Aaron~

I sat in my cabin, fingers pressed against my throbbing temple, the bitter taste of last night still clinging to me. Yesterday had been nothing short of a nightmare, and today wasn't any better. Exhaustion and rage churned inside me like wildfire, burning me alive from the inside out.

The file from the private investigator lay open in front of me, staring back mockingly. A file on her. Allena. The woman who was about to be tied to my name, bound to me by law and circumstance.

And yet there was nothing remarkable inside it—nothing but a truth so vile it made my blood boil. My soon-to-be wife and her dear stepfather were nothing but gold-diggers. A transaction cloaked as marriage. He sold his daughter for a few million, and she—she didn't even resist. Not a single word of defiance. Not a whisper of self-respect. She accepted it, willingly stepping into this deal like it was just another business arrangement.

Bitch.

The word tore through my mind like a whip. My jaw clenched so hard it ached, my teeth grinding together until I thought they might crack.

I was seething—furious at her, at her family, at my father who had orchestrated this entire circus. And then, as if to add salt to the wound, Dad called this morning. He wanted me to meet her. To sit across from her in a café, as if she were worthy of even breathing the same air as me. I warned him—warned him clearly—that I belonged to Selena. But she didn't back down. No hesitation. No shame. She was ready to wear the ring, ready to sign her name beside mine without a second thought.

The rage ripped through me, and before I realized it my hand hurled the coffee mug across the cabin. It shattered against the wall, coffee dripping down like blood, staining the pristine surface.

I dragged in a breath, trying to cage the storm inside me. Selena. I still had to tell her. The thought twisted my gut because I knew this truth would wound her more than it wounded me.

And then... the door opened.

A familiar fragrance swept through the cabin, wrapping around me, melting my fury into longing. My chest loosened for the first time today; the tension eased just slightly.

Selena.

"Hey, baby!" Her soft, melodic voice reached my ears, and instantly my lips curved into a smile. She was my peace, my solace, my everything—the only good thing in this mess.

"Hey, love," I whispered, pulling her into my arms, holding her tight, inhaling her soothing scent like oxygen.

"What happened? You called me here all of a sudden. Missing me, hmm?" she teased, her lips brushing mine in a fleeting kiss that sent warmth through my chest.

A hollow chuckle escaped me. "Selena, I miss you every single second. But... there's something I need to tell you. Something important."

The playfulness vanished from her face the moment she heard the weight in my tone. She sat down in front of me, her eyes locked on mine, searching for answers. I took her delicate hands in mine, tracing her fingers as if gathering courage from her warmth. My chest tightened with every second of silence.

"Selena," I whispered, my voice raw, "Dad wants me to marry a girl. In three days."

I watched the spark of curiosity in her eyes die instantly. They went blank—like shattered glass, reflecting nothing but devastation.

"You're joking, right? This isn't the time, Aaron." She forced a laugh, but it faltered when her gaze met my grim expression and she saw the truth written across my face.

Her world broke in front of me.

"WHAT?!" she gasped, stumbling to her feet. Her voice cracked, her body trembled, tears pooling in her eyes. The sight slashed through me like a blade, cutting deeper than any wound I'd ever felt.

"Selena, listen. Please, sit down." My voice was stern, though my own heart was breaking. She obeyed, wiping her tears, but her silence screamed louder than her sobs ever could.

"If I refuse, Dad will strip me of the CEO position. Everything I've built—every sleepless night, every sacrifice—will be gone. Selena, I worked this hard for us. For our future. I can't let it all vanish because of his ultimatum."

Her voice shook with rage and disbelief. "But how can he do this to you? You're his son. His heir. How can he even think of replacing you?"

I let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow and defeated. "It was me who chose business over everything else. I made Graycrest my entire world, and now Dad knows exactly how to control me. He's using my own ambition as a weapon against me."

My father isn't just a father—he's a strategist, a chess master who always thinks ten moves ahead. And right now, I'm trapped in his checkmate.

"So you're just... leaving me?" Her broken whisper carved itself into my soul. A single tear slid down her cheek, and I swear I felt it scorch my chest, burning through layers of anger and pain.

