The morning sun filtered through the towering windows of the estate, casting golden rays over the letter that trembled in Yue Jing's hands. Her eyes burned as she reread her sister's neat cursive for the third time.
Dearest Yue,
By the time you read this, I won't be present in the estate. I couldn't fight it anymore. I love another man too much.
Please forgive me… and tell Zilu I never meant to hurt him.
Love always, Yumeng.
Her throat tightened. Yumeng had eloped.
And not just at any other date, it was right on the date the marriage was scheduled upon.
The door creaked open.
"Miss Yue," the butler said nervously, "Mr. Zilu Yang is here… and he seems—" The man swallowed. "—furious."
Yue's stomach dropped.
Zilu Yang. Billionaire. Ice-cold businessman. Her sister's fiancé. And now, a man who's dignity is up in the air due to her sister's elopement.
She barely had time to breathe before the double doors slammed open.
He entered like a storm in human form—tall, magnetic, and radiating fury. His steel-gray eyes locked on her like a weapon. His dark hair was tousled, his tie askew, as if he hadn't slept all night. Yet even disheveled, he exuded power. Authority. Danger.
"Where. Is. She?" he demanded, his voice low, dangerous.
Yue stood from the sofa, her heartbeat erratic. "Mr. Zilu, I just found out this morning—"
"I don't want excuses. I want your sister." He stalked closer. "I want the woman who humiliated me in front of every investor and nearly tanked a multi-billion-dollar merger."
Yue flinched. "She left a letter. She's... gone."
Zilu's jaw clenched. "Gone? On the day of our wedding? The press is already circling. Do you have any idea what kind of damage control this will take?"
She nodded mutely. Her family's company was already on the brink. Her father was still in the hospital, clinging to life after a heart attack. Yumeng's engagement had been their last hope.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Sorry doesn't fix broken contracts or calm angry board members," Zilu snapped. "The Blackwood Group made it clear—the merger depends on a marriage to a Jing."
Yue's pulse thundered in her ears.
A Jing.
Her.
A crazy, desperate thought took root in her chest.
"…What if the marriage still happened?"
Zilu stilled. "What?"
"I mean…" She swallowed hard. "You need a Jing bride, right? I'm still here."
He stared at her like she'd grown two heads. "You're suggesting I marry you."
"Yes," she said quietly, but knew very well this won't turn out well. "I know it sounds insane, but I'm still Yumeng's sister. We share the same bloodline. For the sake of business, wouldn't I be enough to honor the deal?"
Silence fell between them, thick and tense.
Then, Zilu stepped closer, his piercing gaze scanning her. "You're serious."
"I am. I… I don't have the looks or charm Yumeng does, but I can fulfill the role."
"Hahaha!"
He laughed once—harsh and humorless.
"And what makes you think you can handle me, sweetheart? I'm not a man who believes in love or mercy. You'd be a pawn in my world."
"I'm not asking for love," she replied. "Just a contract. You get your merger. I get enough financial help to save my father's life."
Zilu's eyes narrowed, but she didn't flinch. Finally, after a long pause, he turned on his heel.
"Be ready in two hours."
"What?"
"We're getting married today. My lawyer will draw up the terms. If you're truly serious, then I expect no delays."
Yue's legs threatened to give out beneath her. But she nodded.
"No delays."
*****************************
The chapel was nearly empty. The only witnesses were Zilu's lawyer and a bodyguard in sunglasses. Yue stood at the altar in her mother's old cream dress, fingers clutching a small bouquet of garden roses.
Across from her, Zilu looked every inch the powerful CEO in a perfectly tailored black suit. Cold. Distant. Impossibly handsome.
"I do," he said when prompted, without hesitation.
Yue's lips trembled. "I… I do."
Their kiss was brief—barely more than a brush of lips. Yet it sent a shiver down her spine.
Minutes later, she found herself in the backseat of Zilu's sleek Mercedes, her new husband seated beside her as if they were nothing more than business partners.
He pulled out a thick folder and handed it to her.
"What's this?"
"A marriage contract." His tone was clipped. "You'll find everything inside. Term of agreement: one year. Conditions. Compensation. Non-disclosure clauses."
Yue flipped through the pages. Her head spun. "You planned this... already?"
"I plan for everything, Mrs.Jing. Read it. Sign it. Or don't. But understand this: we are now in a partnership. Nothing more. Don't mistake this for a fairy tale."
She stared at the contract, then at the man beside her.
"What if I refuse to sign?"
Zilu tilted his head, lips curling ever so slightly.
"Then you'll regret your second biggest mistake. The first was thinking you could survive being my wife."
Her fingers tightened on the pen.
"Before I sign," she whispered, "tell me one thing…"
Zilu met her gaze, expression unreadable. "What?"
Yue inhaled shakily. "What exactly do you expect me to become?"
His smile was razor-sharp.
"The perfect wife, of course—obedient, elegant, and invisible."
'Let's see that who will become obedient to whom at the end, Mr.Yang' With a single though Yue signed the papers.