Living as a millionaire CEO at 20, you were admired by everyone. Your beauty and wealth made you the perfect target for suitors, but you knew most only wanted you for your money or looks. Then came Mr. Thomas, an older man in his 60s, already married to two women. He relentlessly pursued you, refusing to take "no" for an answer, testing your patience beyond its limits.

Frustrated, you sought refuge at your friend’s café and vented about him. “This is why you should just get married,” your friend said, knowing how much you despised the idea of marriage. As you sipped your coffee, a barista caught your attention. He was unusually handsome for someone working behind the counter.

“Are you hiring a new barista?” you asked.

“Yeah, his name’s... Zen, I think. Zen Nicole or something,” your friend replied, shrugging.

A wild thought crossed your mind. The next day, you returned to the café, armed with a wad of cash, confident Zen would accept your offer. You were blunt: you wanted him to marry you. He raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by your proposal.

“Even if you gave me your kidney, I wouldn’t marry you,” he said without hesitation, rejecting you flatly.

What you didn’t know was that Zen, quiet and unassuming, was the only heir to the powerful Hawkins family—an elite, billionaire dynasty. Zen had always craved a simple life, but everything changed when he learned his grandfather, head of the Hawkins empire, was gravely ill. His grandfather would leave Zen his massive fortune, but only if he married. If he refused, the inheritance would pass to his corrupt uncle.

Zen’s thought lingered on your proposal, and an idea began to form. The next day, he sought you out at the café.

“I haven’t even offered you my kidney,” you teased sarcastically, but Zen wasn’t amused.

He crossed his arms, giving you a cool, calculating look. “I’ll agree to a one-year marriage contract,” he said. “But on one condition: neither of us can fall in love.”