Elena's hands were shaking.
The pen felt too heavy.
The room felt too small.
And the silence in front of her felt like judgment.
She stared at the paper on the glass table. Her name was already printed neatly at the bottom of the marriage contract.
All she had to do was sign.
Just one signature… and her life would no longer belong to her.
"Sign it."
The deep voice came from across the table — cold, calm, completely emotionless.
Elena slowly lifted her eyes.
That was the first time she saw him clearly.
Adrian Volkov.
The man she was being forced to marry.
He didn't look at her like a bride.
He looked at her like a problem.
Perfect suit. Sharp jawline. Dark eyes that held nothing warm. Nothing human. Just control.
Her fingers tightened around the pen.
"I…" Her voice almost disappeared. "After this… my father will be safe, right?"
Adrian didn't answer.
The man standing beside him did.
Victor Volkov.
Adrian's father. The real reason she was here.
"As long as you obey the contract," he said smoothly. "Your father's debt disappears."
Debt.
That word stabbed her chest.
Her father's mistake from years ago had destroyed this family's business deal. Now they wanted compensation.
And she was the price.
Elena swallowed the pain rising in her throat. If this marriage could protect her father, then she would endure it.
She signed.
The sound of the pen against paper echoed louder than it should have.
It felt like a lock clicking shut.
Adrian finally spoke again.
"Don't misunderstand something," he said, standing up. His chair slid back slowly. "This isn't a marriage."
His eyes finally met hers.
They were colder than winter.
"You're only here to pay for your father's sins."
Her chest tightened.
Not a wife.
Not a partner.
Just punishment.
Before she could say anything, the door opened.
A woman walked in — tall, beautiful, confident. Her heels clicked sharply on the floor.
She stopped when she saw Elena.
Then she laughed softly.
"So this is the replacement?" she asked, looking at Adrian. "You married her?"
Elena felt her stomach drop.
Replacement?
Adrian didn't deny it.
And that hurt more than anything.
Victor Volkov smiled faintly. "Vanessa, you'll get used to her. She'll be living in the main house from tonight."
Vanessa's eyes slowly scanned Elena from head to toe — not with jealousy.
With contempt.
"She won't last a week," Vanessa said quietly.
Elena's heart started pounding.
Adrian walked past her toward the door.
"Pack your things," he said without turning back. "You move in tonight."
Then he stopped, just for a second.
And Elena…"
She looked up.
But he still didn't look at her.
"Don't fall in love with me. You won't survive it."
The door closed.
And Elena realized something terrifying.
This wasn't a marriage.
It was a war.