JADE

I had no idea how it happened, but I was sitting in the back of Roman's luxury car while it sped through the wet road. I shifted to the edge of the seat, afraid my wet clothes would stain the leather.

"Sit properly." His voice cut through the silence of the car like a command. I turned to him slightly, and he didn't even once glance at me, his eyes firm on the road.

Even from a seat away, his presence felt overwhelming, and I felt like a stranger beside him.

The questions were bubbling in my chest. I wanted to ask him: after only one meeting, why did you choose me?

As much as I hated to admit it, Naomi was far more polished in navigating high society's tedious rituals than I could ever be.

After my adoptive father passed away, my mother, Meredith, had fallen gravely ill. Our already struggling household had only gotten worse. I'd learned to fight for survival early-scraping together tuition for myself and my brother. I'd spent years learning the habits that kept me alive, only to find out they were exactly what the upper class looked down on.

I could never be a suitable wife for Roman Volkov. That's impossible.

"Don't get sick; you are no use to me in a hospital bed."

I turned to him slightly; I knew those words weren't out of concern. I was here as a prisoner, having just escaped one. I closed my eyes and cursed my miserable fate. But I also knew I didn't have a choice.

Compared to the disasters Victoria had lined up for me-the men who would have destroyed me piece by piece-Roman was the better option by far.

The house was finally in view; it was nothing short of a palace, a true abode for someone of the Volkov status. Maids roamed the floor as we approached, and once they saw our car, they all stood at attention.

The moment the car stopped, a butler appeared with an umbrella and opened my door. No one questioned who I was. No one stared. As soon as we stepped inside, Roman handed me over to one of the maids and left us alone without a word.

"I am Ana," she said with a slight head bow.

"You can call me Jade." I tried to copy her actions, but she stopped me and shook her head. I gulped, confused as to what was going on.

"This way," she pointed towards the hallway that Roman had disappeared into. I walked behind her with my head down; my dress was dry now, but I was still so cold.

The halls were filled with expensive-looking things, artworks, statues and paintings, but it felt like there was no soul here. Everything just felt like a decorative piece thrown together for the sake of it.

She stopped in front of a huge double door. I cowered back at the sight. I had always been in awe of the wealth of the Sterlings, but this felt so very different – like another world.

"This is your room," she announced as she pushed the door open. The room was perfectly done, almost as if he had already prepared for my arrival.

Clothes, shoes, bags, and high-end jewellery lined every corner of the closet, while the room had a soft feel. Very different from everything in the hall.

"You can get dried and changed; the master would see you in his study. " Ana took a step back and assessed me. "Left hallway, two doors by your right."

I was left alone in the room that felt more like a cell than a home. It had been a long time since anywhere felt like home.

*

Roman was behind a huge table with a floor-length window behind him. Thick grey curtains hung from the ceiling and swept the ground. He puffed out a cloud of smoke, and I held my breath to stop myself from inhaling it.

"Come in," he said when I lingered by the door.

I had pulled my hair into a punishingly tight bun and was now in the least flashy thing I could get from the closet. I walked to him, trying not to look at him.

He was undeniably handsome-the kind of beauty that felt dangerous. His jaw looked sculpted from marble, his nose perfectly straight, his presence absolute.

"We are getting married," he announced, as if I had not heard this before.

"Why?"

The question came out before I could stop it. I understood the mechanics of a business arrangement well enough, but I was done being a puppet for the Sterlings. Roman was the variable they hadn't planned for-and I intended to use that.

He stared at me, jaw ticking. A man in his position wasn't accustomed to being challenged. But I needed him to see that I wasn't a pawn to be pushed around. If he couldn't accept that, then there was nothing left to discuss.

Just when I thought he might have me thrown out, he shifted and put out the cigarette, tossing the butt into the ashtray.

"I need a wife, and you happen to be the best candidate." His eyes ran over my body. "Do I need to explain myself to you?"

He took a folder off the table and stood up, walking over to me. For the first time, I noticed how much taller than me he was. He was towering over me as he handed it over to me.

"Our marriage contract," he said and began to list all of the terms. "There are rumours about me, the kind my family finds... inconvenient. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against those people; I just... don't like being labelled as something I am not."

Inconvenient rumors?

Naomi's words came rushing back-the little tidbits she'd let slip while obsessing over her blind date preparations.

"There's no way Roman is gay. Those rumors are just jealousy-people can't stand how handsome and successful he is. Once I'm his wife, I'll get pregnant right away, and the gossip will die overnight."

