The black Maybach glided through the iron gates of the Thorne Estate, a sprawling fortress of glass and steel perched on the highest hill in North City. Inside the car, the silence was suffocating.
Seraphina sat as far away from Alexander as the leather seat would allow, her hands still trembling in her lap. She was still wearing the white wedding dress—the dress she was supposed to wear for Jason, but which now felt like a brand owned by the man sitting beside her.
"You're shaking," Alexander said. It wasn't a question. He didn't look at her; he was focused on his tablet, his fingers flying across the screen as he managed a multi-billion dollar empire as if he hadn't just hijacked a wedding.
"I... I just married a stranger," Seraphina whispered, her voice cracking. "A man I met in a bar. A man who..."
"A man who knows exactly how you sound when you've lost your breath," Alexander finished for her. He finally turned his head, his icy blue gaze raking over her pale face. "Don't play the innocent victim now, Seraphina. You walked into my room. You asked me to make you forget. I am simply making sure you never remember anyone else."
The car stopped. The door was opened by a line of servants standing in perfect formation.
"Welcome home, Madam," they said in unison.
The word Madam hit her like a physical blow. She was no longer the "timid mouse" of the Lin family. She was the most powerful woman in the city—and the most hunted.
The Master Suite
Alexander led her into a bedroom that was larger than her father's entire house. The floors were heated marble, and a floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the sparkling lights of the city.
On the massive king-sized bed sat a black silk folder.
"Sign it," Alexander commanded, nodding toward the folder.
Seraphina opened it. Her eyes blurred as she read the terms of the Marriage Contract:
Duration: One year.
Exclusivity: The Wife shall not have any contact with other men. Any violation will result in the immediate seizure of Lin family assets.
Medical: The Thorne Group will take over all medical expenses for the Wife's grandmother, effective immediately.
The "Duty": The Wife must reside in the Master Suite.
Seraphina's breath hitched at the last clause. "Reside in the Master Suite? But... last night was an accident. You were drugged, and I was... I was heartbroken. We don't have to—"
"Last night was a revelation," Alexander interrupted, walking toward her. He was shedding his jacket, his broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his white dress shirt. "You are the only person who can quiet the noise in my head, Seraphina. Whether it's your scent or your touch, I don't care. I need you near me to function."
He stopped inches from her, his presence overwhelming. He reached out, his thumb tracing the line of her collarbone, lingering on the place where a faint bruise from his passion still lingered.
"But let's be clear," he hissed, his voice dropping to a seductive, dangerous growl. "I don't do 'romance.' I don't do 'love.' You are here to play the part of the perfect wife in public, and to be my anchor in private. In exchange, I will crush the Lin family into the dirt for what they did to you."
Seraphina looked at the pen. She thought of her grandmother's fading heartbeat. She thought of Lydia's sneer and Jason's betrayal. Then she looked at Alexander—a man who was a monster, but a monster who was now her monster.
She signed her name.
"Good girl," Alexander murmured. He took the pen from her hand and tossed it onto the table.
Before she could retreat, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. The scent of rain and sandalwood enveloped her, and despite her fear, her body traitorously hummed in recognition of him.
"The guests at the wedding think we're having a passionate wedding night," he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. "It would be a shame to disappoint them."
He began to unlace the back of her dress, his fingers deft and certain. Seraphina's heart hammered. She was terrified of him, but as his hands touched her skin, she realized the terrifying truth:
She had escaped the cage of her family, only to walk into a cage of gold. And the man holding the key was never going to let her out.