The top floor of Black Corporation was silent in a way that did not feel peaceful.
It felt controlled.
From the floor-to-ceiling windows, the entire city stretched below like a map waiting to be rearranged. The skyline glittered in the evening light. Cars moved like obedient ants. Neon signs flickered alive one by one.
Adrian Black stood in front of the glass, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a crystal glass untouched.
The office behind him was designed in black and steel—minimal, sharp, intimidating. No unnecessary decorations. No family photographs. No softness.
Just power.
The air itself seemed to lower its voice around him.
His tailored black suit fit him perfectly, outlining broad shoulders and a straight posture that never bent. His jawline was sharp, his expression unreadable, his dark eyes colder than the city lights beneath him.
People called him ruthless.
Dangerous.
Unpredictable.
They weren't wrong.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Enter."
The door opened quietly. His assistant, Victor Hale, stepped in with a tablet and a thick folder in hand.
Victor had worked beside Adrian for six years. He had seen companies rise and fall with a single nod from his boss. He had seen powerful businessmen sweat under Adrian's gaze.
But even now, he chose his words carefully.
"Sir, I have confirmed something regarding tomorrow's wedding."
Adrian did not turn around.
"Speak."
Victor swallowed lightly.
"The bride has been changed."
Silence.
The city below continued moving.
Adrian's fingers tightened slightly around the glass, but his voice remained calm.
"Explain."
"It was originally supposed to be Luna Lu," Victor said. "The publicly recognized heiress of the Lu family."
A pause.
"But?"
"But the real biological daughter was brought back recently. Her name is Raina Lu. She will be the one marrying you."
For the first time, Adrian turned.
Slowly.
His eyes were not angry.
They were calculating.
"So they think they can switch merchandise without informing the buyer."
His tone was smooth.
Dangerously smooth.
Victor nodded.
"The Lu family likely feared your reaction if they forced Luna into the marriage. There are… rumors."
Adrian's lips curved slightly.
"Rumors?"
Victor hesitated.
"That you dislike being touched by women. That if angered… you destroy entire families."
Adrian placed the glass on the desk without drinking it.
"Rumors tend to be accurate."
The room fell silent again.
Victor stepped forward and placed the file on the desk.
"I collected full background information on Raina Lu."
Adrian glanced at it but did not touch it yet.
"Orphaned at birth due to hospital switch. Raised by a lower-middle-class couple. Foster mother deceased three years ago. Worked part-time jobs during college. No scandals. No relationships. No social media presence beyond basic activity."
Victor paused before adding quietly,
"She appears… clean."
Adrian finally sat down in his leather chair.
"Clean?"
"No manipulative history. No suspicious financial activity. No contact with rival companies."
Victor hesitated, then added:
"She doesn't seem like someone trained for high society."
Adrian leaned back slightly.
"So she is a mistake they are offering me to fix their fear."
Victor lowered his head.
"Yes, sir."
A long silence followed.
Adrian tapped the desk once with his finger.
"Cancel the wedding."
Victor looked up immediately.
"Sir?"
"I do not accept substitutions."
His voice was final.
Victor nodded and turned to leave.
But before he reached the door—
"Wait."
Victor froze.
Adrian's gaze shifted toward the file.
"Arrange a private meeting."
"Tonight?"
"Yes."
Victor didn't question further.
Within forty minutes, a private conference room at a neutral hotel had been prepared.
—
The hotel lobby was luxurious, golden lights reflecting against marble floors, but when Adrian entered, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
People lowered their voices.
Staff stood straighter.
The manager personally escorted him upstairs.
The private suite was dimly lit, elegant yet impersonal.
Adrian stood near the window again, waiting.
He did not expect much.
Another spoiled rich girl pretending to be obedient.
Another political marriage.
Another alliance.
The door clicked softly.
Victor entered first.
"She's here, sir."
Adrian did not turn.
"Let her in."
Soft footsteps followed.
He heard them before he saw her.
Light.
Careful.
Almost hesitant.
He turned.
And for a fraction of a second—
His thoughts stopped.
She stood near the door in a simple pale blue dress.
No heavy makeup.
No exaggerated jewelry.
Her long black hair fell naturally over her shoulders. A few strands framed her face gently.
But it was her eyes.
Clear.
Large.
Shining faintly under the soft lights.
Not the sharp calculating gaze he was used to.
Not the ambitious hunger of social climbers.
There was something unguarded in them.
Something… painfully sincere.
She lowered her head slightly.
"Mr. Black."
Her voice was soft.
Not trembling—but careful.
Adrian studied her without speaking.
She felt it.
That weight.
That pressure.
But she didn't shrink.
She simply stood there, hands clasped in front of her.
Victor discreetly exited the room.
Now it was only them.
Adrian walked closer slowly.
Each step deliberate.
She felt his presence before he stopped in front of her.
He was tall.
Intimidating.
The air around him felt colder than the air outside.
"Do you know why you are here?" he asked.
