Chapter 1

I was the least-favored oldest daughter of my family. To save our business from total bankruptcy, I was traded away.

An arranged marriage. Sold off to the Sterling family.

Rumor had it that Julian Sterling had taken the reins of his family’s empire at just twenty. He was a ruthless monster in business, and an emotionless machine in love.

I prepared myself for a cold, living prison.

Yet, right before the wedding, my so-called fiancé suddenly transformed into the ultimate simp.

He started hovering around me like a ray of warm sunshine every single day.

He made this cold merger feel like something genuine and tender.

Falling in love with him was inevitable.

Then, exactly one year after we tied the knot, he abruptly turned back into the man the rumors warned me about.

He looked me dead in the eye and said:

"This is strictly a business arrangement. Know your place."

The doorbell rang.

I literally leaped off the couch with excitement, kicking off a slipper in my rush.

"Babe, you’re home!"

I called out happily. The second I swung the door open, I threw my arms out, ready to crash into that warm, familiar chest.

The man on the porch had the exact face I loved down to my bones—sharp brows, striking eyes, a chiseled jawline.

Except there wasn't a trace of the overflowing tenderness and adoration he used to look at me with.

Instead, his gaze was pitch-black, chilling, and clinical.

My smile froze. My outstretched arms hung awkwardly in midair.

"Julian?" I asked tentatively.

He had been missing for seven full days.

I had spent those seven days nearly losing my mind. I pulled every string I had, but found zero trace of him. It was as if he’d vanished into thin air.

Now, he was standing right in front of me.

Yet he stared at me like I was a complete stranger.

My heart began to sink, inch by inch.

Without answering, he brushed right past me into the living room. His eyes swept across the cozy, warm decor, his brow furrowing deeper with every second.

This was the home he and I had built together piece by piece. Every little trinket held a sweet memory.

I hurried behind him, asking quietly, "Julian, where were you? I was so worried..."

Before I could finish, he wheeled around.

Unable to stop in time, I bumped straight toward his chest.

There was no warm embrace. Instead, a pair of strong hands shoved me back hard. I stumbled two steps before catching my balance.

"I’m not your husband," he stated, his voice as cold as ice. "Keep your distance."

Those words pierced my heart like a poisoned blade.

I stood frozen, staring at him in disbelief.

Sure, we had started as an arranged marriage.

But right before our wedding, Julian had pursued me like a man possessed.

He made me believe our marriage could actually be full of warmth.

He clumsily learned how to cook my favorite meals. He memorized every tiny preference I had.

When I woke up from nightmares in the dead of night, he would wrap me tightly in his arms, kissing my forehead over and over, whispering, "Chloe, don't be scared. I'm right here."

His love had been passionate, sincere, and absolute.

My guarded heart, braced for an icy life, was completely thawed by his sudden devotion.

I fell for him, helplessly and deeply.

For a whole year after marriage, we were inseparable. He spoiled me like the happiest woman in the world.

And now, this very man was standing here, calmly claiming he wasn’t my husband?

"Julian, stop playing around," I said, my voice trembling uncontrollably. "This isn't funny."

The corner of his mouth twitched into a cold, mirthless sneer.

"Miss Vance, you need a reality check. Our marriage has been a transaction from the very beginning. As for the 'husband' you’re talking about? He’s gone."

At that exact second, my entire world collapsed.