just like that—
The choice disappeared.
I picked up the pen.
My fingers shook.
My chest felt tight.
Like I couldn't breathe.
Like I was standing on the edge of something I couldn't come back from.
"This is a mistake," I whispered.
More to myself than to him.
His response was immediate.
"Yes."
I looked up.
Shocked.
"You know that?" I asked.
His gaze locked onto mine.
Cold.
Unreadable.
"Of course."
A pause.
Then—
"But you're going to do it anyway."
My heart pounded.
Because he was right.
He was completely right.
And that terrified me more than anything else.
The pen touched the paper.
My name stared back at me.
Elena Carter.
The last moment of who I used to be.
Because after this—
Everything would change.
Everything.
I took a shaky breath.
And signed.
The moment the ink dried—
Something shifted.
Something final.
Something irreversible.
Adrian picked up the contract, glancing over it briefly.
Then—
He stood.
And walked toward me.
Slow.
Controlled.
Predatory.
My pulse skyrocketed.
He stopped right in front of me.
Close enough that I could feel his presence.
Close enough that I couldn't think straight.
"Good choice," he said quietly.
My throat went dry.
Because it didn't feel like a good choice.
It felt like—
A sentence.
"From this moment on," he continued…
"You belong to me."
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