Chapter 2 A Deal Signed in Shadows

The silence in Liam Westwood's office was thick, like the tension between them. Emily sat on the edge of the leather seat, her fingers twisting in her lap. Her brother's life hung in the balance, and the man across from her-dangerous, powerful, sinfully composed-held the power to change it all.

"I'll pay the hospital bills," Liam said finally, his voice smooth but edged with something colder. "But I want something in return."

Emily's heart thudded. "What?"

"Marry me."

The words landed like a slap.

"I... what?" she breathed.

"I need a wife, legally and fast. It's complicated. You'll be protected, and your brother will receive the best care. In return, we put on a perfect show."

Emily blinked, trying to process what he was saying. "Why me?"

"You have no connections to my world. No one will suspect a thing. And frankly, you have the look they expect from the woman on my arm."

She flushed. "A pawn, then."

His eyes flicked over her, unreadable. "A partner. For one year. Nothing more."

"And after a year?"

"You walk away. Richer, your brother alive, your debts gone."

Her mind spun. It felt like madness, like danger wrapped in velvet. But she had no choice. The doctors had warned her-without payment by the end of the week, her brother would be removed from the transplant list.

Her voice was barely a whisper. "Fine. I'll do it."

Liam leaned forward, sliding a contract toward her. "Read it. Sign it. And we begin immediately."

Emily scanned the pages. Legal jargon, confidentiality clauses, a no-intimacy clause-strange, but it calmed her nerves. She picked up the pen and signed.

Liam stood. "Let's go. We're late for our engagement announcement."

She froze. "Already?"

"I don't wait."

They left the building through the underground garage, where a black SUV waited. Inside, she noticed the tinted windows, the suited driver, the silence.

"You're really used to this kind of life," she murmured.

He gave a humorless smile. "You'll have to be, too. Quickly."

The venue for their announcement was a private lounge, exclusive and crawling with media. As soon as they entered, cameras flashed, voices shouted, and Liam's hand slipped around her waist.

"Smile," he whispered in her ear, "like you've loved me for years."

She did. She smiled through the blinding lights, the fake congratulations, the scent of champagne and power. All while Liam played the role of the affectionate fiancé with unnerving precision.

But in his eyes, she saw something darker. A war beneath the surface.

Later that night, they returned to the penthouse. Liam showed her to a guest room, elegant but cold.

"You'll sleep here," he said.

"And you?"

"I don't mix business with pleasure."

The door closed, and Emily exhaled for the first time in hours. She sank onto the bed, exhausted and overwhelmed.

Her phone buzzed. A message from the hospital. Your brother's treatment has been fully covered. Surgery scheduled for Friday.

Tears pricked her eyes. Relief, gratitude-and fear.

This wasn't a marriage. It was a transaction. One signed in shadows.

She changed into the nightgown left in the wardrobe-black silk, far too intimate-and slid under the sheets. Sleep came slowly, chased by thoughts of Liam Westwood, his cold gaze, and the spark she'd seen behind it when he thought no one was watching.

Sometime past midnight, she heard it.

Voices.

Low, tense, male.

She crept down the hallway, barefoot, silent, heart racing. Liam was in the study, speaking into a phone.

"She took the deal. No, she doesn't know the full reason. Yet. But she will."

Emily stepped back, breath caught.

What hadn't he told her?

The door creaked, and his head snapped up. He locked eyes with her.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, like he hadn't just shaken her world.

She forced a nod. "I heard something."

"Just business." He stepped closer. "Go back to bed, Aria."

The way he said her name sent a chill through her. Like it wasn't a name-it was a warning.

She turned and walked away, but his voice stopped her.

"Whatever happens... don't ever open that drawer in the study."

The silence that followed said more than any threat.

She nodded slowly, then disappeared down the hall.

In her room, Emily lay awake, staring at the ceiling, the words replaying in her mind.

She didn't know the full reason.

And there was something in that drawer he didn't want her to find.

But she would.

She had a year in this prison of diamonds and glass-and she wasn't planning to stay blind.

Not even to Liam Westwood.