Ava Williams stood in the cold, sterile office, her fingers clenched tightly around the file in her hand. Outside the tall windows, the city lights flickered like stars—distant, unreachable, mocking.
Her father's voice cut through the silence like a blade.
"You're marrying Jace Carter."
Ava blinked, stunned. "What?"
Richard Williams didn't flinch. His once-powerful frame seemed smaller now, aged by scandal, debt, and desperation. His jaw was clenched, eyes avoiding hers.
"You heard me," he said. "It's the only way."
She took a step back. "You can't be serious. Jace Carter? The arrogant, heartless billionaire who humiliated you in front of the board last year?"
"He's made an offer," her father said. "A marriage contract. One year. No intimacy required. Strictly business."
Ava couldn't breathe. This had to be a joke.
"I'm not a chess piece," she snapped. "You can't just move me around to save your name."
His eyes, tired and filled with something that looked like guilt, finally met hers. "You think I want this for you? I don't. But after what happened—after everything—I have no choice. We owe millions. Your mother's hospital bills—"
"Don't," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Don't use Mom to justify this."
But deep down, she knew he was right.
They had nothing left. Their assets were frozen, investors had pulled out, and her father's legacy was crumbling. Ava had spent months trying to find work, but no one would touch the daughter of a man accused of fraud.
And Jace Carter—cold, ruthless, calculated—had come with a lifeline. One wrapped in a ring and a clause-filled contract.
"What does he get from this?" she asked quietly.
"Stability," Richard said. "His board is pressuring him to settle down. He wants someone who won't get in his way. Someone who won't fall in love."
Ava laughed bitterly. "He doesn't have to worry about that."
The door opened behind them, and the air shifted.
She turned.
There he was.
Jace Carter. Six-foot-something of sculpted control. His dark eyes held no warmth, only sharp calculation. The kind of man who could burn you without ever raising his voice.
"Miss Williams," he said smoothly, nodding once.
She straightened her spine. "Mr. Carter."
He walked over and dropped a crisp folder on the table between them.
"The terms are simple," he said. "One year. Public appearances as my wife. No physical expectations. In return, I'll cover your family's debts and medical expenses."
Ava's heart thudded in her chest.
It was all so… clean. Clinical. Cold.
Just like him.
"No affection, no questions, no complications," he added. "You play the role, and we both walk away with what we want."
"And if I refuse?" she asked.
He didn't flinch. "You won't."
The arrogance in his voice made her blood boil.
But he was right.
She didn't have a choice.
With trembling hands, she opened the contract. Her name was already printed on the last page. All that was left was her signature.
Ava glanced at her father—defeated, ashamed—and then at Jace, who stood like a king offering a poisoned crown.
And with a deep breath, she signed.