Chapter 1

Kaia pushed open the heavy glass doors of the New York City Hall marriage registry.

A blast of over-air-conditioned air hit her bare skin. She shivered, her fingers immediately reaching up to pull the thin silk shawl tighter around her shoulders. Her stomach felt like it was filled with lead.

Footsteps echoed against the marble floor. Jaxson strode down the corridor from the opposite side. His bespoke charcoal suit fit him with ruthless perfection. Without a word, he stepped smoothly into the path of the AC vent, his broad shoulders blocking the icy draft before it could reach her.

"Ready?" he asked.

His voice was a low rumble in his chest. Kaia looked up. His deep blue eyes held a steady, unreadable calm.

"Yes," Kaia lied.

Her throat was dry. She forced the word out, swallowing the suffocating fear of signing her life away to a man she barely knew.

The clerk slid the marriage registration form across the counter.

"Are both parties entering this union voluntarily?" the clerk asked, looking between them.

Kaia picked up the pen. Her knuckles turned white. She gripped the plastic barrel so hard her fingers ached. She stared at the dotted line. This was a merger. A transaction to stabilize the Wilson Group's stock and secure the Miranda family's trust fund. Nothing more.

She pressed the pen to the paper and signed her name.

Jaxson took the form from her. As he reached for it, his fingers moved deliberately slow. The rough pad of his index finger brushed against the back of her hand.

A sharp jolt of electricity shot up Kaia's arm. Her breath caught. She yanked her hand back, her pulse suddenly hammering in her ears.

Jaxson didn't look up. He signed his name with fluid, aggressive strokes. He pushed the paper back to the clerk. The movement was final. The contract was sealed.

The clerk handed them two red-stamped certificates. Jaxson took both. He folded them and slid them into the inner breast pocket of his suit jacket. He didn't offer her one.

They walked out of the building side by side. The midday New York sun was blinding. Kaia raised her hand to shield her eyes, squinting against the harsh glare.

A shadow instantly fell over her.

Jaxson had opened a large black umbrella. He held it entirely over her head, his own shoulder exposed to the baking sun.

A black Rolls-Royce idled at the curb. Jaxson's driver opened the rear door. Jaxson placed his hand on the roof of the car, shielding her head as he nodded for her to get in.

Kaia slid into the backseat. The heavy door clicked shut, sealing them inside.

The air in the cabin was thick. The scent of crisp cedar and expensive mint radiated from Jaxson's suit. It filled Kaia's lungs. Her chest tightened. Her heart skipped a beat, thudding against her ribs. She immediately turned her head, staring blankly out the tinted window to hide the sudden flush creeping up her neck.

Jaxson shifted in his seat. He reached out and pressed a button. The window rolled down two inches. Fresh street air rushed in, slicing through the heavy tension in the car.

Kaia's lungs expanded. She took a deep breath.

The car turned onto the private road leading to the Miranda family estate. The massive iron gates loomed in the distance. Kaia's jaw clenched. Her fingers found the fabric of her skirt, twisting it into a tight knot.

Jaxson watched her knuckles turn white.

"My assistant will contact you later," Jaxson said. "I have a call starting in two minutes. The car will drop you and leave immediately."

His voice sliced through the dead silence. Kaia turned to him.

"Thank you," she said. Her tone was polite. Sterile. Exactly how a business partner should sound.

The Rolls-Royce rolled to a stop in front of the estate's grand steps.

Kaia got out alone. Just as he had stated, the heavy vehicle didn't linger; the moment her door clicked shut, the driver accelerated, leaving her alone as Jaxson immediately began his emergency cross-border conference call.

Kaia pushed open the heavy oak doors of the Miranda estate. Her heels clicked sharply against the marble foyer.

Aniya sat on the velvet sofa, filing her nails. She paused. Her eyes darted to Kaia, flashing with raw, unfiltered jealousy.

Aniya threw the nail file onto the glass table. She stood up and stepped directly into Kaia's path.

"Look at you," Aniya sneered. "Using dirty tricks to steal a marriage that belonged to me. You think you're a Wilson now?"

Kaia stared at her. She didn't take a single step back.

"Grandfather and the board made the decision," Kaia said, her voice deadpan. "If you have a problem, go complain to them."

Aniya's face flushed red. Her chest heaved. She raised her hand, lunging forward to shove Kaia by the shoulders.

Kaia twisted her torso. She sidestepped smoothly.

Aniya grabbed empty air. Her momentum carried her forward. She tripped over the edge of the rug and slammed hard into a towering floor vase. The porcelain wobbled violently, making a deafening scraping sound against the marble.

Footsteps hurried down the curved staircase. Caron, Kaia's aunt, rushed into the foyer. She saw her daughter stumbling and immediately put on a look of sheer agony.

"Aniya!" Caron grabbed her daughter's arm. She glared at Kaia. "You marry into money for one day, and suddenly you don't respect your elders anymore? Pushing your own cousin?"

Kaia looked at the two of them. A wave of exhausting nausea rolled through her stomach. She was so tired of this house.

She reached into her designer bag. She pulled out a folded copy of the signed marriage registration form. She had made sure to ask the clerk for a duplicate before they left the counter.

She slammed it down onto the coffee table. The paper smacked against the glass with a sharp crack.

Caron and Aniya flinched. Their eyes locked onto the document. They saw the official county stamp. They saw Jaxson Wilson's signature. Both of their faces drained of color, turning a sickly, pale gray.

Kaia didn't wait for them to speak. She walked right past them. She kept her spine entirely straight, her heels clicking rhythmically as she headed for the stairs.

"You bitch!" Aniya shrieked from behind her, stomping her foot.

The sound echoed off the high ceilings. Kaia reached the second-floor landing. She paused, glancing down at the foyer with absolute indifference. Then, she turned and walked toward her grandfather's study.