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"Sometimes, to survive in a world ruled by power plays, we must accept contracts we never asked for."
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"If you're reading this, it means I have no other choice but to marry you." — Rayan E. Deveraux
The letter arrived in an envelope as black as the blackest night Keira Anastasya had ever seen. No return label. No postage. Just slipped under her apartment door, as if hand-delivered by a phantom.
At first, Keira thought it was a joke. Maybe from a weird friend, or some viral marketing stunt. But the weight of the paper, the distinctive scent of expensive ink, and the signature at the bottom changed everything.
"I know this sounds insane. Insane. But you'll see it all soon. For now, just remember this: your father's debt is a time bomb. And I'm the only one holding the wire. If you want to rescue him, be at the Hotel Grand Aurelius tomorrow night at 8 PM. 32nd floor. Alone. Don't say anything about it to anyone. Bring this letter." — R.D.
Keira read the letter three times. She even held it up to the light, hoping to find some hidden message like in a spy movie. But the letter was there. Too much to be true.
R.D. — Rayan Deveraux. CEO of Imperium Tech. Neo York's youngest billionaire. The kind of guy you see on the cover of business magazines, trending on Twitter, or heard about in high-end circles. Cold. Calculated. Charismatic. Dangerous.
Why him?
The day after was chaos.
Her phone kept ringing. Three URGENT emails came from her father's attorney. And in the morning, before noon, there was a news flash: Imperium Tech made an offer to buy her father's almost insolvent firm—Anastasya Dynamics.
That was when Keira realized—it wasn't a prank. Rayan was serious. And her life was going to be transformed.
So at 7:52 PM, Keira stepped out of the elevator onto the 32nd floor of Hotel Grand Aurelius. Her fingers were clenched around the envelope so tightly it had started to wrinkle.
The hallway was silent. Carpet too soft. Walls too neat. As if all chaos had been sterilized—except hers.
And she spotted him.
Standing by the big window, staring out into the golden chaos of Neo York, a man in charcoal that hugged too well, one hand in his pocket like he owned the air.
"You rode down to it," he said without glancing about.
His voice was exactly how Keira had imagined it—deep, smooth, with a hint of tangy steel.
"You threatened my father's life. I thought I should meet the man who had the guts to do that."
He turned, and their eyes met for the first time. Ice-gray. Unreadable. But burning.
"You think I threatened you? I was offering you salvation."
"Desired in barbed wire."
He smiled. Really smiled. A thin curl at the corner of his mouth.
"Some barbed wires are worth holding."
Keira turned and laughed softly. "Then you try it first and tell me how it feels."
He handed her a folder. Inside: contracts. Dozens. One for marriage. One for financial arrangements. One for confidentiality. One even detailed Keira's daily routine after the marriage.
"Let me guess," Keira said, leafing through the pages, "you want to marry me for the merger. You need a sweet, homey image. A submissive wife. A pretend fairytale."
"I don't require fairytales," he said. "I require control. Stability. Headlines that work for me."
"Why me? I'm not a PR princess. My father's company is dying on its feet. I'm poison."
"Exactly. You're desperate. And desperate people are loyal."
Keira fell silent. "Are you always so romantic?"
"Only on weekdays."
He looked at her. Actually looked at her. For a moment, Keira felt that this man cut through all of her defenses—sarcasm, anger, confusion—all sliced through like a surgeon's scalpel.
"Say yes, Keira. And in twelve months, you can walk out. Debt-free. Your father's reputation untouched. Your name unscathed. And you can start again."
She looked at him for a very long time. There was no warmth in his eyes. But no malice either.
Only precision. And power.
Keira let out a sigh. "You're an asshole, you know that?"
He gave her a pen. "Yes. But I'm a useful asshole."
Her stomach turned. Clearly, this was not the wedding she had dreamed of. There was no love, only business. And yet, despite the distaste she felt at the offer, her heart inexplicably ached to know more.
"And what happens if I say no?" Keira asked, trying to sound coarse.
