Chapter 2: The First Time I Saw Him
The first time Aria saw Elias Xian, he didn't even look at her.
She was led into a high-rise boardroom at Xian Corp by his assistant, her heels clicking awkwardly against the sleek marble floor. Her palms were damp. Her throat dry. She had no idea what to expect—only that this meeting could change everything.
And then she saw him.
He stood at the window, his back to her, the skyline of the city stretching beyond the glass like a painted canvas. His posture was perfect. Still. Effortlessly powerful.
"Mr. Xian, Miss Aria Chen is here," the assistant said politely.
Elias turned, and her breath caught.
He was younger than she'd imagined—maybe twenty-eight—but carried himself like a man used to being obeyed. Impossibly tall, sharp-jawed, and immaculately dressed in a charcoal suit. His gaze swept over her once, cool and clinical, like he was evaluating a resume, not a person.
"Sit."
Aria obeyed.
He didn't offer a handshake or a smile. Just a manila folder.
"This contains the terms of the agreement," he said. "Marriage duration, financial compensation, exit clauses. Read it."
She flipped through the pages numbly. The words blurred.
Two years. No physical expectations. No emotional involvement. Separate rooms, separate lives. Appearances for the public only. In return: full debt clearance and a monthly stipend wired to her family.
He said it like he was ordering office supplies. Efficient. Emotionless.
"You don't have to agree," he said, watching her face without a flicker of emotion. "But your father is drowning. And this is the only life raft he has."
She flinched. "So you're doing this out of… charity?"
He gave a short laugh. "I don't do charity, Miss Chen. I need a wife to satisfy legal and corporate obligations. I don't want drama, scandals, or women chasing my name. I want quiet. Predictability. You were recommended as someone who won't cause trouble."
Someone who won't cause trouble.
Aria's fingers tightened around the folder. "Do I get to ask why you don't want a real marriage?"
"No," he said. "Because it's none of your concern."
Her jaw clenched, but she nodded. She had no leverage here. Just a broken family and a contract that tasted like betrayal.
After a pause, she asked, "Will we speak to each other? Outside of… appearances?"
He shrugged. "When necessary."
"And after two years?"
"You walk away with your freedom and a quiet fortune. Everyone gets what they want."
Except her.
But maybe that didn't matter anymore.
She stood. "I'll sign."
Finally, his gaze met hers—and for just a moment, something flickered there. Surprise? Pity? Interest?
Whatever it was, it disappeared too fast to name.
"Good," he said. "We'll begin the arrangements."
As Aria left the room, her hands trembling around the contract, she didn't look back.
Neither did he.