Lina stood in the middle of the large office, her heart beating so fast she thought it might burst out of her chest.
The room smelled of expensive leather and strong coffee. Outside the tall glass windows, the city lights glittered like thousands of distant stars.
But Lina couldn't admire the view.
Her eyes were fixed on the two men sitting across the table.
One of them was her father.
The other…
Was Adrian Black.
The most powerful businessman in the city.
And the man who hated her family more than anyone.
"This can't be serious," Lina said, her voice trembling slightly.
Her father looked exhausted. The dark circles under his eyes made him look ten years older.
"Lina… please sit down," he said quietly.
She didn't move.
"No," she replied. "First tell me why I'm here."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Then Adrian leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes studying her like she was some kind of interesting object.
He was even more intimidating up close.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Perfectly tailored black suit.
Everything about him screamed power and control.
And his cold gaze made Lina feel strangely nervous.
"I invited you here for a simple reason," Adrian finally said in a deep calm voice.
Lina crossed her arms.
"I'm listening."
Her father sighed.
"Our company is going bankrupt."
The words hit her like a slap.
"What?"
"The debts are too big," he continued. "If we don't find a solution soon… we lose everything."
Lina frowned.
"But we can find investors. Or sell part of the company."
Her father slowly shook his head.
"We tried."
Her stomach tightened.
Then Adrian spoke again.
"There is another option."
Lina looked at him sharply.
"And what is that?"
His lips curved slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"You marry me."
For a moment, Lina thought she heard wrong.
"What?"
The word escaped her lips in a whisper.
Adrian didn't look amused.
"You heard me."
Lina turned to her father, waiting for him to laugh and say this was some kind of joke.
But he didn't.
Instead, he lowered his head.
A horrible realization slowly crawled into her mind.
"No," she said immediately.
Her voice became louder.
"No. Absolutely not."
Her father looked up with pain in his eyes.
"Lina—"
"You can't be serious!" she interrupted. "You want me to marry HIM?"
Adrian remained perfectly calm, watching the scene like a spectator.
Her heart pounded violently.
"This is insane!"
Her father stood up slowly.
"It's the only way."
Lina laughed bitterly.
"The only way? Selling your daughter?"
"It's not like that."
"Then what is it like?"
Her voice echoed through the office.
Her father looked helpless.
"Adrian agreed to erase all our debts."
Lina froze.
"What?"
"Every cent."
She slowly turned toward Adrian again.
"And in exchange…" she whispered.
"You marry me for one year," Adrian finished.
His tone was completely emotionless.
"As a contract."
Lina stared at him like he was a monster.
"You must be out of your mind."
He raised an eyebrow.
"On the contrary. I am being generous."
"Generous?"
She almost laughed.
"You are blackmailing my family!"
"No," Adrian replied calmly.
"I am offering a solution."
The tension in the room became suffocating.
Lina looked at her father again.
"You can't accept this."
Her father didn't answer.
That silence told her everything.
Her chest tightened painfully.
"You already agreed… didn't you?"
Her father closed his eyes.
"I had no choice."
Something inside Lina broke.
"So you decided my life for me?"
"It's only for one year," he said quickly.
"After that you can divorce."
Lina's hands trembled.
She turned toward Adrian again.
"Why?" she demanded.
His dark gaze locked with hers.
"Why me?"
For a moment he said nothing.
Then he stood up slowly.
He was even taller than she expected.
And far more intimidating.
He walked around the desk until he stood right in front of her.
The distance between them suddenly felt dangerously small.
"You know exactly why," he said quietly.
Lina frowned.
"I don't."
His eyes darkened.
"Your family destroyed mine."
Her breath caught.
Years ago, there had been a huge scandal between their companies.
But Lina had been too young to understand everything.
"I had nothing to do with that," she said softly.
Adrian's expression didn't change.
"Perhaps."
His gaze slowly moved over her face.
"But you will still pay the price."
Anger burned inside her chest.
"You hate me that much?"
"I don't hate you."
The answer surprised her.
Then his next words were even colder.
"I simply don't care about you."
Those words hurt more than she expected.
Lina clenched her fists.
"I'm not marrying you."
Adrian didn't look worried.
Instead, he glanced toward her father.
"Then tomorrow the banks will take your company."
Her father looked devastated.
"And your family will lose everything."
Silence fell again.
Lina felt trapped.
If she refused…
Her father's life would collapse.
But if she accepted…
She would belong to Adrian Black for an entire year.
The man who treated her like a pawn in his revenge game.
Her heart felt heavy.
Slowly… painfully…
She turned toward Adrian.
"What are the conditions?" she asked quietly.
A small victorious spark appeared in his eyes.
"A simple contract marriage."
"No love."
"No interference in my business."
"And you will attend public events as my wife."
Lina swallowed.
"And after one year?"
"We divorce."
Her chest tightened again.
One year with him felt like a lifetime.
But she had no choice.
Her father was watching her with desperate hope.
Lina closed her eyes for a moment.
Then she opened them again.
And looked straight at Adrian.
"Fine," she said.
The word felt like poison in her mouth.
"I'll do it."
Adrian's lips curved into a faint smile.
But it wasn't a kind smile.
It was the smile of someone who had just won a game.
"Excellent," he said calmly.
Lina's heart sank.
Because deep down…
She had the terrible feeling that this marriage would destroy her life.
And the worst part?
It was only the beginning.