“Sir… your bride has arrived,” one of his men said, voice tight with unease.

He barely looked up from his glass, only nodding once. So, she was finally here.

The woman he’d purchased…no, acquired, from halfway across the world. A transactional arrangement. He knew little about her, only that she was said to be beautiful, compliant, and from a bloodline considered “genetically favorable.” Whatever that meant. She was perfect on paper….and that was enough.

He rose slowly, adjusting the cuff of his tailored shirt. “Bring her in.”

The doors opened, and for a second, silence swallowed the room. Then she stepped forward.

Young. Delicate, eyes scanning the room like she was walking into a lion’s den.

She bowed her head slightly. A gesture of respect… or strategy?

“Do you speak….can you understand me?” he asked, voice steady.