I'd rolled my eyes at her fantasy back then. But the way Roman was presenting this now... it made me wonder if there was truth to the rumors after all. Why else would a man like him be so eager to secure a contract wife to cover up a scandal?

I had to bite back a laugh at the way he corrected me-so utterly serious, as if the very suggestion offended him. I took a small step back. He was too tall, too close. His presence filled my lungs and made it impossible to think clearly.

"Let me read the terms carefully," I said, reaching for the folder.

I scanned through the document quickly. To his credit, Roman Volkov was generous-billionaire generous. He offered me nearly everything a Mrs. Volkov was entitled to in terms of wealth and status, while asking for surprisingly little in return: absolute loyalty, public displays of affection when required, and... wifely duties when necessary.

My eyes snagged on that last clause.

"I have a question," I said, raising my hand like a student in a classroom.

"I told you-I'm a man with normal needs," he replied, his tone as casual as if we were discussing the weather. "And I'll need an heir."

Heat crept up my neck and bloomed across my ears. I wanted to argue, but the words lodged in my throat.

"I don't keep mistresses," he continued, unmoved by my discomfort. "So if I want an heir, it will have to come from my wife. And having an heir, naturally, requires-"

I lunged forward and clamped my hand over his mouth before he could finish.

My face was on fire. How could he discuss something so intimate with a woman he'd met only twice, as calmly as if he were reading a grocery list?

His eyes locked onto mine. I felt his breath against my palm, warm and steady. Suddenly, my hand felt hotter than my face. I snatched it back.

"I'm sorry," I stammered. "I just don't think we need to be so... detailed."

One eyebrow rose. He didn't look amused, but he didn't look displeased either.

"I... I can accept that clause," I managed. "Just... could we wait a few years on the heir? I'm not-"

"That's fine." He cut me off with a nod. "Pregnancy is hardest on the mother. I'm willing to respect your wishes on this." A pause. "But don't make me wait too long."

His gaze wasn't heated-not even close-yet I felt my thighs press together involuntarily. Damn it. Why was I reacting this way to a man I'd only met twice?

Even if he was about to become my husband.

I fanned my burning cheeks with my hand and forced myself to keep reading.

Then I reached the final clause: Neither party shall develop romantic feelings for the other. Should this occur, the contract will be terminated.

Relief should have washed over me. Instead, something sank in my chest.

"I don't need love," Roman said, as if reading my expression. "In this marriage, I'll give you everything except that. Wealth. Respect. Status."

"You don't need to explain." I cut him off, afraid that if I hesitated even for a second, I'd lose my nerve. "I'm perfectly fine with this clause."

I forced myself to meet his cold, unreadable eyes.

"I'll be a good wife to you. Loyal. I won't cause you trouble. I'll give you children." I drew a steadying breath. "But I won't love you either. This arrangement is mutually beneficial. All I need from you is-"

"To inject capital into Sterling Group?" He finished my sentence with a knowing nod. "Done. I'm a man of my word."

"No."

The word came out sharper than I intended.

I shook my head. Entering a loveless marriage didn't mean I had to repay those leeches at the Sterling family. From the very beginning, my goal had never been about them.

"My adoptive mother is in the hospital." I held his gaze, even though my heart was trembling. On this point, I would not back down. "I need you to ensure she receives the best care possible."

Roman studied me for a long moment. The silence stretched between us, thick and expectant. Then a ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

He nodded.

"Deal." He extended his hand. "Welcome to the family, Mrs. Volkov."

I placed my hand in his. "Deal, Mr. Volkov."

And just like that, I was set to marry the coldest, most untouchable billionaire in the city.

JADE

We never had a proper wedding ceremony. Roman left the country from the city hall after we had signed the marriage papers due to urgent business.

The only words he spoke to me were. "I will be back," and with that, he disappeared, only sending one-line updates via his secretary.

Being Roman's wife meant the Sterlings couldn't come after me with their usual humiliations and schemes. It no longer felt like the cage I was forced into as soon as I was reunited with the Sterlings.

The quietness of the house was fun for the first few days; however, after that, it felt like a suffocating mess. Mainly because the servants wouldn't allow me to touch anything. They were so on guard around me, like something was going to explode if they let me have my way.

Unlike Naomi, who had grown up with the need to be served, I had an itch that refused to go away. Living with the Saint family meant I had to do my fair share of the chores. The need to be moving, to be doing something, so I didn't feel like a waste.

"The master has instructed us to serve you, madam. " Ana had said one night when I tried to help her with dinner.

"I can serve myself. "I tried to defend myself, but she didn't give in. No matter how I tried, she just dismissed my effort with a polite smile.

