Chapter 2 Episode 2

"Hello, everyone... Good afternoon."

Caroline stepped onto the small stage, her voice amplified by the lapel mic. The room, packed with nearly a hundred participants, erupted into a warm wave of cheers and applause. The host introduced her with a flourish, Caroline Hale, the founder of "Scripted Hearts," a startup that turned the digital age's cold communication back into something tangible. Her company specialized in three-dimensional letters: intricate, pop-up works of art that conveyed love, heartbreak, or simple birthday wishes. Her pride and joy, however, were the wedding invitations guaranteed original designs that felt like opening a treasure chest.

Standing there in her favorite jeans, cat-themed sneakers, and a simple white t-shirt under a checkered flannel, Caroline looked like the epitome of the "cheerful girl next door" entrepreneur. Her hair was pulled back into a bouncy ponytail, and a collection of handmade bracelets clacked against her wrist as she gestured toward the screen.

She was in her element. She spoke about the "Unique Signature", the idea that every piece of art must have one unmistakable characteristic that makes a customer stop scrolling. Her voice was gentle, her demeanor laid-back, and usually, the audience was putty in her hands.

But today, the rhythm was off.

At the very back of the room, two men sat like monoliths in a field of wildflowers. They didn't belong here. In a room full of young creatives in hoodies and denim, these men wore tailored, charcoal-grey suits and shoes that probably cost more than Caroline's first three printing presses. The man on the right sat with a terrifying stillness, his face partially obscured by dark glasses. The man next to him leaned in periodically, whispering into his ear like an advisor to a king.

Caroline tried to maintain her focus, but every time her eyes swept the room, they snagged on those two dark suits. They weren't participants; they were observers. Predators.

Just as the Q&A session began to wind down, the two men stood in perfect unison and exited the room. Caroline felt a momentary rush of oxygen return to her lungs. She spent the next twenty minutes mingling, taking selfies with aspiring business owners, and discussing paper weights, but the lingering unease remained.

"Miss Caroline? Someone left this for you."

One of the event organizers handed her a small, cornflower-blue note. Before Caroline could ask who it was from, the messenger had already turned away to help the crew break down the stage.

Caroline opened the paper. The handwriting was elegant, sharp, and brief: I'll be waiting for you at Caffe La Rose.

Her heart did a slow, heavy roll in her chest. Caffe La Rose was just across the courtyard. She didn't wait. She grabbed her messenger bag and walked out, the blue note crumpled slightly in her grip.

The café was quiet, the scent of roasted beans and expensive pastry filling the air. She scanned the room until she saw a hand rise near the window. It was him, the man from the back of the seminar.

As she approached the table, he removed his sunglasses. Caroline froze. His eyes were a blue so deep and piercing they reminded her of the mid-Atlantic-beautiful, but cold enough to drown in. He didn't stand. He simply gestured to the chair opposite him.

He slid a heavy, cream-colored business card across the table.

Harrison Marcus.

The name felt like a physical blow. A week ago, she had brokered a peace treaty in her father's office, trading her life for her sister's. Now, the bill had come due.

"I know who you are, Caroline," Harrison said. His voice was a rich baritone, but it carried a rhythmic, impatient quality. He began tapping a slow, steady beat on the table with his index finger-a habit of a man who didn't like to waste seconds. "Let's talk casually. We are going to be partners soon, after all."

Caroline bristled at the word. "Partner? Is that what you call a wife?"

"In our world, 'partner' is the most honest term available," Harrison replied, his gaze unwavering. "I am well aware that you are the replacement. I imagine you are well aware that I am the prize."

The arrogance was suffocating. Caroline looked out the window, watching the happy, oblivious students walking by on the campus. She felt like she was behind a pane of glass, separated from the real world forever. If Harrison hated this arrangement, he was doing a marvelous job of making it feel like it was her fault for existing.

"Read this," he commanded, sliding a thick folder toward her. It was a Memorandum of Understanding.

"We both know this marriage is a transaction, not a choice," Harrison said, his tone dropping into a business-like drone. "As such, I am offering you a contractual marriage. It's cleaner this way."