"No, baby. Never." I cupped her face, desperate, frantic. "I'm not leaving you. I'll marry that girl if I have to, but she'll mean nothing. She'll be invisible in my house, a ghost. My life belongs to you. Only you. We'll live as we always have. Nothing changes between us."

She let out a shaky laugh, her tears wetting my shirt as she buried herself in my embrace. I held her tighter, swearing silently that nothing—not even blood ties—could take her away from me.

But deep inside, a truth throbbed painfully. This wasn't going to be easy. This would break us, piece by piece.

The next two days blurred into suffocating silence. I worked from home, drowning in my father's endless requests and wedding preparations. And now... here I was, standing in front of a mirror, suffocating in a custom-made tuxedo, hours away from shackling myself to a woman I loathed with every fiber of my being.

Mom entered, her face calm but her eyes carrying secrets—unspoken truths she wasn't ready to share. She adjusted my collar with a soft smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Aaron, my boy. I know you're angry, disappointed, but one day you'll thank us. No one can hide behind masks forever. In time, truth reveals itself."

Her words felt like riddles, empty comforts meant to soothe a wound that couldn't be healed.

"Mom," I said through gritted teeth, "the only truth I know is that I love Selena. No one will ever replace her. And I swear—I'll make Allena's life a living hell. She'll regret ever agreeing to this."

Mom's gaze hardened, her expression shifting from gentle to stern. "Aaron. I raised you better than this. If you can't love her, fine. But don't strip her of her dignity. If you can't see her as a wife, then at least see her as a human being. Promise me this much."

Her voice cracked, pleading in a way she rarely did. And despite the storm inside me—despite my rage and resentment—I couldn't refuse her. "Fine. I promise," I muttered, the words tasting like ash on my tongue.

But in my heart the promise was already poisoned. I'd scare Allena. I'd break her spirit if I had to. She'd learn what it meant to cross into my life uninvited.

The wedding was a spectacle of lights and whispers—grand and suffocating, but thankfully no media. I stood in my Armani tuxedo, handsome on the outside, but a storm within: rage and resignation warring inside my chest.

Then the music began.

A figure in white glided down the aisle. Sweetheart neckline. A slit revealing porcelain skin. Her face—a picture of innocence, delicate and ethereal. And yet... I knew what she was. A gold-digger. A woman who sold her soul for money and status. My jaw clenched with disgust.

Couldn't she have said no? Just once, for her dignity? For her self-respect?

The vows blurred together—meaningless words spoken into the air. The ring slid onto her finger, cold and final. And when my hand brushed hers, an electric jolt shot through me, unexpected and unwanted. My body betrayed me, trembling under her touch. I ignored it. Denied it. Refused to acknowledge what it meant.

Then—the kiss. I lifted her veil, barely brushing her lips with mine. A touch so brief it should've meant nothing, should've been forgettable. But my body lit up like fire, goosebumps prickling my skin, spreading across my arms and down my spine.

I despised myself for feeling it.

The reception passed in a haze of congratulations and hollow smiles, empty words from people who didn't matter. She stood awkwardly beside me, a stranger draped in silk and diamonds, playing the role of a bride.

And then—the dance.

I took her hand, leading her to the floor, my movements mechanical and cold. My palm rested on her waist, pressing harder than necessary, fingers digging in just enough to make my point. She flinched, hissed softly under her breath. Good. Fear shimmered in her emerald eyes as she shut them tight, trying to escape this moment.

I leaned in, my lips brushing her ear, my voice a venomous whisper meant only for her.

"Welcome to hell, Mrs. Allena Aaron Gray. Those vows? Lies. Every single word. From now on, I vow only one thing—that you'll regret ever marrying me. I will destroy every smile you try to wear, every moment of peace you seek. You'll know the real Aaron Gray, and you'll wish you'd never agreed to this."

I pulled back with a wicked smirk, watching her eyes snap open—wide and terrified. Emerald green—startling, beautiful—but meaningless to me.

Because no matter how stunning she looked, no matter how dangerously my body reacted to her touch... she was the reason Selena cried. And for that, she'd pay. Every single day.

Welcome to my hell, Allena, I swore silently, my smile dark and merciless.