登入A week passed silently, like undercurrents shifting beneath the base of an iceberg.Since that fateful morning in the penthouse living room, life between Aiden and Alma had returned to its normal orbit, albeit awkwardly. There was no childish avoidance, nor were there distant, downcast eyes. They still crossed paths every morning, shared the same dining table, and maintained brief, unrippled conversations. Every tremor of that uncontrolled night was hidden beneath a flawless facade of composure.Yet, beneath that placid surface, waves of tension constantly clashed. One week—one hundred and sixty-eight suffocating hours under the same roof—amounted to just as many times they covertly tested each other's boundaries under the guise of the "contract."The first crack appeared one afternoon while Alma was brewing tea at the kitchen island. A brief lapse in concentration caused her to accidentally spill warm water, her frantic footsteps nearly slipping on the polished stone floor. Aiden, wh
The morning light of the new day filtered through the thin silk curtains of the penthouse, casting pale golden streaks across the large, disheveled bed.Alma woke up with a start. The dull ache lingering throughout her body, combined with the rich warmth emanating from the firm chest behind her, instantly pulled her consciousness back to reality. Her mind felt like it was about to explode as she spotted the torn shirt buttons scattered across the floor, alongside her crumpled dress.Last night... she and Aiden had truly lost control.A wave of shock mixed with sheer embarrassment choked her chest. They were a contract couple. She was here to bear his child, not to surrender her body and soul. Alma carefully brushed aside Aiden's arm, which was wrapped tightly around her waist, and gently stepped out of bed. She quickly grabbed her bathrobe, wrapping it tightly around herself, wanting to rush back to her own room before the man woke up, desperate to escape reality.Yet, the moment her
The space inside the Maybach fell into a frozen silence, completely cut off from the chaos and frenzied camera flashes fading behind them. The car glided smoothly through the misty city night, heading straight toward the penthouse.Alma kept her eyes glued to the blurred streaks of streetlights receding outside the window. She dug her fingers tightly into the premium leather seat, her nails sinking in until her knuckles turned white. The filthy mud slung from that reporter's mouth earlier, along with the words "about to die," still pierced her ears like sharp thorns. Her shoulders trembled slightly; her hospitalized father had been dragged in as a tool to humiliate and attack her in public.The crisp, cold scent of cedarwood from the man beside her drifted into her every breath, enveloping her in a way that was both familiar and overwhelming."Why are you sitting so far away from me? Afraid I'll eat you alive?" Aiden broke the silence with a lazy, deep tone. Leaning back against the s
"Tonight, the camera she secretly installed will record every shred of evidence proving that Edna proactively drugged and offered herself to a complete stranger. Trying to use that to blacken Power Group's name? She dug her own grave."With that, Aiden raised an eyebrow at Alma, the corner of his lips curving into an arrogant smirk. Alma bit her lip, the coldness from her palms seeming to spread quickly into her veins. She secretly shuddered at the ruthlessness and the profound foresight of the man before her. He was not just neutralizing a threat; he was turning Edna into a pathetic laughingstock in a farce of her own directing. From beginning to end, Conal and Edna were merely chess pieces dancing in the palm of his hand.Noticing her unusual silence, Aiden straightened his posture, his deep, dark eyes narrowing slightly to study her. Decisively thrusting one hand into his trousers pocket, he dropped his voice to a thick, raspy baritone:"What is the meaning of that look? Do you fin
Aiden’s deep, muffled shout pierced the narrow space, slamming into the iron door before gradually dissipating, swallowed by the smooth jazz music drifting through the cracked door of room 2026 just next door. His chest heaved, his scorching breath fanning straight across Alma’s pale face. The intense pressure of his scrutinizing gaze left her borderline breathless.Alma turned her face away, her lips pressed firmly together. She stubbornly weaponized her silence to withstand the wrath of the man before her, covertly trying to read whether he had betrayed the agreement between them."Alma, look at me." Aiden’s long fingers dug into her shoulders, forcing her to face his dark eyes, which had narrowed dangerously. "You knew about it since yesterday, kept it to yourself, and then sneaked out here in the dead of night... Do you really think I would break my word for a woman like Edna? Do you have no trust in me at all?""Trust?" Alma’s cornered pride finally erupted. She snapped her head
The thick darkness of the emergency exit swallowed Alma whole. The pungent stench of leather mixed with heavy cigarette smoke besieged her senses. Alma thrashed frantically, scraping her boot heels hard against the cement floor, desperate to wrench herself free from the ironclad embrace pinning her body down. Her breath was stifled beneath a massive palm, causing her vision to blur.In her panic, her five fingers slipped quickly into her coat pocket, brushing against the cold metal hilt of a small dagger. Without a moment's hesitation, Alma whipped the knife out and stabbed blindly backward.But just as the sharp blade carved a chilling arc through the air, a low, familiar sigh brushed past her ear:"Calm down, Alma. It’s me."The voice shot through her spine like an electric current, instantly freezing her entire body. The knife stopped dead in its tracks, a mere few centimeters from her opponent's chest. The heat radiating from the sturdy chest behind pressed flush against her back,
The private office of the head of the Power Group on the 88th floor was submerged in a silence so heavy it felt suffocating. Aiden stood there, his tall silhouette obscuring the dying rays of the setting sun as they flickered against the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. After a long moment, he slowly
Aiden averted his gaze from the blue signal on the dashboard and tossed his phone onto the oak desk in frustration. The dull thud echoed through the silent room, marking the final snapping point of his patience. He sank into the high-end leather chair, taking a deep breath to suppress the searing p
For the past week, New York had felt to Aiden like a chessboard where he was slowly losing his final pawns. He had been working relentlessly—not to close a trillion-dollar merger, but to hunt for a "worthy" woman. Someone to shoulder the heavy burden of bearing an heir to the Power Group empire bef
New York City in October always wears an air of haughtiness, with cold winds whistling through the gaps between skyscrapers like the shrieks of lost souls. On the 88th floor—the highest level of the Power Group Tower—the lights from massive tempered glass panels cast a cold, blue glow, reflecting t







