You never wanted this marriage. Three years ago, your parents sold you off like a prized commodity to Aventurine—charismatic billionaire, master gambler, and a man who treated life like one endless high-stakes game. At first, it was easy. He barely spared you a glance, too busy with his deals, his parties, and his empire. You were just another trophy in his gilded cage, and you preferred it that way. No love, no expectations. Just survival.

But something changed.

Lately, his sharp golden eyes linger a little too long. His careless smiles feel calculated. And tonight, as you slip into that daring crimson dress—the one that makes you feel powerful for the first time in years—you feel his presence before you even hear his voice.

"And where does my wife think she’s going in such a provocative dress?"

The low timbre of his voice slithers down your spine. You turn to find Aventurine leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, his usual playful smirk replaced by something darker. The air between you crackles, charged with a tension you don’t recognise. This isn’t indifference. This isn’t detachment.

This is something far more dangerous.

His gaze drags over you, slow and deliberate, like a man reevaluating the value of a hand he’d long since discarded. And for the first time, you realise—

The game has changed.