The Billionaire's Debt.

New York City, on the outskirts, at the Fourth People's Hospital.

High walls stood like a fortress, trapping the sprawling hospital grounds inside a cage of steel and concrete. It was a place where people could enter, but few could ever leave.

Of all the patients sent to this hospital, hardly any were ever picked up. Most spent their entire lives within these walls until the day they died. Why? Because this was a psychiatric asylum. The perimeter walls were built higher than those of a prison, and the security measures meant to stop escapes were just as intense. For any patient brought here, unless their family was willing to take them back, there was zero chance of getting out.

This unique hospital had existed in New York for many, many years. Countless patients were brought in, only to be eventually carried out-entering and leaving marked the beginning and end of a lifetime.

Chloe Bishop had lived here for five years. She had seen scenes like this so often that she had become numb to them. However, she always knew she would get out eventually; it was only a matter of time.

Perhaps God was looking out for her. Chloe Bishop had been a "model patient" for five years-never crying, never making a scene, and always cooperating with every injection and pill. Finally, today, five years later, she was told she had fully recovered and was free to go.

On this winter afternoon, the warm sun hung high in the sky. Golden light spilled gently over Chloe Bishop's thin silhouette as she stood before the heavy iron gates of the hospital, waiting for the doors that had stolen five years of her freedom to slowly creak open.

Clang... clang...

The wheels of the iron gate ground against the pavement, making a sharp, ear-piercing sound that cut through the quiet afternoon like a bolt of summer lightning.

A pair of feet in canvas shoes stepped out from inside the gate. Looking up from her slender ankles, her straight legs were wrapped in a pair of faded blue jeans. The style was a bit dated, but from the knee to the pocket of the right leg, there was a row of vibrant embroidery. That exquisite, handcrafted detail was likely the most valuable thing about the pants.

Further up was Chloe Bishop's slender waist, covered by a simple white sweater that looked as pure as her face-a face that was currently pale and devoid of color. The biting north wind swept through her thin frame, tossing her long hair into a mess. Her delicate, refined features were hidden behind the strands of hair, though one could still catch a glimpse of her sickly, pale face, which carried an air of cold, elegant detachment.

Beep! Beep!

Outside the hospital gates, barely ten meters away, a white car was parked. The owner was leaning against the door and, seemingly impatient, reached in to honk the horn twice.

Chloe Bishop walked toward the sound of the impatient honking, her steps light. The ten-meter distance vanished in an instant, and she threw her arms around the person, giving them a firm hug.

"Jake, I'm finally out."

Jake Tully knit his brow in feigned annoyance and grabbed Chloe Bishop by the collar to pull her back. "Don't talk to me like you were just released from prison. I'm judging you."

Chloe Bishop nodded obediently and gave a playful bow. "Yes, my great lawyer. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to pick me up. I can never repay this kindness in this life; I'll have to serve you in the next."

This made Jake Tully feel much better. He gestured toward the car. "Get in. At least you didn't catch 'the crazy' from staying with those patients for so long. Your brain is still sharp enough to know who your savior is."

Chloe Bishop got into the car as told. Just as she clicked her seatbelt, Jake Tully-who had already started the engine-tossed a yellow file folder to her.

"Phone, wallet, passport, ID card, driver's license-I've got them all ready for you." As a lawyer, Jake Tully always moved fast. Before Chloe Bishop was even released, he had already handled all the paperwork.

"Did you bring the jade pendant I asked for?" Chloe Bishop opened the folder, ignoring the other documents. Her first priority was finding the thing that mattered most to her.

"The pendant isn't in there; it's in the glove box in front of you," Jake Tully said, pointing with one finger.

Chloe Bishop nodded and pulled it open. She took out a brocade box and opened it to find a circular jade pendant inside. It was a simple jade ring style that didn't look particularly expensive, but to the current Chloe Bishop, it was her most precious possession.

She gripped the pendant tightly in her palm, watching the scenery blur past the window. After a long silence, as if she had finally made a difficult decision, her voice sounded as if it came from a great distance.

"Jake, take me to the Stark Group."

The Stark Group

In the heart of New York's ultra-expensive financial district, the thirty-three-story headquarters of the Stark Group stood like a titan. The magnificent skyscraper lived up to its name, radiating an aura of prestige and power from every polished window.

Every graduation season, countless elite students fought tooth and nail just to set foot in this building, hoping to secure a high-paying, high-status career. Even now, outside of graduation season, the lobby was a blur of activity. Everyone was in a race against time, working with a frantic energy as if trying to squeeze two minutes out of every one.

On the top floor, in the CEO's office.

Rob Stark, the President of the Stark Group-a man usually far busier than any of his employees-was currently experiencing a strange moment of stillness.

On his expensive desk sat a document. It wasn't a billion-dollar contract from a partner, nor was it an urgent file from a department head. In fact, it wasn't anything that would typically be considered worth his professional time. Yet, since the moment he opened it, his gaze hadn't wavered. He read it line by line, focusing on every single word with intense concentration.

Across from him, Chloe Bishop sat with her back ramrod straight. The oversized executive chair made her look especially frail and thin. Her hands were clasped over her knees, their slight trembling betraying her nerves despite her best efforts to remain composed.

