Elena Carter stood outside the private ward, staring at the glass door like it was a death sentence.
Inside, her mother lay unconscious, machines beeping softly, draining money Elena didn't have.
"Miss Carter," the nurse said gently, "the advance payment needs to be cleared today. Otherwise… we can't continue the treatment."
Otherwise.
That single word crushed her chest.
"I'll arrange it," Elena whispered, even though both of them knew she was lying.
She walked out of the hospital with trembling legs, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. The screen showed the same thing it had been showing for weeks.
Balance: $312.45
Her father was gone. Dead.
The debts he left behind were very much alive.
Loan sharks. Hospital bills. Rent overdue.
Elena laughed bitterly.
Life didn't just hit her—it enjoyed watching her bleed.
Her phone buzzed suddenly.
Unknown Number
She frowned and answered.
"Hello?"
"Miss Elena Carter," a male voice said calmly. Cold. Powerful. "I have an offer for you."
She almost hung up.
"I'm not interested in scams," she said flatly.
"This isn't a scam," he replied. "It's a contract."
She paused.
"What kind of contract?"
"Marriage."
Silence fell between them.
Elena thought she had misheard.
"…Excuse me?"
"You heard correctly," the man said. "A marriage contract. Three years. You get paid. I get a wife."
Her grip tightened around the phone.
This had to be a joke.
"You're insane," she snapped.
He chuckled softly. Not amused—mocking.
"Check your email. If you still think I'm joking, you can walk away."
The call disconnected.
Her phone buzzed again—this time with a notification.
New Email Received
Sender: Blackwood Group Legal Office
Her heart skipped.
Blackwood Group.
Everyone knew that name.
The Blackwood Group controlled half the business empire in the city. And at the top of it sat one man.
Adrian Blackwood.
The ruthless billionaire CEO.
Her fingers shook as she opened the email.
Marriage Contract Proposal
Compensation: $500,000 upfront
Elena felt dizzy.
Half a million dollars.
Her mother's surgery.
The debts.
A chance to breathe.
This wasn't salvation.
It was temptation dressed as mercy.
Another message popped up below.
Meeting Address
Time: 7:00 PM today
Attendance mandatory if interested
She swallowed hard.
She should delete it.
She should run.
Instead, she looked at the hospital behind her… and then at her empty bank account.
At 6:55 PM, Elena stood in front of a skyscraper that pierced the clouds.
Blackwood Tower.
Everything about the place screamed power—glass walls, guards in black suits, silence that made her feel small.
A receptionist escorted her into a private elevator.
No buttons. No mirrors.
Just her reflection in the steel doors—cheap dress, tired eyes, fear barely hidden.
The elevator stopped.
The doors slid open.
A massive office greeted her. Floor-to-ceiling windows. City lights glowing like stars beneath them.
And behind a black marble desk sat a man.
Adrian Blackwood.
He didn't look up when she entered.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Perfectly tailored suit. His presence alone made the room feel colder.
"Sit," he said.
One word. No greeting.
Elena sat slowly, her hands folded tightly in her lap.
He finally lifted his eyes.
And the moment their gazes met, her breath caught.
Cold. Sharp. Unreadable.
Those eyes didn't see people.
They measured them.
"So," he said calmly, "you came."
"I haven't agreed to anything," Elena replied, forcing strength into her voice.
A corner of his lips lifted slightly.
"Of course not," he said. "You're here to understand what you're selling."
Her face burned.
"I'm not selling myself."
Adrian leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled.
"A marriage without love," he said. "Without emotion. Without expectations. You'll live as my wife in public. In private, you follow the rules."
A file slid across the desk toward her.
Rules.
She opened it.
No physical intimacy unless initiated by him.
No interference in business.
No falling in love.
Her chest tightened.
"And the money?" she asked quietly.
"Transferred the moment you sign."
She looked up.
"Why me?"
For the first time, something dark flickered in his eyes.
"You're convenient," he said coldly. "And disposable."
The words cut deep.
"Don't worry," he added. "I don't plan to touch you. I despise women who pretend innocence while hiding greed."
Elena stood up abruptly.
"I'm leaving."
Adrian didn't stop her.
He simply said, "Your mother won't survive without the surgery."
Her body froze.
He stood now—towering, intimidating.
"I know everything about you, Elena Carter," he said calmly. "Your debts. Your desperation. Your weakness."
Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
"You're cruel," she whispered.
"Yes," Adrian agreed without shame. "And honest."
He placed a pen on the contract.
"Sign," he said. "And live."
The pen felt heavy in her hand.
This wasn't marriage.
It was a cage.
But cages still kept people alive.
With shaking fingers, Elena signed her name.
The moment she finished, Adrian picked up the contract.
"Welcome, Mrs. Blackwood," he said coldly.
Her heart shattered quietly.
She had just sold her future to a man who already hated her.
And she didn't even know why.