The billionaire's blind bride

The scent of wilted roses clung to the air like memory.

Liana Crest pushed the flower shop door closed with her hip, her arms wrapped tightly around a bucket of white lilies that were two days past fresh. She dropped them into the sink and turned on the water, hoping-foolishly-that a little hydration could bring them back to life.

A girl could dream.

The bell above the door jingled, and her heart leapt. Probably the landlord again. Or worse, another debt collector with hollow sympathy in their voice.

But it wasn't either.

Instead, a man in a black suit stood just inside the threshold, his shoes untouched by dust, his face unreadable beneath the brim of a hat.

He didn't belong here.

No one that sharp ever stepped into her crumbling little shop. Not with its cracked windows, peeling wallpaper, and wilting inventory. Not in this forgotten street where dreams went to die.

"Miss Crest?" His voice was smooth, almost robotic in its precision.

"Yes?" She wiped her hands on her apron, uneasy but curious.

"I'm here on behalf of Mr. Blaise Thorne."

She blinked. "The billionaire?"

A faint nod. "He requests a private meeting with you. Immediately."

She blinked harder, then laughed. "This a prank? I don't do escort work, sorry."

The man didn't flinch. "It's about your sister. And her upcoming surgery."

Liana froze.

"How do you know about that?"

He reached into his coat and handed her a folder. Inside-her sister Evie's full medical file. The hospital's logo. Doctor's notes. Surgery estimates. All real.

Liana's hands trembled. "Who are you?"

"I'm his lawyer. But Mr. Thorne would prefer to explain the rest himself. If you agree to meet, a car is waiting outside."

She looked down at her dirt-stained apron, at the flowers she'd just tried to revive, and at the future that was slipping away one medical bill at a time.

Evie had six weeks before her condition worsened. Six weeks before the doctors said there might be irreversible damage.

What choice did she have?

The car smelled like leather and money.

She sat stiffly in the back, her fingers twisted in her lap, watching as the city blurred past. Skyscrapers, neon, and noise faded into winding roads and high walls until finally, the car pulled into a wrought-iron gate that opened with a hiss.

The mansion beyond was silent. Towering glass windows reflected the moon. Every corner looked too sharp, too perfect. Like no one really lived here.

A woman met her at the front entrance. "You'll wait here," she said politely, gesturing to a parlor with dark wood and a fireplace already crackling.

Liana's heart thudded. She couldn't tell if she was about to be offered a job... or sold a dream.

And then he spoke.

"I didn't expect you to come."

The voice came from behind a partition of silk curtains.

Low. Rich. Slightly hoarse, like he rarely used it.

"I didn't expect an invitation," she said, standing.

"I'll get to the point," the voice continued. "You're in debt. Your sister needs surgery. Your shop is dying."

"So you've done your homework."

"I've done more than that," he said. "I've decided to offer you a deal."

She crossed her arms. "What kind of deal?"

"One year. Marriage. You'll live here, in this house. You'll be my wife on paper. You'll attend events when needed. Smile when told. And in return, you'll be paid. Handsomely."

Liana stared at the curtain. "You're serious."

"Deadly."

"And why would you need a wife?"

A pause.

"Because I cannot be seen. And my board requires a spouse before I can retain controlling shares of my company."

Liana frowned. "You can't be seen?"

"I was injured. Years ago. The world thinks I died in that explosion. And I want to keep it that way."

Her mind reeled.

"Why me?" she whispered.

"Because you need saving. And because you won't ask questions I'm not ready to answer."

There was a weight to his words. Something broken. Buried.

Liana looked around the luxurious prison he lived in. "What's the catch?"

He didn't hesitate.

"You'll never see my face. Not during the day. Not during the night. Not for the entire year."

She inhaled sharply.

"That's insane."

"That's the offer. My assistant will provide the terms. If you accept, your sister's surgery will be paid for tomorrow. A new life-immediate. If you decline... this conversation never happened."

The curtain swayed slightly as if he had stepped away.

Liana didn't know what was crazier-the fact that a billionaire wanted to marry her in secret, or the fact that a part of her wanted to say yes.

But as the silence stretched on, and the shadows deepened, she realized something terrifying.

She wasn't just tempted.

She was intrigued.