LOGINLivia Shelby, 19, is forced into marriage with Damian Alexander - a ruthless CEO with a cold heart. Hate simmers beneath the surface, and sometimes it blurs the line between resentment and desire. But what happens when the love that grows between them is bound by a contract... and forbidden to be spoken?
View MoreA young, beautiful woman-no more than nineteen-sat quietly in the corner of an upscale café. She looked nervous, her hands folded neatly in her lap, and a glass of untouched iced coffee sweating on the table before her.
Her father's voice echoed in her head:
'Livia, you must please Mr. Alexander. Do whatever it takes to win him over. This marriage is our last chance.'She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to block it out-but it was impossible. That one sentence had carved itself into her bones. It wasn't a plea. It was an order-from her so-called biological father, demanding repayment for the nineteen years he had "sheltered" her.
She straightened her spine, practicing a smile. Then another. And another.
'No matter what happens today,' she told herself, 'you just have to smile.'
A polite cough startled her.
"Miss Livia Shelby?"
She jumped up. It was the assistant-the same man who had picked her up earlier.
And behind him... a man walked in.
No-strode in.
The café seemed to shift the moment he entered. Damian Alexander wasn't just any man-he looked like someone who owned the world and expected everyone in it to bow.
Livia's breath caught. Her first time seeing him... and her entire body was already trembling.
This must be Damian Alexander. The man who would become her husband-or to be exact, her new boss.
Damian didn't waste a second. He sat down like he owned the chair, the café, the air around them. The assistant pulled out a thick brown envelope and placed it on the table with a practiced motion.
Damian barely glanced at her before sliding the envelope across the table. "Read it."
Livia blinked. "Y-yes, Sir."
She opened it with trembling fingers. The first sentence hit like a slap:
The second party must obey and listen to the first party in all matters during the duration of the marriage. The first party is the rule.Her brain froze for a second.
'So... he's the law? Like, literally? Am I marrying a husband or a human constitution?'
But she caught herself in time and forced a smile. "Uh... just to clarify, this means I... should obey everything you say?"
Damian raised an eyebrow, amused. "Exactly."
"Oh. Wonderful. I-I like clarity." She gave a tiny, overly enthusiastic nod, like a schoolgirl who'd just passed a pop quiz. "It's very efficient."
He ignored her sarcasm-or didn't notice.
"Three rules."
She sat up straighter, ready.
"One-never interfere in my personal affairs. Especially my relationships with other women."
Livia blinked once. Then twice. "Okay," she said brightly, as if she'd just agreed to water the plants.
"Two-fulfill your role as my wife. Quietly."
"Yes, Sir. Quiet wife. Got it. Like a ninja wife."
He paused. "...What?"
"Nothing, Sir."
Damian eyed her, suspicious.
"Three-never embarrass me in public. Keep your behavior proper, presentable, and silent."
"Absolutely, Sir. I can be very... invisible when needed." She gave a polite smile that trembled at the edges.
A long silence followed.
Damian leaned back in his chair, observing her.
"You agree to all of that without even thinking?"
Livia nodded quickly. "Yes, Sir! I mean-what's there to think about? I'm very... agreeable. Very obedient. I-I take instructions like a pro."
Damian tilted his head. "Are you always this desperate to please?"
She froze, then laughed a little too loudly. "Oh no, not at all! I mean, yes-but also no. I just-uh-want this marriage to be... successful."
She mentally kicked herself. What does that even mean? Successful like a business merger?
Damian's lips curved into something that almost resembled amusement. "You're strange."
"I've heard that before," she muttered.
He stood up abruptly. "That's all for now. Brown will give you the detailed list later when he drives you home."
"Yes, Sir. Thank you for... the clarity."
Damian turned and walked out, his presence fading like a cold wind sweeping through the room.
Livia let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her back was soaked in sweat.
Rule One: Don't interfere.
Rule Two: Be silent. Rule Three: Be a ghost.She grabbed her iced coffee and chugged it in one go, muttering to herself,
"Easy. Totally manageable. I'm basically halfway to being wallpaper already.""Miss Livia Shelby, shall we?" Assistant Brown interrupted, standing by the door with an unreadable expression. He gestured toward the exit, signaling it was time to leave.
Livia nodded and stood up, clutching the contract papers as she followed him out.
The car ride was silent at first. Livia stared down at the envelope, her head throbbing from the overwhelming content. Inside were dozens of pages, like an exam she hadn't studied for.
Just as she was about to put the contract aside, Assistant Brown's voice broke the quiet from the driver's seat.
"These are the rules you must follow after becoming the young master's wife. I've written everything down in detail."Livia didn't know much about the man sitting in front of her, except that his last name was Brown.
"Do I have to memorize all of this?" she asked, feeling overwhelmed.
"If you have any questions, please ask," Brown replied calmly.
'I want to protest and throw these papers in your face. Damn it!' Livia wanted to say-but instead, she smiled politely.
"Thank you for your hard work, Assistant Brown. I'll read and memorize everything so I don't make mistakes.""It's my duty to keep everything around the young master running as it should," Brown said proudly.
'Wow, what a strange little slave,' Livia thought.
"The most important thing is that you serve the young master and fulfill your duties as his wife," he continued.
Unconsciously, Livia fiddled with a button on her shirt.
"Except-don't expect to serve the young master in bed. You're not really the type he likes."
