Chapter Four: The Billionaire’s Cage.

Aria's POV

The words hung in the air like a death sentence.

“You’re not the one I paid for.”

My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might crack them.

Romanov Sleigh stood inches away from me, towering, his presence swallowing the entire room.

Up close, he was even more devastating than the blurry photos I’d seen online—sharp jawline, cold gray eyes that seemed to cut right through lies, and a face carved by both power and danger. The kind of man who didn’t need to raise his voice to make people tremble.

I forced myself to breathe.

“I… I don’t know what you mean,” I lied, my voice barely above a whisper.

His fingers were still holding the edge of my veil, now pushed back over my hair. Slowly, too slowly, he let it go. The silk whispered against my shoulders. His gaze never left my face, studying me like I was a problem he needed to solve—or eliminate.

“Don’t insult my intelligence,” he said, his voice low and dangerously calm. “I may not have met my intended bride, but I have her picture. Her information. Her name. You are not Elena Voss.”

Elena Voss. So that was the real bride’s name.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. The room felt too dark, too intimate, even with the lights on.

A massive four-poster bed loomed behind him, and the heavy scent of sandalwood and something colder—maybe whiskey—clung to the air.

“My name is Aria Robert,” I said, lifting my chin even though my knees wanted to buckle. “And I’m the one who signed the marriage documents today. Legally, I’m your wife.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. He took one step closer, and I had to fight the urge to back away. Men like him fed on fear. I could see it in the way he watched me—calculating, predatory.

“Who sent you?” he demanded. “And where the hell is Elena?”

“I don’t know where she is,” I answered honestly. “I was approached two days ago. My family’s company is on the verge of collapse. Your secretary offered a deal. I accepted.”

Romanov’s eyes narrowed. “My secretary,” he repeated, the words laced with quiet fury. I could already imagine the poor man’s fate.

He turned abruptly and walked toward the large window overlooking what looked like acres of private estate. Moonlight spilled across his broad shoulders. Even from behind, he radiated controlled power. I noticed the way his black dress shirt stretched across his back, the expensive fabric doing nothing to hide the muscle beneath.

“You signed the contract,” he said without turning around. “The real one. The one that states if the bride is discovered to be fraudulent, all assets transferred to her will be clawed back. Along with penalties.”

My stomach dropped. I hadn’t read the contract my father gave me, but I had signed a new one with the secretary in the car. They had assured me it was standard.

“I didn’t know about any fraud clause,” I whispered.

He let out a dark, humorless laugh and finally faced me again. “Of course you didn’t. You’re just another desperate girl trying to climb the ladder by spreading her legs for a rich man.”

The accusation stung sharper than my mother’s shoes earlier today. Heat rushed to my face.

“I haven’t spread my legs for anyone,” I shot back before I could stop myself. “And I didn’t come here for you. I came here to escape my family. They were going to use me as a pawn and throw me away once they got what they wanted. At least this way, I get something out of it.”

For a second, something flickered in his eyes. Surprise? Curiosity? It was gone before I could name it.

Romanov crossed the room in three strides and stopped right in front of me. He was so tall I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. My pulse thundered in my ears.

“You think you can just replace Elena and I’ll accept it?” he asked, voice dropping even lower. “I had plans for her. Specific reasons for that marriage.”

“Then why didn’t you meet her before the wedding?” I challenged, even though my hands were shaking. “You signed the papers without seeing her face. That tells me your reasons weren’t about love.”

His hand shot out and caught my chin, firm but not painful. The touch sent an unwanted spark through me. His fingers were warm, calloused, completely at odds with the coldness in his eyes.

“You have quite the mouth for a stand-in bride who could disappear tonight and no one would ask questions.”

I held his stare, refusing to flinch. “Then why haven’t you called your men to drag me out yet?”

Silence stretched between us. Thick. Dangerous. Charged.

His thumb brushed my lower lip once, almost absentmindedly, before he released me. I felt the loss of contact more than I should have.

“Because,” he said finally, “changing brides now would draw too much attention. The wedding has already been registered. The documents are filed. And I don’t have time to chase after Elena Voss if she’s decided to run.”

He walked over to a small table and poured himself a glass of amber liquid. He didn’t offer me any.

“You will stay as my wife,” he continued. “For now. But know this, Aria Robert—if I find out you’re working with whoever made Elena disappear, or if you try to betray me in any way, I won’t be merciful.”

I nodded slowly, my chest tight.

“And the properties?” I asked, hating how small my voice sounded. “The half that the bride is supposed to receive?”

Romanov’s lips curved into a cold smile. “You’re bold. I’ll give you that.” He took a sip of his drink. “You’ll get nothing until I’m satisfied you’re not a threat. Prove yourself useful, and maybe we’ll talk. Disappoint me…” He let the threat hang.

I should have been terrified. Instead, a strange mix of fear and defiance burned in my veins. This man was nothing like the cold, distant tycoon I’d imagined. He was fire wrapped in ice, and I had just walked straight into his domain.

“What happens now?” I asked.

He set the glass down and loosened his tie with one hand, eyes still locked on me.

“Now, wife,” he said, the word dripping with dark promise, “you sleep in my bed. I need to make sure you don’t try to run before sunrise. And tomorrow… we start figuring out exactly what kind of game you’ve stepped into.”

My breath caught as he began unbuttoning the top of his shirt, revealing a glimpse of a tattooed, muscular chest.

This wasn’t a marriage.

This was a cage.

And the man locking the door was far more dangerous than my family had ever been.