Rain hammered the city streets like sharp needles,soaking Lina Hart to the bone
She clutched the crumpled rejection letter so tightly that her fingers ached.The streetlights reflected the puddles,creating distorted image of herself... a young desperate woman,exhausted, and trapped by circumstances she could barely control.At twenty three,she had worked multiple jobs to help her family,but nothing had prepared her for this"her parents' debts" looming over them like storm clouds threatening everything she loved.
A taxi swerved past,splashing icy water onto her shoes,she froze on the wet curb,heart pounding... Her little brother's laugh,her mother's tired smile they all flickered through her mind like fragile lanterns...she couldn't afford to fail them..not now.
And then she saw him....Adrian Vale,32, CEO of Vale Enterprises,known for his ruthless efficiency and icy demeanor.His posture was rigid, shoulders squared like a general surveying his battlefield,the umbrella he held above his head was perfectly centered,rain bouncing harmlessly off it,as if the storm itself avoided him.Black hair slicked back,piercing gray eyes that seemed to see straight through her, and a tailored coat that hinted at wealth and control.Adrian Vale —a man whose presence made the city feel small, inconsequential,and under his command.
"You're late"he said,voice low, calm,yet sharp enough to cut through the pounding rain,her stomach clenched"I—I didn't…" she stammered, words failing her entirely,her teeth chattering,her hands trembling around the letter"You need a loan," he interrupted, the tilt of his head assessing her like a scientist observing a specimen. "I can solve your problem."
Her chest twisted,stories had surrounded this man for years,ruthless,infamous,untouchable and solitary.And now he stood here,offering help but at a cost she could not yet measure.
"I… I don't understand," she whispered.
Adrian's gray eyes locked on hers "A contract," he said,each word deliberate "A one year contract marriage "You get financial security,I get… cooperation" He paused, letting the weight of the statement settle. "Do we have an agreement?"
Lina swallowed hard, glancing down at the rain-soaked pavement...One year,one signature,one decision that could save her family and yet… fear clawed at her chest"Yes," she breathed.
The sound of her own voice startled her,fragile but determined,she had grown from the timid girl who once begged for loans at a local bank,now she stood poised,dressed simply but neatly, shoulders squared despite the storm.She had learned to carry herself like someone who belonged in the world, even if her heart still quivered with uncertainty.
Adrian's expression remained unreadable he simply handed her the contract, paper thick and intimidating. Lina's hand shook as she signed, each stroke final each heartbeat pounding...consequences she could barely grasp. Her parents' and brother's fates, her own future all intertwined with this man, this stranger whose gaze never wavered from her.
"Welcome, Mrs. Vale," he said, voice flat yet weighted, each syllable precise.The words echoed through her mind as she stepped back, letting the rain soak her a little longer before moving.
Outside, the city carried on,indifferent inside, Lina's life had irrevocably changed. The streets, the puddles, the honking horns none of it mattered anymore.She had entered a new world one of marble towers, icy eyes, and calculated control....And somewhere deep inside, despite the fear, a spark flickered curiosity.
Who is the man behind the Ice King's mask? she wondered and what does it mean that my life is now in his hands?