The rain had been falling all night, drumming against the tall glass windows of the Lin family's once–glorious mansion. The chandelier above flickered faintly, its glow failing to hide the cracks in the marble floor. For years, the Lin family had been respected in the city, their name associated with elegance and wealth. Tonight, however, desperation hung in the air like a heavy shadow.
Lin Yuexi sat on the leather sofa, her fingers twisting nervously around the edge of her skirt. Her father's coughing echoed from the study upstairs, a reminder of the crushing debts piling against their family. The Lin Corporation was drowning, creditors circling like wolves. And she, the only daughter, had been chosen as the sacrificial lamb.
The knock on the door was sharp, confident. Yuexi's heart clenched. She already knew who it was.
The butler hesitated before opening the door. A tall figure stepped inside, his presence immediately filling the dimly lit room. Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his expression unreadable, Lu Chenxuan—the city's youngest and most ruthless CEO—strode in like he owned the place.
He didn't waste time on pleasantries. His eyes, sharp and cold, landed directly on Yuexi.
"Miss Lin," he said, his voice deep but devoid of warmth. "I trust your father has explained the arrangement?"
Yuexi stood slowly, forcing her trembling hands to stay at her sides. "An… arrangement," she repeated, her throat dry.
Lu Chenxuan lowered himself onto the sofa opposite her, crossing one leg over the other with effortless authority. "Marriage. Between you and me. A contract binding us for one year."
The words fell into the silence like stones into a pond.
Her chest tightened. Of course, she had heard the rumors—the whispers about his calculated mergers, his cold-blooded strategies. To the business world, he was a legend. To women, he was an untouchable fortress. And now he was offering marriage, not out of affection, but as if he were striking another business deal.
"Why me?" The question slipped from her lips before she could stop it.
For a second, a flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared. "You need money. I need a wife. It's a mutually beneficial transaction. I'll clear your family's debts, and in return, you'll play the role of Mrs. Lu in public."
Yuexi's pulse hammered in her ears. "And after one year?"
"We divorce." His tone was blunt, businesslike. "You walk away with financial security. I walk away with the stability my shareholders demand."
Her fingers curled tightly into her palms. The humiliation burned, but what choice did she have? Without this marriage, the Lin family would collapse entirely. Her father's health was already failing; watching their empire crumble would kill him faster than his illness.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "And the rules?"
His lips curved slightly, though it wasn't a smile. More like the ghost of amusement at her courage. He reached into his briefcase and slid a thin stack of papers across the coffee table.
"The contract."
Yuexi hesitated before picking it up. Black ink filled the pages, outlining every boundary with merciless clarity.
No intimacy unless agreed by both parties.
No interference in each other's personal affairs.
Appear together at business and social events as husband and wife.
No divorce before one year is complete.
Her vision blurred for a moment. Marriage was supposed to be about love, trust, and companionship. But here it was reduced to bullet points and signatures.
Lu Chenxuan leaned back, studying her with an indifferent gaze. "Read carefully. Sign only if you accept the terms. I don't force anyone."
The irony stung. He didn't need to force her; circumstances already had.
Her father's weak cough echoed again from upstairs. Yuexi closed her eyes briefly, steadying herself. When she opened them, she saw the pen lying beside the contract.
Her fingers trembled as she picked it up. For a fleeting second, she imagined what her life might have been if things had been different—if she could marry for love, if she could chase her dreams instead of chains. But reality was merciless.
With a quiet breath, she signed her name.
The sound of pen against paper was deafening in the silence.
Lu Chenxuan reached for the contract, scanning it once before slipping it neatly back into his case. His movements were precise, almost mechanical. Finally, he stood.
"Good. The wedding will be held next week. My assistant will handle the arrangements. From now on, you're Mrs. Lu."
His gaze lingered on her for the briefest moment, as though searching for something in her expression. Then he turned, striding out into the stormy night as easily as he had come.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Yuexi sat frozen, staring at the space he had occupied. The reality of what she had done crashed over her like the relentless rain outside. She was no longer simply Lin Yuexi, daughter of a fallen family.
She was the wife of the city's most untouchable man.
A wife by contract.
Not by love.