The summer sun melted over the small town of Maplewood, painting the streets gold and orange. Kids ran barefoot across cracked pavements, laughter echoing in the distance, but Ava's heart wasn't there — it was by the river, where she'd said goodbye to the only boy she'd ever loved.
"Promise me you'll come back," she had whispered, holding his hand so tight her fingers trembled.
Liam had smiled that reckless, hopeful smile she adored. "I'll come back for you, Ava. I swear it."
That was five years ago.
Now, Ava sat by the same riverbank, her notebook open, words scattered across the page — dreams of becoming a designer, of leaving Maplewood, of building something with her own hands. But no matter how many plans she made, her thoughts always found their way back to Liam — the boy who vanished without a goodbye.
Her mother's voice carried from the porch, sharp and worried. "Ava! Come inside. We need to talk."
When she stepped in, the air felt heavy. Her father sat in silence, hands folded, while her mother stared at the floor.
Then came the words that cracked her world.
"They've chosen you."
Ava frowned. "Chosen me for what?"
Her mother's lips quivered. "The Blackwood family… your father's debt—it's been arranged. You'll marry Ethan Blackwood. It was promised years ago."
Ava froze.
She thought it was a joke. But the silence said otherwise.
Meanwhile…
In the city, Ethan Blackwood sat behind a mahogany desk that overlooked the skyline of New York. His world was built on power, precision, and control. Nothing slipped through his fingers — except the woman who once swore she loved him.
Sienna.
He still remembered the night she walked away, leaving only a note and his trust in ruins. Since then, Ethan had vowed never to fall again. Love was weakness. Loyalty was a lie.
Now, his parents wanted him to honor an old contract — an arranged marriage to a girl he didn't know.
He almost laughed at the irony.
One heart shattered by betrayal, another bound by debt.
"Fine," he muttered, signing the document. "Let's get this over with."
That night, Ava lay awake, her dreams of freedom crumbling. Somewhere between her tears and the rustle of the old ceiling fan, she made a silent vow.
If I have to live this life, I'll still find myself in it. I'll still dream, even in chains.
And miles away, Ethan poured himself a glass of whiskey, his jaw tight.
Love doesn't exist, he thought. Only deals do.
Two broken souls, unaware that fate had already tied their names together long before they were ready to meet.