Aria Sinclair has never needed saving.

Raised to fight for everything she has, she built her reputation with sharp intelligence, fierce independence, and a will that refuses to bend. But when her father’s company stands on the brink of ruin, even she cannot stop the collapse alone.

Enter Adrian Locke — the city’s most feared CEO.

Cold. Calculated. Brilliant. A man who built an empire with his own hands and never let anyone close enough to touch his heart. To the world, he is power itself — unshakable and untouchable.

Adrian needs one thing to secure his next global deal:
A wife.

Not a lover.
Not a partner.
Just a name and a role.

And Aria is the only woman strong enough not to break under the pressure — or fall in love with him.

So begins a marriage bound by signatures, convenience, and rules that both swear to uphold.

But in private:

They clash.
They provoke.
They burn.

Their arguments are fire.
Their tension is undeniable.
And every time they collide, the world around them seems to stop breathing.

Yet in the world of power and ambition, enemies hide behind smiles — and the past never stays buried.

When threats close in and truths unravel, the line between hate and desire blurs dangerously.
And the contract that once kept them apart becomes the very thing pushing them together.

Not because they need each other.

But because they choose each other.

Even when it hurts.

Even when it’s impossible.

Even when love was never part of the deal.


---

Aria stood at the doorway, taking in the space — dark walls, clean lines, a single large bed, untouched linens.


Everything minimal, polished, and emotionally empty.


Adrian walked past her, placing his watch on the dresser. "This is the master suite. There are two guest rooms, but the media expects us to live together. Staff comes in the morning."


Aria crossed her arms. "I'll take the left side of the bed."


Adrian paused — only barely — before answering, "Right side is fine."


Aria placed her ring on the nightstand — sapphire glinting under the low light. Adrian watched the gesture, his expression unreadable.


"I don't sleep with weapons on my hand," she said.


Adrian's gaze flicked to the ring. "Is that how you see marriage?"


Aria met his eyes, unflinching. "No. That's how I see you."


He let out a slow exhale — not anger. Something colder. Something tired.


Most men would try to have the last word.


That was more unsettling than arrogance.


Steam curled around her as she showered.


Hot water. Quiet. The only place with no eyes watching.


But he was the kind of man who could change her.


When she returned, hair damp, wearing a simple tank and sleep shorts, Adrian turned his head slightly — just enough to look.


Aria walked past him, expression neutral. "Your turn."


But the air was different when he returned.


He wore a black cotton shirt — casual, simple, yet somehow more intimate than a suit. His hair was damp, a strand falling slightly over his forehead. Without the armor of his tailored persona, Adrian Locke looked… human.


Dangerous in an entirely different way.


Aria climbed into bed first, pulling the blanket to her waist. Adrian lay on the other side, leaving more space than necessary between them.


Finally, Adrian spoke — voice low in the dark.


"You didn't flinch today. Not once. Even when Vivienne tried to corner you."


Aria's lips curved faintly. "Why would I flinch? She's just someone who thought she mattered more than she does."


And for the first time since she met him…


Small. Sharp. Beautiful in the way a blade can be beautiful.


"People usually tremble around her," he said. "She enjoys breaking others."


"Then she should stop choosing people who don't break."


Adrian's eyes darkened — not with ice.


Aria didn't look away. "Neither are you."


A question hovered between them — unspoken, undeniable.


They just lay there, two storms sharing one sky.


Chapter 4 - Chapter 4:one bed, Two flames