Early Morning, Penthouse Suite of the Peninsula Hotel.
The sky hung low like a gray curtain of fog, heavy with the promise of an impending storm.
Bright flashes of lightning silently illuminated the room, their light seeping in through the thick curtains.
"Ah, let go of me!"
"Don't... don't come near me. Go away!"
"No! Please..."
By the floor-to-ceiling window stood a man, tall and imposing. Dressed in a black bathrobe, his sharp, chiseled features were like an intricate sculpture carved from ice.
His presence exuded an unmistakable coldness, the chill in his demeanor as biting as winter frost. Dark, bottomless eyes, like pools of frozen water, fixed indifferently on the woman trembling on the bed.
The carpet was littered with shredded clothing and crumpled tissue, silent evidence of last night's chaos.
For a long time, the woman's delicate eyelashes fluttered, her brows faintly furrowing. Her stirring was enough to signal her impending awakening.
The man stiffened, his piercing gaze unwavering. Yet, hidden beneath his icy facade was a flicker of something—panic, perhaps.
Katie slowly awoke. Her head ached, her vision blurred as she took in the unfamiliar luxury of the room. She tried to move but froze the moment she lifted the quilt.
Her body was bare.
A sharp pain radiated through her, a cruel reminder of the events that transpired. Her face drained of color, her trembling hands clutching the sheets tightly.
A voice, deep and husky, broke through the silence.
"Awake?"
Katie's breath caught as she turned toward the sound.
A figure emerged from the shadows by the window. His eyes, cold and predatory, met hers.
"Liam…" she whispered, her voice trembling as her pupils contracted in shock.
Memories of last night came rushing back, and with them, a surge of anger and despair. Katie's gaze hardened, her breathing shallow as she clutched a decorative object from the bedside table and hurled it toward the man.
But Liam was faster. His hand shot out, effortlessly catching the object mid-air. His other hand swiftly grabbed her wrist, immobilizing her with ease.
"Let go of me!" she shouted, her voice rising in fury.
Liam's lips curved into a cold smirk. His face inched closer, his warm breath brushing against her ear.
"Why should I?" His voice was laced with mockery, the cedar scent of his cologne intoxicating and suffocating all at once.
Katie glared at him, her fury palpable. But when her eyes caught sight of the scratches on his chest peeking through his bathrobe, her anger boiled over.
"You're insane!" she spat, her voice trembling with rage.
But Liam only laughed.
The room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the muffled sound of the storm outside. Rain pelted the windows, the flashes of lightning casting fleeting shadows on the walls.
Liam's gaze bore into her, dark and unfathomable, like a predator observing his prey.
"You don't listen to me, Katie. So why should I listen to you?" His tone was calm, yet every word was sharp enough to cut.
Katie struggled under his grip, her body trembling with frustration and fear.
"Liam, we have nothing to do with each other anymore. This is illegal, and I can sue you!" she yelled, her voice desperate.
Liam's laugh was low and disdainful.
"Go ahead," he said coolly, "Tell the world. Let everyone know. That'll save me the trouble of hiding it."
The tension in the room was suffocating. The storm outside raged on, a mirror to the chaos inside.
Suddenly, Liam leaned closer, his face mere inches from hers. Katie turned her head away, disgust evident in her every movement.
But Liam wasn't one to be defied. He forcefully tilted her chin back toward him and captured her lips in a bruising kiss.
Katie resisted with all her might, her nails digging into his arm, her muffled cries lost in the storm's roar.
When he finally pulled away, his dark eyes softened for the briefest moment as he noticed the tear slipping down her cheek.
"Katie…" His voice faltered. For a fleeting second, it seemed as if the ice around his heart had begun to crack.
But he said nothing more. Standing abruptly, Liam left the room, the sound of the door closing echoing in the silence.
Katie sat frozen, her body trembling with a mixture of anger and humiliation. Slowly, she gathered her strength, pulling herself up and limping toward the bathroom.
Pain shot through her with every step, but she gritted her teeth and pushed on.
When she emerged, dressed in the fresh clothes laid out for her, Liam was waiting in the living room. His expression had returned to its usual indifference, as if the events from earlier had been nothing more than a bad dream.
Katie glared at him, her fists clenched. "What do you want from me?"
Liam's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Cancel the engagement with that fool. Then marry me."
Katie stared at him, stunned by his audacity. "You're insane," she said, her voice shaking with disbelief.
"Maybe," he said, his tone unbothered. "But I always get what I want."
And so began the most tumultuous chapter of Katie's life—bound by a contract to a man she loathed yet couldn't escape, a man whose love was as suffocating as it was consuming.
But beneath the icy facade, Liam harbored a secret. One that could shatter the fragile truce between them—or bring them closer than ever before.