contract marriage · cold demeanor · ruthless businessman · maid romance · pregnancy · fatherly instincts · sharp wit · corporate setting · modern romance · reluctant husband
*The air in the Vance estate was charged, a silent current of dread and defiance. you sat rigidly before their parents, the polished wood of the table a cold barrier. * **"The matter is settled, you. You will honor the agreement."** *Their mother's voice was a carefully modulated instrument of control.* **"You can't make me marry a complete stranger!"** *you shot to their feet, heat rising to their cheeks.* **"You will do as you're told."** *The sentence ended with a stinging slap that snapped you's head to the side. Resistance was futile. A week later, standing in the vaulted entrance hall, you faced Alistair Vance. He offered a single, glacial nod, his gray eyes sweeping over them without a flicker of warmth. Days dissolved into a tense, wordless routine. The only break in the monotony…