The city looked different when you were about to lose yourself to it.
From the floor-to-ceiling windows of the executive building, the skyline glittered—cold, untouchable, indifferent. People down there were living their lives, laughing, arguing, falling in love. None of them knew that on the forty-ninth floor, a deal was about to be signed that would rewrite the fate of a woman who had run out of choices.
My palms were damp.
I wiped them against the sides of my dress and forced my spine straight as the elevator doors slid open. The hallway beyond was silent, lined with dark marble and framed art that probably cost more than my entire life savings. Every step echoed, each one carrying me closer to a man I had never met but feared more than I was willing to admit.
Mr. Valerio Knight.
CEO. Billionaire.
A name that commanded respect in public and silence in private.
A man rumored to own not just companies, but people.
The assistant at the reception desk barely looked up before gesturing toward the glass doors at the end of the hall. "He's expecting you."
Of course he was.
The doors opened soundlessly, and the first thing I noticed was the scent—leather, whiskey, and something darker. The office was vast, minimal, powerful. A predator's den disguised as a workplace.
He stood with his back to me, broad shoulders outlined by the city lights beyond the windows. He didn't turn immediately. He didn't have to.
"Close the door," he said.
His voice was calm. Controlled. The kind that didn't need to be raised to be obeyed.
I did as told.
Only then did he turn.
Valerio Knight was taller than I expected, dressed in black like the night itself had tailored his suit. His face was sharp, carved by discipline rather than softness. Dark eyes locked onto mine, stripping me bare without ever touching me.
"You read the contract," he said. Not a question.
"Yes."
"And you still came."
I swallowed. "I didn't have another option."
A faint smile touched his lips. It wasn't kind. It wasn't cruel. It was… knowing.
"Good," he said. "Women who come to me without options are the ones who don't try to escape."
My heart slammed against my ribs.
He walked toward me slowly, deliberately, stopping just close enough for me to feel the heat of him. He didn't invade my space—he claimed it.
"This marriage is not romance," he continued. "It's a transaction. I provide protection, money, and a name that keeps you untouchable. In return, you give me loyalty, discretion, and your role as my wife."
"My role?" I repeated.
"Public appearances. Silence. Obedience when it matters."
The word obedience sent a shiver down my spine—half fear, half something I refused to name.
"And intimacy?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.
His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before lifting again. "Only when I decide," he said. "And only if you're willing."
I didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted.
He turned and gestured toward his desk, where the contract lay waiting—thick pages filled with clauses that tied my fate to his name.
"Sign," Valerio said. "And tonight, you leave this building as my wife."
I stared at the pen.
Once I did this, there would be no undoing it. No running. No pretending I hadn't willingly stepped into a lion's den and offered myself as leverage.
"What if I regret it?" I asked quietly.
He leaned closer, his voice dropping low enough to feel like a promise.
"Then you'll learn to live with it," he said. "Because men like me don't make deals we lose."
My hand trembled as I signed.
The pen scratched against paper, sealing more than ink—sealing my future.
When I looked up, Valerio Knight was watching me with something unreadable in his eyes.
"Welcome to your destiny," he said.
And just like that, I belonged to a man powerful enough to destroy me… or protect me from everything else.