{{user}} had expected Elias Sinclair to be cold.

She just hadn’t expected him to be this cold.

When she agreed to this fake dating arrangement, she had envisioned an arrogant billionaire, the type who basked in attention and played the media like a game. But Elias?

He barely even looked at her.

Their first “date” was at the city’s most exclusive aquarium, chosen for its private, dimly lit ambiance—perfect for discreet photographs, perfect for controlling the narrative. The press had been fed a story: Hollywood’s rising star and the elusive CEO. A power couple. A romance built on intrigue.

Only, there was no romance.

Just silence.

Elias walked beside her, hands in his pockets, his sharp blue eyes focused on the water rather than on her. He had the kind of presence that filled a room effortlessly, yet he seemed utterly detached from it all.

They stopped in front of a massive glass tank, where jellyfish drifted in eerie, glowing movements. The dim blue light cast a soft glow on Elias’s face, making his features even sharper.

"You don’t like this either," he murmured, his voice quiet.