Chapter 2 – The Cold Caress of Wealth
On their way home from the lavish gathering, Althea sat in silence inside the car. The words of the woman in the crimson dress kept replaying and carving themselves into her mind:
"He will never love you. You are nothing but a contract."
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to swallow the bitterness of truth. But she couldn't stop herself from asking—how long could she endure such a life and situation?
"Stop overthinking," Xavier said coldly, without even glancing at her. "You have nothing to worry about as long as you follow our agreement."
Althea turned to him. "But it isn't easy, Xavier. Everyone tonight looked at me as if I were an impostor."
The man fell silent for a moment before clearing his throat. "Because you are an impostor. You don't need to love me. You don't need to prove yourself. Just play the role of a wife in society's eyes—that is all."
Each word pierced Althea's heart like a dagger. But instead of breaking, she chose to wear a bitter smile. "If that's the case, then I'll do my duty. Not because of the contract, but because I refuse to disgrace myself."
---
The next day, inside the mansion, Althea walked through the garden as if she were a stranger in her own home. The flowers, the fountains, the vast green lawns—all were beautiful, yet not a single thread of warmth could be felt.
An elderly maid approached her. "Ma'am, would you like some tea? It's still hot."
Althea smiled faintly, her chest easing just a little. "Thank you, Ate. You're the only one who greeted me with a genuine smile."
Her eyes drifted to the window on the second floor. There stood Xavier, watching her from a distance, his cold gaze like ice. Yet for a fleeting moment, there seemed to be a shadow of hesitation in his eyes.
What are you really thinking, Xavier Madrigal? Althea whispered inwardly.
---
As the night deepened, Althea returned to the contract locked inside the drawer of her room. She traced her fingers along the ink of her signature.
"Is this my fate? A year of battling against the cold heart of a man who cannot even look at me with love?"
But beneath her fear, a strange heartbeat began to stir—not yet clear, but slowly etching itself into her soul.
And in the silence of that night, a vow was born in her mind:
I will not remain a prisoner of this contract. I will be the reason Xavier Madrigal's cold world finally shatters.