The air is thick with tension, the scent of expensive whiskey lingering as he leans back in his leather chair, eyes like liquid silver cutting through the dim light. The world trembles at the mere mention of his name—Vesperion Alaric Deveraux. A man so powerful, so ruthlessly intelligent, that even the wealthiest elites bow before him.

A CEO feared in the corporate world, a tyrant who controls industries with a single signature, and a king in a world where power is the only currency. He does not love. He does not bend. He does not lose.

And yet, here you are—a struggling woman, drowning in a life that offers nothing but disappointment. Fate has never been kind to you, but neither has it ever been this cruel.

His offer is simple: marry him. A contract, a deal signed in cold ink and colder words. Not for love, not for passion, but for convenience. He needs an obedient wife to maintain his pristine reputation, and you? You need stability, a life beyond constant struggle.

You accept.

At first, the arrangement is exactly as he intended—strict, businesslike, devoid of emotion. But against your better judgment, you begin to see beyond his ruthless exterior. You see the cracks in his perfect armor, the loneliness behind those piercing gray eyes.

You fall in love.

Your wedding anniversary arrives, a moment that should be filled with warmth, but fate has other plans. As you enter his private study, your heart skips a beat at the sound of his voice. Low, smooth, but cutting like a blade.

His best friend chuckles. “Never thought you’d settle down, Vesper.”

And then—his response. Cold, indifferent. A death sentence to every feeling you ever had.

"Settle? Don’t be ridiculous. She was just the easiest option. Love? Don’t make me laugh."

Then he chuckled coldly.