Caroline gasped, her eyes scanning the legal jargon. It felt surreal. She was twenty years old, and she was looking at the terms of her own sale.

1. Do not intervene in the other party's personal life. 2. Maintain absolute confidentiality regarding the nature of this contract. 3. The marriage shall last a minimum of two years. Dissolution after that period is subject to the stability of the Marcus Group's public image.

Caroline felt a strange sense of relief mixed with the insult. A contract meant rules. Rules meant she could prepare. She didn't have to guess what this man wanted; it was all right there in black and white.

"I've left the last page blank," Harrison said, flicking his fingers.

On cue, the man from the seminar-his assistant-stepped forward from a nearby table and offered Caroline a pen. He didn't say a word, but his expression was far more sympathetic than his boss's.

Caroline took the pen. If she was going to be a prisoner, she was going to negotiate the size of her cell. She wrote firmly:

- Respect the parents of both parties as family. - There will be no physical contact. - We will live in different rooms.

Harrison leaned forward, reading her additions. He pointed at the last one. "That one is impossible."

"Why?" Caroline snapped.

"We will be living in the Marcus ancestral home. My grandfather, my mother... they all live there. The house is under twenty-four-hour surveillance by staff who report directly to my grandfather. If we have separate rooms, the 'deal' is void within a week."

Caroline felt the walls closing in. She took the pen back and crossed out the line, replacing it with a shaky hand: Not sleeping in the same bed.

"We can share a room," she whispered, trying to keep her pride from shattering. "But we take turns with the bed. Or I take the floor. I don't care."

Harrison looked at her for a long moment, those ocean-blue eyes searching her face for a hint of weakness. "I have never slept on a floor in my life, Caroline. But for the sake of this agreement, I will find a way to accommodate your... request."

He pulled a small stamp from his pocket, pressed it to the ink, and finalized the document. Caroline signed her name next to his. It felt like signing a death warrant.

He stood up abruptly, signaling the end of the meeting. He didn't say goodbye. He simply walked out, leaving her sitting alone with the ghost of his presence and the food he had apparently ordered before she arrived.

A plate of Carbonara and a slice of Tiramisu. It was exactly what she would have chosen for herself. She stared at the pasta, wondering if it was a coincidence or if he had already researched her favorite meals. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Her phone buzzed. An unknown number. She ignored it, picking up her fork and trying to force a bite of pasta. It tasted like cardboard.

A text message followed: I am Harrison's assistant. I apologize for the interruption. Please answer.

Caroline sighed and picked up. "Hello?"

"Miss Caroline, I'm sorry to disturb your lunch," the voice was kind, professional. "Mr. Harrison has already settled the bill. Please, enjoy your meal."

"Thank you," she managed.

"You're very welcome. I am sending a PDF to your phone now. It contains the mandatory schedule Mr. Marcus has requested for the upcoming month. It coordinates your campus hours with Mr. Harrison's board meetings. If there are conflicts, please notify me immediately, though I must stress that the Marcus schedule takes priority."

"I understand," Caroline said, her voice small.

"Do you have any questions for me?"

Caroline paused. She looked at the empty chair across from her. "What is your name, sir?"

There was a long silence on the other end. It was as if no one had ever asked him that before. "My name is Steven, Miss. I am thirty, single, and I prefer to be called simply Steven."

Caroline offered a faint, sad smile. "Thank you, Steven."

She hung up and opened the file. Her breath hitched.

Saturday, July 13: Initial Meeting, Caffe La Rose (14:00). Monday, July 15: Family Dinner at Marcus Manor. Dress Code: Red Sundress. Wednesday, July 17: Campus Pickup (15:30). Saturday, July 20: Wedding Dress Fitting (09:00).

The list went on and on, a roadmap of a life that no longer belonged to her. She put the phone face down on the table, the Tiramisu forgotten.

She was twenty years old. She had never been in a relationship. She had never even been on a proper date. And now, in a matter of weeks, she would be the wife of a conglomerate heir-and, if the contract held true, a "widow" of sorts in two years' time.

The uncertainty of the future crashed over her like a freezing tide. Caroline Hale, the girl who made 3D hearts, was about to become a 2D character in the Marcus family's play.