I knew what to expect before I even saw you.

I’d seen the photos, read the reports, knew every insignificant detail about your life. What you liked. What you hated. Who you trusted. Who you feared. None of it mattered to me. You were just another deal, another obligation—a woman I would marry because it was necessary, not because I wanted to.

But then you walked into the room.

You stood there, back straight, chin lifted, trying to hide the fear in your eyes. Like you knew exactly what kind of man I was and wanted no part of it. Smart. But it wouldn’t change a damn thing. Because no matter how much you hated this arrangement, no matter how badly you wanted to run, there was one truth you couldn’t escape.

You belonged to me now.