'What! Who wants to sleep with that guy?' Livia sighed in relief. 'Honestly, I'm glad he hasn't touched a strand of my hair.'
"It's a shame, though. Mr. Damian Alexander is very handsome," she added with a laugh.
***
Jenny and Sophia chose to stand nearby-close enough to hear, but far enough to pretend they weren't directly involved. Playing it safe.Livia sat stiffly across from her mother-in-law. Silence hung in the air like a storm cloud."What's wrong, Mom?" Livia broke the silence, uneasy under the woman's calculating gaze.Her mother-in-law studied her closely, as if searching her face for secrets."How is your relationship with Damian?"Livia froze. Is this about the kiss marks? Damn it!Of course she'd noticed Damian's strange behavior-how he'd held Livia's hand, smiled, even brushed sauce off her lips at breakfast. He'd never done that before."What do you mean, Mom?" Livia asked, trying to keep her voice even. "Don't worry. I always take care of him. I do my duties as his wife."She meant the chores: drawing his bath, setting out his clothes, serving his meals. The mechanical routines expected of her.But her mother-in-law's expression darkened."Do you dream of replacing Helena?" the wo
Two very different expressions of life filled the room that morning.First-Damian's, a face glowing with satisfaction. He had tricked the woman he loved into begging him to sleep with her. A cruel victory masked in a charming grin.Second-Livia's, a face painted with shame. Shame for surrendering herself so easily to a man she hated. A man who had treated her like a maid, who clearly did not love her.To Damian, it was a night filled with passion, like a newlywed's first. But for Livia, it was something else entirely. Her expression was weary, her eyes dull, the shame lingering like a shadow."What's this?" Damian plucked at the floral scarf wrapped tightly around her neck.Dressed impeccably in a navy suit and tie, he raised a brow. "Is it winter?""No, Darling." Livia covered her face with her hands, mortified. The memory of last night was still painfully vivid. "I just... felt like wearing it."In truth, she was trying to hide the trail of hickeys he'd left across her neck-from the
Livia walked slowly toward the bed.Damian was already lying under the blanket. He didn't say a word.'I'm sure he's just bluffing. He couldn't possibly want to sleep with me. I mean... f*ck me. He obviously doesn't like me.' Livia kept still, careful not to make a sound.She just needed to lie low and wait until he fell asleep."You forgot what I said earlier?" Damian's voice cut through the silence just as Livia lay beside him. He kicked the blanket off, letting it fall to the floor.Then, his leg shifted-his right leg pressing down firmly on hers."I said I would tear you apart. Are you ready?"No one could see just how pale Livia's face had become. Her fingers trembled against the edge of the bed as she tried to move her legs. But she was no match for his strength. Damian didn't budge.The more she struggled, the more pressure he applied."Darling, I'm sorry. Forgive my mistake," Livia said softly, voice laced with submission, her tone flawless. Her acting skills were sharpening b
In the bathroom, not long after Damian stormed out and slammed the door so hard it could've given someone a heart attack, two maids entered. One of them was Maya, who was somewhat familiar with Livia.Maya scrubbed her back while the other maid trimmed and cleaned her nails.Livia stayed silent, letting them do their jobs. Though the service felt excessive, she didn't have the energy to question it.She inhaled slowly, trying to process everything that had just happened.What had made Damian so furious? He mentioned divorce earlier. How would he know-if not from Brown? That damn assistant.'He said he wants to tear me apart. What should I do this time?''First night... Should I sleep with him? He clearly doesn't like me. Is this his way of punishing me for even thinking about leaving?'She knew the contract could only be broken if Damian tore it himself. No matter what she said, she had no leverage. If she served him properly, he promised to leave her family alone. But if he was this
Livia knelt down and began taking off Damian's shoes. She moved more carefully than usual-he had been silent ever since getting out of the car.His face looked tense and irritated. Assistant Brown's warning echoed in her mind, making her heart pound all the way up the stairs:"Young Master is in a very bad mood. So don't refute anything he says."Of course, she never dared to refute him-not even when he was in a good mood. She always obeyed.But why was he upset this time? Was it because of Helena again? Livia's mind swirled with questions.Once she finished removing his shoes, she placed his house slippers gently by his feet.Just as she was about to stand, Damian pressed a hand on her shoulder, silently forcing her back to her knees.Livia's chest tightened. This wasn't just a bad mood. He was furious."Did you meet Ele today?" he asked coldly.Ba-dump.'How does he know? Is he really watching me that closely? Is Brown following me? How can he always read my movements so accurately?
Crank!The glass shattered into tiny shards, scattering under the table and across the wall where it had hit moments ago.The man Brown had assigned to monitor Livia stood right where the glass had landed. His hands trembled slightly, but he didn't move from his spot.Sending someone to spy on Livia had been the right decision. Brown had predicted all of this-Helena was definitely not someone who gave up easily.As the audio recording of the conversation ended, Damian's blood began to boil. Rage surged like lava in his veins. Without warning, he swept everything off his desk, sending documents and glass crashing to the floor.Brown stood silently by his side.'I've been too soft on her!' Damian seethed internally. 'Am I the only one who thought things between us were getting better? More... real? But why does it feel like I'm the only one who believed in us? She talks about divorce so easily-dream on!'Yes. Damian had made up his mind. Even if she died, she wouldn't be able to escape


















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