Chapter 2

The county clerk's office was packed with people. The air felt thick with almost cloying joy as couples huddled close together, smiles spilling off their faces.

Aiden Jewell and Leanne sat among them like two isolated islands. They didn't speak to each other, nor did they share any eye contact.

The clerk, a young woman, was used to lovey-dovey scenes. It was her first time dealing with a pair this icy. She passed over the forms and a pen, her smile turning a bit stiff. "Please sign here."

Leanne picked up the pen without hesitation. Her signature cut across the page in sharp, decisive strokes, like she'd burned every bridge behind her. When she finished, she pushed the pen toward the man beside her.

Aiden had been leaning lazily against the back of his chair the whole time, his posture relaxed yet somehow radiating pressure. He took the pen; his fingers were long and clean to the point of being unreal. He didn't rush. Every stroke was steady and controlled.

Aiden Jewell. The name landed neatly beside Leanne's, as if their names had always meant to appear side by side.

Leanne's gaze swept over his name. Her heart clenched, as if squeezed by an invisible hand. There was no pain, only a strange tightness. She quickly looked away and fixed her eyes on her hands, clasped in her lap.

Step one of her revenge plan was complete.

With expedited processing and a few strings pulled, the signing, stamping, and acceptance of the marriage certificate took less than ten minutes. It was so fast it felt like a dream.

The clerk handed over the certified copies and squeezed out the standard blessing. "Congratulations. Wishing you a happy marriage and a lifetime together."

Leanne took one copy with a blank face and murmured a thank-you. Aiden picked up his copy, his fingertips brushing over the embossed seal on the paper before slipping it into his briefcase.

They walked out of the building one after the other. Sunlight hit them full-on, and Leanne instinctively squinted. It wasn't until she slid into a black Bentley and the door closed behind her, shutting out all the outside noise, that the tension in her spine finally eased the tiniest bit.

The car was silent as a tomb.

Leanne turned to look out the window. The city scenery sliding backward in a blur made the situation feel oddly surreal. In her mind, she couldn't help replaying the agreement she'd signed yesterday in Aiden's study. To her, having something in black and white was far more reassuring than a marriage certificate.

"Party A: Aiden Jewell. Party B: Leanne Knight.

"Marriage term: One year.

"Party B must cooperate with Party A and fully commit to the role of Mrs. Jewell, including dealing with the Jewell family elders and all necessary social obligations.

"Party A must grant Party B the identity and status of the rightful wife of the Jewell family heir, along with all corresponding resources and conveniences, and provide support when Party B requires it.

"During the term of the marriage, both parties shall not interfere in each other's private lives. There will be no marital relations. At the end of the one-year term, the parties shall divorce amicably. Party A will transfer ownership of the property, No. 1, Nova Bay, to Party B and give Party B 500 million dollars in cash as compensation."

The clauses were clear, with the rights and responsibilities neatly laid out.

This was a transaction. Leanne was trading one year of freedom for the status and power to crush Parker and Charlotte into the dirt.

It was a good deal. It was also much cleaner than that so-called "love" that had been rotten with lies and schemes from start to finish.

The sharp sound of sudden braking cut through Leanne's thoughts, and the momentum jolted her forward, pitching her body toward the front.

The impact she braced for never came, though. A warm, broad hand shot out in front of her, stopping her short. Aiden's palm pressed against her shoulder, the heat searing through the thin fabric.

She went rigid. The warmth bled through her clothes and burned right into her chest, making her heart tremble.

The muscles in Aiden's arm were taut, forming a solid barrier before her. He didn't even look at her; his eyes were fixed on the delivery scooter that had suddenly swerved in front of them, his brows slightly furrowed.

Only after the danger passed did he calmly withdraw his hand and place it back on the steering wheel. It was as if that instinctive, protective move had never happened.

"Sit properly." His voice was low, giving nothing away.

But Leanne could still feel the residual warmth on her shoulder where his palm had been. She curled her fingers into fists and forced herself to stay level-headed.

She couldn't overthink this. Aiden was just being a decent partner in a deal. He'd only acted out of gentlemanly instinct, or maybe he was just protecting his "contract asset" from getting damaged.

She took a deep breath, leaned back against the seat again, and broke the eerie silence in the car. "Mr. Jewell, for now, I don't want anyone knowing we're married."

Aiden kept his eyes on the road, his knuckles tapping lightly against the steering wheel. "Your reason."

"I don't want to spook my prey," she said coolly. "Parker and Charlotte still think I'm clueless—that's my best camouflage. Once I've gathered every piece of evidence of what they've done to me, I'll hit them with one fatal strike."

She didn't just want their reputations ruined. She wanted them destroyed beyond redemption.

Aiden glanced at her. Her profile was taut, and her eyes were like ice. None of the usual warm radiance from the Knight family heiress was in sight. She was more like a cat that had tucked away all its softness and left only its claws out.

Interesting.

"Fine." He agreed with a single, clipped word.

Leanne let out a breath of relief. Her biggest fear was that he had other plans. Still, before the breath was even fully out of her mouth, he added, almost casually, "But starting today, we live together."

Her head whipped up, and she turned to stare at him, her gaze suddenly wary. "Why? That's not in the contract."

Living with him? That was never part of her plan. She needed a place that was absolutely private to set everything in motion, not a life lived under the constant scrutiny of her so-called business partner.

The lines of Aiden's side profile were sharp, and his jaw was clenched in a hard, clean line.

"If we're putting on a show, we give them the full one," he said evenly. "Grandma could send someone over at any time. She might even show up in person for a surprise inspection. How long do you think we can hide the fact that we're living separately from a woman like her?"

The logic was airtight.

Aiden's grandmother, Helena Bronson, was the one person in the Jewell family whose word was absolute. She was also the one most desperate to see Aiden settle down and start a family. If she ever found out this marriage was fake, Leanne could forget all about getting revenge. She and the entire Knight family would be dragged into the fray.

Leanne pressed her lips into a thin line. She knew Aiden was right.

"Fine." She nodded at last, making the only rational choice. "Then we'll stay at my place. It's quieter."

She meant the villa under her name, a gift from her mother.

"Okay," Aiden replied.

The car slid smoothly into the city and finally pulled up in front of Leanne's villa. She unbuckled her seat belt and reached for the door.

"Mrs. Jewell," Aiden suddenly said.

Leanne froze mid-movement. She wasn't used to hearing that title. She turned back, a faint question in her eyes.

He turned toward her as well, his gaze impossible to read. His thin lips moved, producing four simple words. "Here's to working together."