Chapter 1
The rain fell like knives, slicing through the midnight air.
Lin Yue pulled the hood of her coat tighter, her fingers trembling—not from the cold, but from the pounding in her chest. Every step she took into the glittering marble lobby felt like walking into a lion's den. This was his world—shiny, opulent, and lethal.
She had no right to be here.
But she had no choice.
The gala upstairs was invitation-only, guarded by men in black suits whose eyes missed nothing. She had bribed a caterer to get inside, swapping her damp coat for a crisp white server's jacket. The champagne tray in her hands was her only disguise.
Her eyes swept the ballroom. Gold chandeliers hung like constellations overhead, bathing the crowd in light. Men in tailored suits clinked glasses with women in silk gowns, their laughter hiding the poison in their words.
And there, at the center of it all, was him.
Mo Chen.
Tall. Perfectly composed. The kind of face that could stop traffic—sharp jawline, lips cut in a straight line, and eyes that could freeze blood. His black suit was flawlessly pressed, but it was the way he stood—owning the air around him—that made everyone keep their distance.
Lin Yue's hand clenched around the tray. Her heart screamed to throw the champagne in his face, to tell him he'd destroyed her life. But she swallowed it down. She wasn't here for revenge. Not tonight.
She was here for her brother.
She slipped through the crowd, every step calculated. The USB drive in her pocket held the last piece of evidence of her brother's location—information she'd stolen from one of Mo Chen's business partners. If she could just get close enough to his office upstairs…
"Lost something?"
The voice came from behind her—low, deep, and far too close.
Her breath caught. She turned, and her world tilted.
Mo Chen stood a mere step away, hands in his pockets, dark eyes locked on her with an expression she couldn't read.
Up close, he was even more dangerous. The faint scent of sandalwood clung to him, a smell she hated because she remembered it. She remembered the day it lingered on her father's suit—the day before everything collapsed.
"You—"
"Don't bother lying," he cut in smoothly. "I've been watching you since you walked in. You're not here to serve drinks, Lin Yue."
The tray shook in her hands. "Stay away from me."
One corner of his mouth lifted, not quite a smile. "If I wanted to stay away, I wouldn't be here."
She hated how calm he was, how her pulse betrayed her by racing faster. She hated that he was right—she didn't belong here.
"Come with me," he said, tilting his head toward a side hallway.
"No."
"Yes." His tone brooked no argument.
Two men in suits appeared from nowhere, flanking her. Her escape was cut off. She bit her lip, fury burning in her chest, but she followed.
He led her into a private lounge, the noise of the party fading behind closed doors. The room smelled of leather and whiskey, the light low enough to make the edges of his face sharper, more dangerous.
"Why are you here, Lin Yue?" he asked, leaning casually against the table.
"You know why," she shot back. "Where is my brother?"
"Alive," he said, watching her reaction. "For now."
Her nails dug into her palms. "If you hurt him—"
"If I wanted to hurt him," Mo Chen interrupted, "we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Her breath came faster. "What do you want from me?"
For the first time that night, his eyes softened—just a flicker—but it was gone before she could believe it.
"I want you," he said simply.
She froze. "…What?"
"Marry me."
The words hit her like a blow. "Are you insane?"
"Perhaps," he said lightly. "But I have my reasons. One year. You'll be my wife in name, you'll live under my roof, and you'll play the part I need you to play. In return, I'll give you your brother… and your family's company back."
Lin Yue stared at him, her mind spinning. She'd expected threats, maybe blackmail—not this.
"You're asking me to marry the man who destroyed my family," she said, her voice shaking.
"I'm not asking," Mo Chen replied, his voice low and smooth as velvet. "I'm offering you a way to save what's left of it."
She wanted to scream at him, to tell him he was a monster. But the image of her brother—skinny, scared, locked away somewhere—flashed before her eyes.
Her voice came out as a whisper. "And if I refuse?"
Mo Chen's eyes turned to steel. "Then your brother disappears forever."
Silence pressed between them. She could hear the rain outside, the steady tick of the clock on the wall.
Slowly, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a folder, sliding it across the table.
She hesitated, then opened it.
Her heart stopped.
Inside was a marriage contract—stamped, dated, already signed by him. And on top of it, a photograph of her brother.
He looked alive. But terrified.
Her fingers curled around the paper as if she could pull him out of it.
Mo Chen's voice was quiet but final. "You have until midnight to decide."
Her breath caught, the weight of the contract burning her fingertips.
Cliffhanger: Somewhere in the distance, the ballroom's music stopped—and then came the sound of shattering glass.