Heavy Makeout

"Dad, Mom, I've decided—I'll go through with the marriage arrangement with the Kingston family. I'll be back by the end of the month." Daphne Wharton made the decision in the middle of a camping trip with Luke Hardy. She curled into herself, pulling her scarf higher against the chill. For a moment, there was only silence on the other end of the line. Then, her mother's voice came through, thick with tears. "Daphne, we know this isn't fair to you. Our company is struggling, and the Kingston family is willing to help—but only if you marry their son. We've failed you as parents…" Her father let out a heavy sigh beside her mother. Daphne listened, her gaze unfocused. A faint, bitter smile tugged at her lips. "It's okay, Mom, Dad. This is what I should do. I'll be back in fifteen days—when their son returns to the country."

"Be my wife for 365 days, and your father's debt will vanish, a burden lifted from your family. Be Mrs. Urquio for one year, and your brother will be free." The words hung heavy in the air, a proposition both cruel and strangely alluring. Manuela Iriz Ibañez, her heart already given to another, found herself drawn into the dangerous orbit of Uno Juaquin Urquio, a powerful and enigmatic mafia boss. Could a marriage forged in necessity blossom into something unexpected, a tender flame ignited in the heart of darkness? Their year-long contract, a fragile truce between duty and desire, would be tested by relentless trials. Yet, amidst the shadows and uncertainty, a fragile hope flickered – the possibility of a love story defying all odds, a love born not of choice but of a desperate, breathtaking gamble.