Mia's pov

"I never imagined that my life would ever take such a dramatic turn, where a single signature would seal my fate."

As I sat at my father's old desk, the dark mahogany smooth beneath my fingers, I stared at the papers before me. The crisp white pages seemed to mock me, the weight of the world pressing down on my chest. My father stood beside me, silent except that he could not hide the desperation in his voice as he placed a pen beside the contract.

"This will save us, Mia."he said, his voice was hollow, echoing with a desperation that had haunted our home for months.

Hartley Enterprises, our family's legacy, was crumbling beneath the weight of debt, and every effort I had made to save it only pushed us further into the abyss. Now, it appeared our only option was a deal with the devil, Aaron Montgomery.

I had only met Aaron once, and he was just as cold and unfeeling as the rumors suggested,a man who viewed people as mere commodities, not as humans. His reputation was that of a ruthless businessman, untouchable and indifferent to anything that didn't yield profit. He wasn't the kind of man I could imagine building a life with, much less a marriage. Yet, here I was, being handed to him on a silver platter, like some prized possession.

"Do we really have no other choice?" The words escaped me in a whisper, my voice barely able to break the heavy silence in the room. My father's expression didn't waver. He was worn down, tired, like a man who had been drowning for too long.

"Mia, if there was any other way..."

His voice trailed off, and I knew the answer. Aaron had agreed to save the company, under one condition. Marriage.

 That was the price for the salvation of Hartley Enterprises. I swallowed hard, my throat is tight with disbelief. It wasn't as though I hadn't heard of arrangements like this before in high society, but to be caught in one myself, forced to give up my freedom and independence for a business, my business, was unimaginable. 

With trembling hands, I picked up the pen. The thought of what I was about to do, what I was about to commit myself to, made my skin crawl.

"I don't love him," I murmured to myself..

"You don't have to," my father replied, as though the thought of love was absurd.

"This isn't about love, Mia. It's about survival." he replied, more like a reminder.

That word "survival" clenched my heart. For months, I had fought to keep the company alive. I had sacrificed my dreams, my social life, everything. And yet, here I was, about to sacrifice the last piece of myself, my future.

With a deep breath, I pressed the pen to the paper. My name flowed in ink, sealing my fate.

Two weeks later, I stood in front of a grand mirror in an opulent hotel suite, trapped in a wedding dress that felt more like a cage than a gown. The soft, white lace trailed behind me, but it might as well have been chains, binding me to a life I didn't want. The diamond-studded veil felt heavy on my head, and I wondered if all brides felt this way, trapped.

The ceremony was simple. No fanfare, no declarations of love. Aaron was a man of efficiency, and our wedding reflected that. As I stood beside him at the altar, I couldn't help but glance at his face. It was as unreadable as ever, his gray eyes focused straight ahead, ignoring me entirely. I felt a chill, not from the air-conditioned hall, but from the man standing beside me.

"Do you, Mia Hartley, take Aaron Montgomery to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the officiant's voice echoed through the empty room.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. My throat constricted, and my chest tightened as if I were drowning. The world seemed to spin around me, and all I could think of was how I desperately wanted to run.

But I didn't. Instead, I nodded, barely able to force the words past my lips.

"I do."

Aaron didn't even flinch. His response was curt, almost like a robot.

"I do." he responded coldly.

And with these words, I was given out like a sacrificial lamb to a ruthless and cold man, I hardly know.

The exchange of vows felt like a formality, hollow and devoid of meaning. There were no promises of love or devotion, no tender moments. Just cold, hard words that bound us together.

The days after the wedding passed in a blur of awkward dinners and silent nights. Aaron and I barely spoke. We were strangers living under the same roof, playing our roles for the sake of appearances. He worked late hours at Montgomery Enterprises, while I immersed myself into overseeing the operations of Hartley Enterprises, trying to restore it to its former glory. We existed in the same space, but never truly together.

It wasn't until one evening, two weeks into our marriage, that I noticed a crack in Aaron's impenetrable facade. We were having another quiet dinner when the doorbell rang. Aaron's expression darkened, a flicker of something, was it annoyance?, crossing his face. He stood abruptly and left the room without a word.

Curious, I followed him.

As Aaron opened the front door, a man stepped in. Tall, with broad shoulders with a commanding presence that filled the space. His posture was relaxed but powerful, every movement deliberate, exuding quiet authority. Lean yet muscular, he carried an air of effortless strength. His chiseled jawline was shadowed by a hint of stubble, and piercing green eyes locked onto mine, intense and calculating dark hair framed his sharp features. His presence was commanding, and his aura seemed dangerous. And yet, there was something alluring about him, something that drew me in despite...

"Ryan," Aaron said, his voice clipped and tense.

The infamous Ryan Montgomery, Aaron's older brother, the man I had heard rumors about but had never met. The black sheep of the family. The one who had vanished from the Montgomery empire years ago, only to reappear now, unannounced?.

"I see you've already made yourself comfortable, brother," Ryan said, his voice smooth but edged with sarcasm.

His gaze shifted to me, and the moment our eyes met, I felt a shiver run down my spine. It wasn't fear, exactly, but a strange sense of anticipation.

"And you must be Mia," he continued, as his gaze shifted to me, sending shiver down my spine as our eyes met.

"Aaron's lovely new wife." he smirked, with his hands nicely placed inside his pockets.

 There was something unsettling in the way he looked at me, as though he knew something I didn't. I could sense that he was assessing my worth, and couldn't shake the feeling that I was being sized up for something much more than just a simple introduction. His smile was charming, disarming even, yet there was coldness beneath it, calculated edge that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Nice to meet you," I replied, forcing a polite smile.

Ignoring my greetings, Ryan's eyes moved back to Aaron, his expression hardening.

"I'm here to discuss a few matters with you. In private." he stated with a more serious tone

Aaron nodded, his jaw tensed.

"Mia, excuse us." he instructed, his gaze intensely on Ryan

I left the room, but not before catching the silent exchange between the two brothers, one filled with tension and unspoken words. Whatever was happening between them was deeper than any rivalry.

As I walked back to the dining room, my mind raced. Ryan's presence had shifted something, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this delicate balance, this fragile peace, was about to crumble. And somehow, though I didn't know how or why, but I'm certain that if I'm not careful I will be caught in the middle of it.

Yet, despite my fear, a part of me was drawn to Ryan, the mystery that he represented. In my life where every decision has already been made for me, Ryan felt like one element I couldn't control, the one thing that could change everything.

But I know better than to get too close, Whatever was going on between them, it was not something I wanted to be caught in the middle of. Still I couldn't help but wonder,if I played a part in their rivalry? 

As the night stretched on and Aaron and Ryan's conversation continued behind closed doors, I sat alone in the empty dinning room, staring at the untouched food in front of me. The uncertainty gnawed at me and for the first time since my marriage, I felt a glimmer of fear, not just for my future, but for what lay ahead in this dangerous game the Montogomery brothers were playing.

And somehow, deep down, I feel that Ryan Montgomery was at the center of it all, pulling strings I couldn't see yet, waiting for the moment to make his move.