Rayan looked at her gravely. "Then your family's debt is something you cannot carry. You lose everything, Keira."
She swallowed hard, her heart pounding. "So this is a threat?"
"It's reality," Rayan said coldly. "And I think you know very well what it is like to live without money, without power."
Keira bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions in line. She glared at the opulent window, looking out at the beautiful city beyond, even though her heart filled with emptiness.
"How long do I have to do it?" she asked, her eyes piercing.
"One year," he answered hastily. "And you're free. But keep in mind, Keira—" Rayan stepped forward. "You only earn that freedom like this. There is no other way."
Keira was trapped. No way out. All she had now—all she believed in—was an empty promise from Rayan Deveraux. A promise that could only be fulfilled in ways she never imagined.
"So, are you going to sign it?" Rayan asked, holding out the pen to her.
Keira stared at him, then at the papers on the table. Saying nothing, she reached for the pen and began signing the document that would change her life for good.
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In the Car, On the Home Way – Keira's POV
The vehicle inched through the buzzing night of Neo York. Street lamps blazed off the windows, casting strange shadows on Keira's scowling face.
Her hand still wrapped around Rayan's letter. Crumpled. Her palm was moist enough to nearly tear it. But Keira did not care. All she could sense now was. pandemonium.
What did I just do?
Her chest was tight. Since she departed the hotel, she had not spoken a word. Even the taxi driver appeared to sense the crisis in her aura, not daring to switch on the radio.
The quiet in the car was deafening. her mind screamed louder than the engine.
I signed that stupid contract.
With the man who tore my family down.
With the man who. somehow, always knows me too well.
Why couldn't I say no? Why did it feel like. a trap I couldn't break out of?
Keira shut her eyes. Her heart was conflicted. She was slightly scared. But above all, she hated how Rayan brought her to this insignificance, this. claustrophobia.
What frightened her more—was the way his eyes pierced her before. Too cold… but too penetrating for anything business.
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In Grand Livia Hotel, Moments After Keira Left – Rayan's POV
Rayan stood by the table as the door shut behind her. He glanced at the documents Keira had signed, then let out a deep breath.
"Well done, boss," a man with round-framed glasses standing in the corner said. Maxwell Lin, Rayan's personal lawyer for the past five years.
Rayan didn't respond. He simply sat, unbuttoned his blazer, and poured whiskey into a crystal glass.
Maxwell knit his brow, his face thoughtful. "But I have to ask myself. why her?"
Rayan spun the glass in his hand, studying the liquid gold as if divining the future in its color.
"She's the right one."
"Don't lie to me, Rayan. We've worked together long enough," Maxwell folded his arms. "There were other ways of rescuing her father's firm. You could have bought it discreetly, rescued it via charity or shell investment. But you. proposed a contract wedding?"
Silence.
"This isn't a merger tactic, is it?
Rayan finally looked at Maxwell. His gaze was sharp, but no longer the one he wore for the media. This time. it held something else. Something almost like restlessness.
"She's the only one who doesn't change when she stands next to me. She sees me as a man, not a headline."
Maxwell raised an eyebrow. "So, you're in love?"
Rayan snorted, downed the entire whiskey. "Don't get dramatic, Max. This isn't a love movie."
"But you're not the kind of guy who would do this much for a girl if you didn't feel anything," Maxwell continued, his tone even. "You've had it on record that you don't believe in love. So if you're doing this. it's something more than you admitted."
Rayan stood, grabbing his jacket. "The contract is valid. The public believes it. Investors are satisfied. And Keira. is safe."
"How long do you plan to keep pretending?"
Rayan paused at the doorway. His back straight, his expression once again that of the untouchable CEO.
"As long as needed," he said without turning. "Until she realizes. I'm the only one who can truly save her."
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END OF CHAPTER 1
"The deal is done. But between the lines of legality and mutual suspicion. something unspoken starts to develop. Not love. Not yet. But something much more lethal a secret hunger with a good dash of deceit."
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