Chapter 3

Amber jolted awake, her heart pounding. When she looked up, she saw Dave standing beside the bed. He was still wearing his suit, and his mere presence made the spacious room feel suddenly smaller.

“I… I’m sorry. I was exhausted,” Amber said quickly, pushing her hair back into place.

“Come with me. The legal consultant is waiting in the library,” Dave said flatly.

He didn’t wait for her reply.

Amber followed him through the marble hallway. Every servant they passed bowed deeply, their eyes fixed on the floor. The strict discipline in this house felt suffocating.

When they entered the library, a middle-aged man in a neat suit stood up immediately.

“Mr. Oliver. Miss Pierce.”

Dave took his seat behind the large wooden desk and gestured for Amber to sit across from him. A thick stack of documents lay between them.

“This is our legally binding marriage contract,” Dave began, his voice calm but firm.

“Duration: two years. During that time, you will accompany me to every social event, play the role of a devoted wife, and live under this roof. In return, your father’s debt will be cleared, and his medical treatment will be covered by my private foundation.”

Amber flipped through the pages slowly. Her breath caught when she reached one particular clause.

“Clause twelve… ‘The wife is prohibited from engaging in any romantic or physical relationship with a third party during the duration of the marriage.’”

She looked up at him.

“And you?” Amber asked quietly. “Does that apply to you as well? Or are you free to pursue anyone you want?”

Dave leaned forward slightly, his shadow stretching across the desk.

“That’s none of your concern, Amber. Your only responsibility is to honor the agreement.”

“And Jeff?” Amber’s voice trembled as she said the name of her former fiancé. “He’s your nephew. How are you going to explain this to him? He already hates me.”

For a brief moment, something dark flickered across Dave’s face.

“Jeff is a boy who doesn’t yet understand the value of what he threw away,” Dave said coldly. “You are no longer his concern. You are mine.”

He slid a pen across the desk toward her.

“Sign it. The first payment to your father’s hospital will be transferred before you leave this room.”

Amber picked up the pen. This was it. She was selling her freedom to the man the entire London elite believed was gay.

Yet the way he was looking at her now felt unsettling—like a predator quietly claiming his territory.

She signed her name in neat handwriting.

Amberlyn Pierce.

“Good,” Dave said as he collected the documents. He turned to the lawyer.

“Send copies to the press office. I want the announcement of our engagement on the front page of every major outlet tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow?” Amber stared at him in shock. “That soon?”

“I don’t do things slowly, Amber.”

Dave stood up and walked around the desk until he stopped right in front of her. He leaned down slightly, his face only inches away from hers.

“And I certainly don’t wait for something I’ve already paid for.”

Amber’s heart raced. For a man rumored to dislike women, the scent of his expensive cologne felt dangerously masculine and intoxicating.

“Now,” Dave continued, his voice dropping to a low murmur, “get ready. We’re having dinner tonight. And we’ll have a guest.”

“Who?”

“My nephew,” Dave said with a cold smile.

“It’s time Jeff learns how to show respect to his future aunt.”

Amber’s eyes widened. This was crazy—everything was happening so fast. What would Jeff do when he found out that Amber was going to marry Dave, his own uncle?

Amber’s heart pounded as she watched Dave leave the room. Every second felt like a nightmare to her. Like a vortex pulling her deeper into a life she had never chosen.

“I… I can’t believe this is really happening,” she whispered to the empty room.

Two hours later, a maid entered her bedroom carrying a garment bag that looked more expensive than the rest of her family’s remaining assets combined.

“Mr. Oliver asked you to wear this dress for dinner, Miss Pierce. He will be waiting in the dining room at exactly seven o’clock.”

Amber opened the bag. Inside was a stunning emerald-green silk dress. It fit perfectly along every curve of her body—elegant, yet undeniably provocative.

She dressed with trembling hands, feeling like a lamb being prepared for a dangerous feast.

"Amberly Pierce, you must do this, regardless of the risks. Dave isn't normal, so you'll be safe with this contract. Just two years, Amber." She took a deep breath and finally stepped out of her room.

When she walked down the grand staircase, she saw Dave already standing at the end of the long dining table. He looked up, his gray eyes slowly scanning Amber with an intensity that made her skin feel hot.

“Good. You’re right on time, Amber,” Dave said.

Before Amber could respond, the large front doors slammed open. The sound of hurried, furious footsteps echoed through the hall.

“Uncle Dave! What the hell is this?” Jeff’s voice thundered even before he entered the room.

“I just saw the press announcement! This has to be a joke, right?!”

Jeff stormed into the dining room, his face red with anger. But when his eyes landed on Amber standing there in her green dress—more beautiful than he had ever seen her before—he froze.

“Amber?” Jeff’s mouth fell open. The mockery from last night’s party disappeared, replaced by a sudden mix of shock and sharp jealousy.

“What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like… that?”

Dave stepped forward, his hand moving possessively to Amber’s lower back. The heat of his palm through the silk fabric sent a jolt through her body.

“Watch your tone, Jeff,” Dave warned, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re speaking to my fiancée.”

Jeff let out a harsh laugh of disbelief. “Fiancée? Uncle, this is a joke, right? She’s a poor woman who has nothing! She almost danced half-naked for money last night! You were the one who told me she wasn’t worthy of our family!”

“I told you she wasn’t worthy of you,” Dave corrected coldly. “And I was right. You don’t know how to treat a woman like Amber. But I do.”

Jeff’s face flushed deep red. “But… everyone knows you don’t even like women! This is just an act, right? Amber, how much is he paying you to be his little puppet?”

Amber opened her mouth to defend herself, but Dave tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her firmly against his side.

“From now on, you will address her with the respect she deserves,” Dave said, his gaze sharp as a blade.

“She is no longer your ex-fiancée. She is your future aunt. If I hear one more disrespectful word from you, I will cut off your inheritance so quickly it will make your head spin.”

Jeff stood frozen, his eyes darting between his uncle’s cold face and Amber’s trembling yet defiant expression. He looked like he wanted to shout, but Dave’s power over him was absolute.

“Now, sit down,” Dave ordered, gesturing toward the chair in front of them. “There are many things we need to discuss about this marriage. And you, Jeff, will be the guest of honor.”

Amber could feel Dave’s eyes on her—dark and mysterious.

Far wilder than before.