Chapter 1 The Marriage I Never Wanted

I never thought my life would change on a rainy Tuesday afternoon.

The hospital corridor smelled of antiseptic and fear. I sat on the cold bench, my fingers trembling as I stared at the medical bill in my hands. The numbers blurred through my tears.

It was too much.

"Miss Moore," the nurse called softly. "Your mother needs the surgery within the week."

I nodded, even though my heart was breaking. How could I tell her I didn't have the money?

That was when he appeared.

Adrian Blackwood.

Tall. Well-dressed. Calm in a way that made everyone else look noisy. He stood in front of me like someone who belonged to a different world-one where bills didn't destroy families.

"I can help you," he said quietly.

I looked up, shocked. "Help me?"

"Yes. I'll pay for the surgery."

My heart skipped. Hope rushed in-then fear followed.

"There's a condition," he continued.

I should have known.

"What condition?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully.

"Marry me."

The world stopped.

"I don't understand," I said quickly. "We barely know each other."

"This marriage will be in name only," he said calmly. "One year. After that, we go our separate ways."

I stood up, shaking my head. "That's impossible."

But when I thought of my mother lying helpless on that hospital bed... my strength faded.

That night, I cried until my eyes hurt.

And the next morning, I signed the papers that changed my life forever.

As I stood beside Adrian at the small registry office, I felt nothing but emptiness.

This wasn't love.

This was sacrifice.

And I promised myself one thing as I said I do-

I would never fall in love with my husband.

Little did I know... my heart had other plans.