Chapter 2 – The Rules of a Loveless Marriage
248 Kata
Two weeks.
That was all the time I had to transform myself from a desperate daughter into the wife of one of the coldest men in the city.
Lucien didn’t speak much after the contract was signed. He didn’t call, didn’t check in, didn’t care. And I… I tried to pretend that I didn’t notice.
But every morning, I’d wake up wondering what kind of man he would be behind closed doors.
Would he touch me like a lover… or control me like a possession?
Would I still be Aveline Rowan, or would I become someone else entirely?
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The morning of our wedding was quiet.
No crowds. No guests. Just a silver ring, a legal vow, and a kiss that never happened.
He didn’t even look at me when he said, “I do.”
And I didn't blame him. We were both here for different reasons. He wanted the merger. I needed the money.
That night, he handed me a piece of paper.
A list.
Rules, it said.
1. No questions about my past.
2. No public displays of affection unless required.
3. No interfering in my work or decisions.
4. We sleep in separate rooms.
5. This marriage ends in one year.
No mention of love.
No mention of feelings.
Just... boundaries.
I stared at the list. Then at him.
“What if I break the rules?” I asked.
He finally looked at me, eyes unreadable.
“Then you’ll learn why people don’t.”
- Penulis