That night I began to look into gallery and art illustrator jobs. I knew that Roman's wealth alone was enough to last us all for a lifetime, and the Volkov influence was bigger.

But I knew better than to just rely on his wealth. He might be kind enough now to pay for my mother's hospital bills and provide necessities, but I needed a job to survive in case he decided I was not good enough as a wife for him anymore.

I found one that fit and was ready to go for the interview when I realised that I should have told him. Not because I needed his permission, just so he knew.

"He is your husband after all," I whispered to myself in the mirror.

I had contemplated calling him, but I was not sure of the time difference. So I sent a text, which I read and reread a million times to be sure I sounded right.

I waited all morning for his reply, but it never came. I couldn't tell if he was ignoring me or just busy with work, and I was being paranoid about it.

His reply – which was just an agreement to my intention to search for a job and an offer to help me find suitable places – and the acceptance mail from the gallery came successively.

For the first time in years, I didn't feel like a pretty wall decoration that Victoria had forced me into. I felt alive knowing that I could be useful if I wanted to.

Even though Roman's recommendations were all better places that would be good to have on my portfolio, I knew better than to accept his offer. I just informed him of my win and moved on.

If he had helped me, then it meant I was going to have to owe him more than I should.

I resumed the next day to fill the role of a junior curator at a private art museum. The work was a bit stressful, but after two weeks on the job, I was basically falling into the rhythm of it.

Coming home to a basically empty house made me think of Roman often. We weren't close before he left, but I wondered what it would have been like if we had lived together like normal couples. I would want to send a text to play the role of a dutiful wife.

Every time I opened the chat between us, I was stumped for words. I wanted to be sure he was fine, but I didn't need to reach him to know that. Tabloids and blogs were spreading paparazzi shots of him like some treasure, and he did look fine in them all.

"I guess that is enough to know he is alive and well," I whispered to myself whenever I came across the pictures.

Taking the job made things feel different for me. When I returned to the Sterling house, Victoria had stopped me from working. She was sure that a good marriage was better than the best job out there.

Her words, 'Your contribution to the family would be your marriage and the investment it would bring,' echoed in my mind on a loop like some kind of tape.

My phone rang as I was getting out of work that evening, and as if she knew I had been thinking about her, Victoria called. It was useless to ignore her because she couldn't stop until she got through to me.

"Hello?" My voice was stiff. Hopefully, enough to pass on my displeasure at talking with her.

"I heard you got a job at a private gallery."

I almost asked her how she had gotten to know, but with them, things like this shouldn't shock me anymore.

"I did."

"What a waste," she groaned. "Your primary focus right now should be bearing sons for the Volkov name to solidify your position as the next matriarch. If in a year you can give the Volkov family an heir, I am sure they would double the investment with us."

She was not even trying to hide her intentions from me. I should get pregnant so their family got richer. How selfish of her!

Aside from the fact that I was not just going to jump into bed with Roman. I wanted to scream at her, to tell her that I couldn't produce an heir by myself. Roman had to be present as well.

"Thank you for your kind words. I would keep them in..."

"Don't be foolish, Jade," she cut me off.

I took a deep breath with my eyes closed. More than anything, I wished she would just leave me be.

"Quit that useless, low-class job this Saturday, and begin to take socialite training classes."

"What?"

"I have arranged the same classes that Naomi used to take; all you have to do is show up," she announced.

"I am not going to quit my job."

"Jade, I want to make sure you fit into the society; after all, you grew up poor. You have no idea how things work in high society.

"I don't care about how things work," I shot back at her.

"How else are you going to win the heart of your husband, you foolish girl?" she screamed at me. "I knew it was a mistake allowing you to get married to Roman Volkov. I should have locked you up in a basement."

"If you think you can touch me now, then you might as well come after me," I screamed back.

"You think because you married Roman that you are now untouchable?" I heard the pain in her voice. The pain of not being able to do anything to me.

"I am your mother, and you are going to listen to me or..."

"Argghh!" A scream escaped my mouth, cutting through her words.

I had been so focused on winning the argument against her that I didn't even realise I had stepped into the road, and a motorcycle was coming at me.

I was pulled back in time by a strong pair of arms. One hand on my forearm, and the other around my waist to steady me. I felt my heart ramming against my ribcage as I tried to steady my breathing.

I looked up, and my entire body froze. He was standing there like he had not disappeared on me for a full month.

Roman blinked down at me, his lips slowly opening, his voice raspy as I tried to gather myself.

"Careful, Jade, or you might get hurt."