The diner clock ticked past midnight, its hands dragging Amelia Hart's exhaustion along with them. Her apron was stained with coffee splatters, her hands smelled of grease, and her legs ached from hours of rushing between tables. Yet she forced a smile as she delivered the last plate of fries to a grumpy trucker.
Tips tonight had been pitiful barely enough to cover bus fare home. Her mind wasn't even on the diner anymore. It was on her brother, Daniel.
Daniel's illness had been worsening. The doctors used words like "degenerative", " "urgent" , "experimental treatment", all of which translated to money Amelia didn't have. The hospital had given her two weeks to make a deposit or risk losing Daniel's spot in the program that could save his life.
Two weeks. Fourteen days. And she had nothing.
"Amelia, clock out," her boss barked. "We're closing. Don't forget to mop before you leave."
"Yes, Mr. Klein," she murmured, tying her hair tighter.
The bell above the door jingled as it swung open. Amelia glanced up automatically, expecting another late-night customer who would keep her here longer.
Instead, the man who entered silenced the diner with his presence alone.
He was tall, dressed in a tailored black suit that looked painfully out of place among the greasy booths. His eyes icy gray and unreadable swept the room like a predator scanning for prey. The air shifted, heavy, as if the world itself bent slightly to accommodate him.
Adrian Blackwood. She didn't know his name yet, but everyone in the city did. Billionaire. Tycoon. CEO of Blackwood Enterprises. Dangerous. Untouchable.
And now, standing in the middle of her cheap diner.
Her boss nearly tripped over himself rushing forward. "M-Mr. Blackwood! What an honor, sir! We weren't expecting"
Adrian cut him off with a single glance. Cold. Sharp. The kind of look that made men twice Amelia's size flinch.
"I'm not here for you," Adrian said, his voice low and commanding.
His gaze landed on her. Amelia's heart stumbled.
She dropped the mop, its clatter echoing in the silence. "Me?"
He nodded once. "Yes. You."
Her boss blinked. "Her? She's just"
"Leave us." Adrian didn't raise his voice, but the authority in it brooked no argument.
The diner emptied within minutes, her boss shooting her bewildered looks as he locked up. Soon it was just Amelia and Adrian, the fluorescent lights buzzing above them.
Amelia tried to steady her voice. "Look, if you're here for coffee, I can brew a fresh pot. But if this is some kind of joke"
Adrian stepped closer. His cologne was subtle, expensive, and overwhelming all at once. He studied her face as if searching for something only he could see.
"You're Amelia Hart."
The way he said her name like it was already written in his plans unnerved her. "How do you know my name?"
Adrian didn't answer. Instead, he pulled a sleek black card from his jacket and placed it on the counter. Embossed in silver was a single name: "Blackwood Tower."
"Come to my office tomorrow at noon," he said. "Alone."
Amelia frowned. "Why would I"
"Because your brother's life depends on it."
Her breath hitched.
Before she could demand an explanation, Adrian was already walking out, his presence vanishing into the night as abruptly as it had arrived.
The bell jingled again, leaving Amelia staring at the black card, her pulse hammering in her ears.
The next morning, she stood outside Blackwood Tower, clutching that card like a lifeline.
The skyscraper loomed above her, its mirrored windows piercing the clouds. Wealth radiated from it, a world so far removed from her own that even stepping inside felt like trespassing.
"Get a grip, Amelia," she whispered. "You're doing this for Daniel."
The receptionist greeted her with a practiced smile, already expecting her. "Mr. Blackwood is waiting."
The elevator ride was silent except for the pounding of her heart. When the doors slid open, she was met with an office that screamed power. Floor to ceiling windows overlooked the city. Minimalist décor, sleek and cold, reflected its owner perfectly.
Adrian stood near the window, his hands in his pockets, staring down at the streets like a king surveying his kingdom.
"You came," he said without turning.
"You gave me no choice," Amelia snapped, surprising even herself with her boldness.
He faced her, expression unreadable. "Good. I prefer people who understand necessity."
"Why am I here?" she demanded. "How do you know about Daniel?"
Adrian gestured to a folder on his desk. "I make it my business to know everything. Your brother's condition. The bills. The eviction notice on your apartment. You're drowning, Miss Hart."
Her stomach twisted. "You had no right"
"I have every right," Adrian cut her off smoothly. "And I have a solution."
He slid the folder toward her. Inside was a contract. Bold letters at the top read: "Marriage Agreement".
Amelia blinked. "This… this has to be a mistake."
"It's not." Adrian's voice was calm, as if he were discussing a simple business deal. "You marry me. In exchange, I'll cover every cent of your brother's medical expenses. He'll have access to the best doctors money can buy."
Amelia laughed bitterly. "This is insane. You don't even know me."
His gaze sharpened. "I know enough. And I don't need love or affection. I need a wife on paper. You need money. This arrangement benefits us both."
Her hands trembled as she pushed the contract back. "Why me? Out of all the women in this city, why me?"
For the first time, something flickered in Adrian's eyes something dangerous, something hidden. But it vanished before she could name it.
"Because you fit the terms."
His evasive answer only fueled her unease. "And if I say no?"
"Then your brother dies."
The words sliced through her like a knife.
Amelia's throat tightened. Daniel's weak smile flashed in her memory, the way he still tried to reassure her even as his body failed him. She couldn't lose him. She wouldn't.
Her voice was barely a whisper. "You're a monster."
Adrian leaned forward, his lips curving into a shadow of a smirk. "Perhaps. But I'm the monster offering to save him."
The room spun. Her pen felt heavy in her hand as she hovered over the contract. Every instinct screamed at her to run, to get as far away from this man as possible. But Daniel's face anchored her.
Tears blurred her vision as she scribbled her name.
Adrian plucked the paper from her hands, his expression victorious yet unreadable.
"Good," he murmured.
Relief washed over her and then curdled into dread. "It's done," she said, trying to convince herself.
Adrian's smirk deepened. He leaned close enough that his breath brushed her ear.
"Remember this moment, Amelia. You think you've signed a lifeline, but in truth…" His voice dropped to a whisper, cold and dangerous. "…you've signed away your freedom. Once you're mine, there's no escape."
Her pulse thundered as the weight of his words sank in.
The contract wasn't salvation.
It was a prison.
And she had just locked herself inside.