"Yes."
Her answer was immediate.
"Because your family replaced the original bride."
She swallowed softly.
"Yes."
"And you agreed."
A pause.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Her fingers tightened slightly together.
"My parents asked me to."
Parents.
He noticed she didn't say "I wanted to."
He tilted his head slightly.
"You are aware of my reputation?"
"Yes."
"And yet you still came."
Another small pause.
"Yes."
"Are you afraid?"
This time, she hesitated longer.
"Yes."
Honest.
Not pretending bravery.
Not performing innocence.
Just truth.
He studied her face closely.
No calculation.
No fake tears.
Just quiet acceptance.
"Then why not refuse?" he asked calmly.
Her eyes lifted slightly, meeting his for the first time fully.
And that was when he saw it clearly.
They were not weak eyes.
They were gentle.
There was a difference.
"I don't have that choice," she said softly.
No resentment in her tone.
No bitterness.
Just reality.
Something in his chest shifted faintly.
He took one step closer.
Close enough to see the slight redness around her eyes.
Had she been crying?
"Look at me," he ordered quietly.
She did.
Completely.
No seduction.
No fear-filled trembling.
Just… openness.
And in that second—
Adrian realized something disturbing.
She wasn't pretending.
She truly didn't want this marriage.
She wasn't chasing his wealth.
She wasn't excited about becoming Mrs. Black.
She was simply… enduring.
And for some reason—
That unsettled him more than manipulation ever could.
"You understand," he said slowly, "that if I reject you, your family will suffer consequences."
A flicker of worry crossed her eyes.
"For them?"
She nodded slightly.
"Yes."
He narrowed his eyes.
"You are willing to marry a stranger to protect them."
"Yes."
No hesitation.
He looked at her more intensely.
"You don't even know me."
She gave the faintest, saddest smile.
"I know enough."
"Oh?"
"You're powerful."
"And?"
"And powerful people rarely need love."
The words hit unexpectedly.
He studied her face again.
"Do you need love?" he asked suddenly.
The question slipped out before he could stop it.
She blinked slightly, surprised.
Then looked down.
"…Yes."
Soft.
Barely audible.
But honest.
That word echoed strangely in his mind.
Yes.
No ambition.
No greed.
Just that.
He had met countless women who wanted his status, his money, his protection.
But none had stood in front of him admitting they simply wanted love.
He felt something tighten inside his chest.
Annoyance.
Confusion.
Interest.
He stepped back slightly.
Originally, he had planned to refuse.
To punish the Lu family for daring to deceive him.
To make an example.
But now—
He found himself studying her like an unexpected variable in a perfect equation.
"Do you want to marry me?" he asked calmly.
She looked up again.
Her eyes did not shine with excitement.
They did not sparkle with dreams.
They were calm.
Resigned.
"If you reject me," she said quietly, "my family will blame me."
He watched her carefully.
"And if I accept?"
She hesitated.
"Then I'll try to be a good wife."
No promise of love.
No promise of affection.
Just effort.
That honesty—
It was dangerous.
He had built his world on control.
On predictability.
On never letting emotions interfere.
But standing in front of him was someone entirely untrained in the art of manipulation.
Someone whose tears probably fell silently behind closed doors.
Someone who looked at him not with desire—
But with quiet acceptance of fate.
And he realized something else.
If he refused—
She would walk out of this room quietly.
And endure whatever humiliation followed.
Without fighting.
Without blaming.
Without begging.
For reasons he couldn't yet explain—
He didn't like that image.
He moved closer again.
This time slower.
He lifted his hand slightly—
She stiffened instinctively.
He noticed.
He paused.
Then gently—
Very gently—
He brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.
His fingers barely touched her skin.
She froze.
Waiting for anger.
Waiting for rejection.
But he felt none.
Instead—
He felt warmth.
Softness.
Her skin under his fingertips was warm.
Alive.
Human.
His jaw tightened slightly.
He withdrew his hand.
"You're not Luna," he said quietly.
"No."
"You're not trained."
"No."
"You're not ambitious."
She hesitated.
"No."
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
"Good."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Tomorrow," he continued calmly, "the wedding will proceed."
She blinked.
"You're… accepting?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
He looked at her.
Directly.
Because for the first time in years—
He saw something he had never encountered in his world of power and strategy.
Purity.
And it intrigued him.
"That," he said quietly, "is none of your concern."
But as she lowered her eyes respectfully—
He found himself thinking something he had not thought in a very long time.
Perhaps this substitution…
Wasn't a mistake.
Perhaps—
It was the first unpredictable decision he had made in years.
And as she stood there under the dim golden lights—
Innocent.
Unaware.
Completely unprepared for the world he ruled—
Adrian Black made a decision that would change both of their lives.
He would marry her.
Not because the Lu family forced his hand.
Not because of business.
But because he wanted to see—
How long those pure eyes could remain untouched in his dark world.
And whether…
He would be the one to protect them—
Or the one to destroy them.