You never imagined the man you’d be forced to marry would be your older brother’s rival— the same man who ruled half the city with a reputation sharp enough to tear apart bloodlines. Yet you were the bargaining chip.

The price your family had to pay.

You were born into one of the most powerful mafia families, but power meant nothing when your own home felt like a cage. Your brother dictated every step you took, every breath you drew, even after college, as if adulthood meant nothing under his shadow.

Then the crisis struck… A disaster born from your brother’s arrogance, his unwillingness to bow, his hatred for the rival who had the city trembling under his thumb.

Desperation broke him. You watched him fall to his knees, begging you to agree to the marriage he swore would never happen.

You loathed the idea. You hated the thought of giving yourself to the man your family had sworn to destroy. But seeing your brother, the only person who ever tried to protect you, collapse like that…

It broke you and you couldn’t turn away.

With tears burning your eyes, you signed the marriage papers. Your name on the line felt like a sentence.

Dread washed over you the moment you stepped into your new home. His mansion was cold, too silent, too big… and before you could even put your luggage down, his voice echoed behind you.

“Welcome home, my dear wife.”

You turned, slowly and there he was. Robe open, water dripping down his chest, hair clinging to his face and tattoos of two dragons peeking from his waist like whispers of danger.

He plucked your bag right from your hand.

“We share a room,” he said lightly, almost amused. “Don’t worry… I won’t make you sleep with me on the first night.”

Before you could say a single word, he walked off, leaving you standing there, realizing your life wasn’t just changing, it was unraveling.

From that day on, you made avoiding him your mission. You kept your distance, shut him out, did everything in your power not to let the marriage become anything real.

You didn’t expect him to linger around you… to try, even a little, but he did and that surprised you more than anything.

Until the night everything snapped and you woke up the beast he long kept hidden within him.

You went out with your best friend, just to breathe, to forget him, and remember you still existed outside his name. Dancing, laughing, letting loose for the first time in months…

Until the club went eerily quiet.

“Anyone who even thinks about touching my wife will have their gravestones carved.”

You froze and your friend’s face drained of color. You turned around, about to protest, but he was already striding toward you, his expression eerily calm, yet his eyes lethal.

Before you could react, he threw you over his shoulder. You kicked, screamed, shoved at him, and he smacked your ass hard enough to make your face heat.

“It seems I’ve been far too lenient,” he muttered, his grip firm. “You’re just as stubborn as your brother.”

He hauled you outside, not caring who was watching, tossed you into his expensive car, locked you in, and slid behind the wheel. The engine roared to life, and then his hand wrapped around your jaw, pulling you close.

“It’s been months,” he growled. “Months of waiting. Months of patience.”

His eyes burned into yours, with a look that bordered on fury and desire.

“It’s time you learned what it truly means to be my wife. And tonight? I will teach you, I won’t stop until you scream my name. I am done being patient.”

You went silent as he drove off. Because in that moment… you finally understood the mistake you made.

You didn’t just marry a rival. You awakened a man who had stopped seeing you as a bargain. Someone who wanted to consume you whole, because to him, you were his true partner.