The Kane Mansion

The moment I signed my name, I felt as though I'd made a deal with the devil.

Alexander took the contract from me and carefully placed it inside his desk.

Then he picked up the diamond ring.

"Your hand."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"Your hand, Sophia."

I hesitated before extending it.

He slid the ring onto my finger.

The diamond caught the light.

It was beautiful.

Too beautiful for a marriage that wasn't real.

I stared at it.

"Tomorrow, the engagement will be announced."

My head snapped up.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"You didn't tell me."

"You didn't ask."

I glared at him.

"Do you always make decisions without telling people?"

"Usually."

"You're impossible."

"I've been told."

He turned toward the door.

"Come."

"Where?"

"Your room."

I froze.

"My what?"

"You're moving in tonight."

I stared at him.

"You said tomorrow."

"I changed my mind."

"Alexander!"

He stopped.

I followed him through the enormous hallway, still angry.

"I don't even have my clothes."

"Everything has been arranged."

"Everything?"

"Your clothes, toiletries, documents, and personal belongings."

I stopped walking.

"How did you know what I needed?"

He looked over his shoulder.

"I have people who handle these things."

That answer should have satisfied me.

It didn't.

Because Alexander seemed to know far too much about me.

We reached a large bedroom on the second floor.

I stepped inside.

My mouth fell open.

The room was bigger than the entire apartment I'd grown up in.

A huge bed stood in the center, surrounded by elegant furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows.

I turned to Alexander.

"This is my room?"

"Yes."

I looked around.

"Then where's yours?"

He pointed toward the opposite end of the hallway.

"Down there."

I sighed in relief.

At least he was keeping that part of the contract.

He turned to leave.

"Alexander."

He stopped.

"Thank you."

He glanced back.

"For what?"

"For helping my family."

His expression became unreadable.

"Don't thank me yet."

"What does that mean?"

He walked away without answering.

---

The next morning, the entire internet exploded.

My phone wouldn't stop ringing.

Messages appeared one after another.

MYSTERIOUS BILLIONAIRE ALEXANDER KANE ENGAGED!

WHO IS THE WOMAN WEARING KANE'S RING?

ALEXANDER KANE'S SECRET BRIDE REVEALED!

I stared at the screen in disbelief.

"They already know?"

My assistant—someone Alexander had assigned to me—smiled awkwardly.

"Mr. Kane's public relations team released the announcement at eight."

I rubbed my forehead.

"This is happening too fast."

"That's how Mr. Kane operates."

I looked down at the ring.

My fake marriage was already public.

Then my phone rang again.

This time, it was my mother.

"Sophia?"

"Mom."

"Is it true?"

I closed my eyes.

"Yes."

"You married Alexander Kane?"

"Not exactly."

She was silent.

Then she whispered,

"Do you know what you've done?"

My stomach tightened.

"What do you mean?"

"Your father will explain."

The call ended.

I stared at my phone.

Something was wrong.

Before I could call her back, the bedroom door opened.

Alexander walked in.

He was dressed in a black suit, looking impossibly calm.

"You're coming with me."

"Where?"

"Breakfast."

"I don't want breakfast."

"You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

He looked at me.

"You're coming anyway."

I crossed my arms.

"You really enjoy giving orders."

"And you enjoy arguing."

"Maybe because you're always bossing me around."

He stepped closer.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then his eyes dropped to the ring on my finger.

"Keep it on."

"Why?"

"Because you're my wife now."

My heart skipped.

Fake wife.

I reminded myself.

This was only a contract.

"Fine."

He turned toward the door.

I followed.

But as we entered the dining room, I stopped.

There was someone sitting at the table.

An older woman.

Elegant.

Cold.

Her eyes immediately landed on me.

She looked at Alexander.

Then back at me.

"Is this her?"

Alexander's expression changed.

"Mother."

My heart sank.

His mother stood slowly.

She walked toward me.

Then she looked at the ring on my finger.

Her face turned pale.

"You married her?"

Alexander said nothing.

She looked at me with something that wasn't anger.

It was fear.

Then she whispered four words that made my blood run cold.

"You're just like your mother."

I froze.

My mother?

I looked at Alexander.

He was staring at his mother with a warning in his eyes.

"Enough."

But his mother didn't stop.

She looked directly at me.

"Does she know who you are?"

Alexander's voice became dangerously low.

"Mother."

She shook her head.

"No. She deserves to know."

I stepped forward.

"Know what?"

Nobody answered.

I looked from Alexander to his mother.

"What are you hiding from me?"

Alexander walked toward me.

His face was expressionless.

But his eyes were different.

For the first time, I saw fear.

Not anger.

Not arrogance.

Fear.

He took my hand.

"Come with me."

I pulled my hand away.

"No."

His eyes narrowed.

"I said come with me."

"And I asked what your mother meant."

Silence filled the room.

Then his mother spoke.

"Your father didn't just owe Alexander money, Sophia."

She took a slow breath.

"Your family destroyed ours."

My heart stopped.

I stared at her.

"What?"

Alexander closed his eyes briefly.

Then he opened them.

And said the one thing I never expected to hear.

"Your father was responsible for my father's death."

I couldn't breathe.

The room seemed to spin around me.

And suddenly, the ten-million-dollar contract didn't feel like a business deal anymore.

It felt like revenge.