The room was silent except for the faint ticking of a golden clock on the wall. It wasn't a church, it wasn't a garden, it wasn't even a hall decorated with flowers like most people dreamed of for their wedding. It was a boardroom—large, cold, and polished to perfection—and this was where Elena Hayes found herself, seated across from the man who was about to become her husband. Not a husband chosen by love. Not a husband won by fate. But a husband signed by contract.
The glossy table stretched endlessly between them, reflecting the stack of papers that sat untouched in the center. The contract. There were no rings waiting for them, no vows rehearsed, no promises of forever. Only legal conditions written in black and white, binding two strangers together under rules and signatures. Elena's fingers trembled around the pen she held, the small object suddenly heavy as if it carried the weight of her entire future. Her knuckles turned pale, though she tried to steady her hand and hide the storm that raged inside. She had faced exams that determined her future, interviews where rejection meant the end of dreams, even moments of despair when her family's debts nearly crushed them. None of it compared to this moment, because this wasn't just about her. It was about her freedom, her choices, her life, being sold piece by piece to a man she barely knew.
That man sat across from her, watching in silence. Alexander Knight. Billionaire. CEO. Mogul. His name appeared in every business magazine, his face often graced the covers of finance journals, and his reputation was one that others spoke of with admiration or fear. Ruthless in business, sharp in negotiation, admired by men and envied by women, he was the kind of man whose presence commanded attention even without a word. And now, this man was about to be her husband.
He leaned back in his chair, his broad shoulders framed perfectly by a tailored suit that screamed power and wealth. His face looked as though it had been carved with precision—sharp jawline, piercing eyes, and lips that rarely curved into anything more than a hard line. His dark eyes were on her now, unblinking, intense, as if he could see right through her hesitation. Elena felt her breath hitch in her throat. She had met him only a handful of times before this day, but each encounter had left her feeling small, like she had stepped into a world too big, too dangerous for her. Yet here she was, sitting across from him, pen in hand, expected to agree to a deal that would tie her to him for three long years.
She stared at the pages before her. Line after line of conditions. Rules about how she should behave in public, what appearances she must attend at his side, how she must carry herself as Mrs. Knight. Three years. That was the length of this contract. Three years of living in a house that wasn't hers, sharing a name that wasn't hers, and pretending to be a wife when in truth she was nothing more than an actress playing a role. Three years of wearing a mask while her heart remained caged.
"You're hesitating." Alexander's voice broke the silence. Deep, steady, and commanding, it wasn't a question—it was a statement. He had seen her hesitation, he could almost taste her fear, and he didn't flinch at it. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if daring her to say no.
Elena swallowed, her lips parting, though no words came out at first. She wanted to ask him why. Why her? Why out of all the women in his world had he chosen her, a nobody, a simple girl with nothing to her name except the debt her father had left behind? The question burned in her chest but died before it reached her tongue. Instead, her voice came out in a whisper. "It's… a lot to take in."
Alexander's jaw tightened, and he leaned forward slightly. "This isn't about feelings, Miss Hayes. It's a transaction. You get what you need, and I get what I need. That's all there is to it."
His bluntness stung, though she had expected nothing less. She knew what she was gaining. Her family's debts had buried them, threatening to swallow everything they had left. Her father's bad decisions had left them with nothing, and creditors circled like vultures, waiting to strip them of whatever remained. Elena had run out of options, out of time. Then came Alexander's offer—marry him, play the role of his loving wife in the eyes of the world, and in return every debt would vanish. Her mother could sleep without fear, her little brother could go to school without shame. All it would cost was her freedom.
It was a gilded cage, but still a cage.
She lowered her eyes to the pen in her hand. Its reflection stared back at her from the polished table. Was this truly her fate, to sell her name, her soul, her very life for survival? She thought of her mother's weary smile, of the nights she had cried silently so her children wouldn't hear. She thought of her younger brother, still innocent, still hopeful, trusting her to make things right. They depended on her. If she walked away, she would be walking away from them too.
"Three years," Elena whispered to herself, as if reminding her heart of the bargain.
Alexander's lips twitched slightly, not quite a smile but not as cold as before. "Three years. Then you're free."
Free. The word rang hollow, but she clung to it like a drowning woman clung to driftwood. She drew in a shaky breath, lifted the pen, and hovered over the line where her name should be. Her vision blurred, her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and for a second she thought her hand might give up altogether. Once she signed, there would be no return, no way to undo what she had agreed to.
Across the table, Alexander watched her with the stillness of a predator, patient and unyielding. His eyes followed her every movement, waiting.
Elena closed her eyes, searching for courage. When she opened them again, there was determination in them, faint but strong enough to carry her hand forward. Slowly, carefully, she wrote her name. The ink flowed smoothly, spelling out the words that sealed her fate.
Elena Hayes.
When she finally lifted the pen, the silence in the room deepened. She looked up and met Alexander's gaze. His eyes were unreadable, shadows flickering in their depth. There was no warmth in them, no celebration, not even triumph—just the same unshakable certainty he always carried, as if this marriage was nothing more than another deal closed.
"Welcome to your new life, Mrs. Knight," he said quietly.
The words settled heavily in her chest. Her heart twisted painfully, but she didn't look away. She had made her choice, and for the sake of her family, she would bear it.
In that cold boardroom, with only the ticking clock as
witness, Elena's world shifted forever.