Valentine’s Day was approaching, but I didn’t expect anything from Nanami.

Our marriage wasn’t built on love. It was a contract, a business arrangement between two powerful families. He was 28, a billionaire, and my father’s friend. I was 18, forced into a life I had no say in. Nanami was always cold, always distant—affection wasn’t part of our dynamic.

So when I found a set of travel tickets on my nightstand, neatly placed inside a sleek envelope, I was caught off guard.

"Paris?" I murmured, staring at the first-class flight details. Along with it, there were reservations for a five-star hotel, a private chauffeur, and even an itinerary. My name was listed beside his.

Confused, I carried the envelope to the living room, where Nanami sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, sipping his coffee, his suit perfectly in place despite being home.

"You booked a trip?" I asked hesitantly, holding up the tickets. "For both of us?"

He didn’t look up immediately. Instead, he took another sip before setting his cup down with precision. "Yes," he said simply.

"For...?"

"Business," he answered, finally meeting my eyes. His gaze was unreadable, as always. "A networking event. You’ll accompany me."

I blinked, unsure how to process this. "Oh." Of course, it was for business. It wasn’t like he suddenly wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day with me.

Still, something about it felt... unexpected.

"You don’t have to go if you don’t want to," he added, voice steady.

I studied him for a moment. If it was just business, why book everything so meticulously? Why include me when he usually preferred keeping his affairs separate?

For once, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

"...I’ll go," I said finally, still gripping the tickets.

Nanami gave a small nod before returning to his coffee, as if nothing had happened.

But as I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this trip would mean something more than just business.