Mr. Stark was a tall man. Even sitting down, his presence was imposing enough to overwhelm her. The afternoon sun cast his shadow directly over Chloe, enveloping her like a massive mountain that made it hard to breathe.

Chloe thought to herself that she hadn't seen Rob Stark in fifteen years, and he had grown into someone far more intimidating than the boy she once knew. He was also much more handsome. She stole occasional glances at him-his rugged features, sharp jawline, and cold silhouette all radiated a "do not approach" vibe. Even his long eyelashes, which should have looked soft, seemed hardened by the indifference in his eyes.

He truly was a man whose looks were out of this world. If he were just a little bit warmer, Chloe figured she would probably be one of his many fangirls.

"You want to get engaged to me?"

While Chloe was lost in thought, the man opposite her finally finished reading the document she had brought. It was a formal engagement agreement, a thick stack of papers that she had asked Jake Tully to draft in advance.

"Yes." Chloe met his indifferent gaze, lifting her head and summoning every ounce of courage to look him in the eye. Her expression was one of absolute determination.

"And it's... a fake one?" Rob Stark's voice rang out again. There was a hint of genuine surprise hidden in his tone.

"Yes," Chloe answered, even more firmly this time.

Snap!

Rob Stark closed the agreement and tossed it onto the desk. He uttered a single word: "Reason?"

He was genuinely perplexed. If he remembered correctly, he hadn't seen the woman in front of him for fifteen years. After he had accompanied his mother to her mother's funeral when she was ten, they had had no contact at all. If it weren't for the jade pendant, he wouldn't even have recognized her.

"Didn't you say that if I ever brought this pendant to you, you would repay me for saving your life?" Chloe steadied her nerves and pointed to the jade pendant resting on the desk near his hand.

Rob Stark nodded. He admitted he had made that promise, but he never expected her to cash in that favor in such a way.

A fake engagement?

For the first time in forever, Rob's curiosity was piqued. His thin lips pressed together briefly. "I need to know the reason behind this decision before I consider agreeing."

"The truth?" Chloe asked.

Rob Stark nodded.

Chloe Bishop had no intention of hiding her motives, so she spoke with total frankness. "The Chloe Bishop sitting in front of you is no longer the wealthy heiress of the Bishop Group. Today, I have nothing-no money, no connections, and no one to back me up. You, Rob Stark, have everything. I need to borrow the status of being your fiancée to take back what belongs to me."

As these blunt truths tumbled out of her mouth, a flicker of complexity finally crossed Rob Stark's usually expressionless face. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

If he remembered correctly, Chloe Bishop had once been the golden child of the Bishop Family, showered with affection. How had she fallen so far in just fifteen years? What exactly had happened to her?

"You don't need to worry about me refusing to break off the engagement later," Chloe added, seeing his silence. "The agreement clearly states that after one year, you will be the one to initiate the breakup. One year is all I need. I won't occupy the position of your fiancée forever."

Rob Stark remained silent, his indifferent eyes fixed on her. This woman was a stranger compared to the girl in his memories. He didn't know what her personality had been like as a child, but he was certain it wasn't this.

Behind her gaze lay a hidden, fragile helplessness. She looked at him with a glimmer of hope-as if he were her last lifeline-though she likely didn't even realize it. It gave Rob the unsettling feeling that if he rejected her, she would truly have nowhere left to turn.

As the silence stretched on, Chloe's small hands involuntarily balled into fists. She had arrived with a head full of prepared arguments, but facing Mr. Stark now, she had completely forgotten her script.

Minutes ticked by. The massive CEO's office became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. In this silent standoff, Chloe was the first to break. She took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

"I'm sorry. I've put you in a difficult position."

As much as she wanted him to agree, she wasn't the type to force someone. It made sense; probably no man would willingly agree to such a strange arrangement.

"It's not a difficult position."

Rob Stark's voice finally cut through the silence, making Chloe freeze just as she was about to leave.

"You..." Chloe wasn't sure what those words meant. Was he agreeing or refusing?

Rob raised a hand, his long fingers tapping the arm of the chair. "Sit."

Chloe sat back down, her ears practically ringing as she waited for his final answer.

Rob picked up her engagement agreement again. Under her watchful eyes, he fed the thick stack of papers-all a dozen or so pages-into the paper shredder. He watched calmly as the document was reduced to strips.

Chloe's heart sank to the bottom of the ocean. Failure. That was his answer.

Her fists tightened as she fought to keep her emotions in check. She told herself it was okay; hadn't she expected this outcome before she even walked in? If this path was blocked, she'd just find another. She hadn't died in that asylum; surely she could find a way to survive now that she was out.

Comforting herself with these thoughts, Chloe calmed down and accepted the blow. She stood up once more and turned toward the door.

"Let's get married."

Chloe's hand was already on the doorknob. Just as she was about to pull the heavy office door open, Rob Stark dropped those three words like a bomb behind her.

Let's get married!

Chloe gasped for air. He had rejected her fake engagement, only to suggest marriage? Did she hear him wrong, or had Rob Stark lost his mind?

Realizing both were unlikely-especially the latter-Chloe turned back to face him, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

"A... fake marriage?"