LOVE COST HIM BILLIONS

Chapter 1: Sign or Die The pen felt like ice against my skin. “Sign it, Rose. Or I’ll send your father his own fingers in a box.” James Sterling’s voice didn’t shake. It didn’t need to. The man sitting across from me owned half of Manhattan and all the fear in it. I stared at the contract on his glass table. Five million dollars. One year of marriage. My body, my time, my womb if he wanted it. All in exchange for one signature. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Lagos glittered like broken glass. Pretty. Cold. Deadly. Just like him. Thirty days. That’s all the loan sharks gave me before they buried my father in concrete. My phone buzzed again. Unknown number. The same message as yesterday: Debt due in 30 days. Pay or he pays. “I don’t know you,” I whispered. My voice cracked. “Why me?” James stood. Six-foot-three of tailored black suit and controlled rage. He walked around the table until his shadow swallowed me. He smelled like expensive whiskey and winter. “You don’t need to know me,” he said. He tilted my chin up with one finger. His gray eyes had no warmth. Only orders. “You need to obey me. My grandfather died 3 weeks ago. His will is clear: marry and give him an heir in 12 months, or Sterling Group goes to my cousin. A man who hates me.” His thumb brushed my lower lip. I flinched. “You’re broke. Desperate. No family to fight for you. Perfect,” he continued. “I lost an heir when my fiancée ran. I need a wife. You need money. Sign, Rose.” Tears burned my eyes. I’m a teacher. I teach kids how to read, not how to sell their souls. But the photo on my phone was clear. Dad, tied to a chair, blood on his mouth. “Five million won’t even cover half his debt,” I said, clutching the pen. James leaned down. His breath hit my ear. “Five million buys you time. My name buys you safety. No one touches what’s mine.” Mine. The word hit harder than the threat. My hand trembled. I thought of Dad’s laugh. Of the way he taught me to ride a bike. Of the sharks coming for him in 30 days. I signed. Rose Bennett. The last time I wrote my name, it meant freedom. Now it meant I belonged to James Sterling. He took the contract, scanned my signature, and smiled. It wasn’t kind. “Good girl,” he murmured. Then he pulled me up by my wrist. “Pack nothing. You move into my penthouse tonight. The board meeting is in 48 hours. You’ll play the grieving granddaughter-in-law perfectly, or I let the sharks have him.” He dragged me toward the elevator. I stumbled in heels I couldn’t afford. “Wait,” I choked out. “What about love?” James stopped. He turned, and for one second, something dark flashed in his eyes. Regret? Pain? Then it was gone. “Love cost me billions once, Rose,” he said coldly. “Never again. This is business. Don’t forget it.” The elevator doors closed. My old life ended. I was Mrs. Sterling now. Owned. Trapped. And the man holding my leash looked at me like I was the enemy. The elevator climbed in complete silence. Each passing floor felt like another nail sealing the coffin of my old life. I stood with my arms wrapped around myself, refusing to look at the man beside me. James Sterling hadn't said another word since the doors closed. His expression remained unreadable, as though forcing a stranger into marriage was no more complicated than signing another business deal. Then his phone rang. He answered without hesitation. "Speak." A deep voice crackled through the speaker. "Sir, the board members are demanding proof before tomorrow's emergency meeting. They're saying the marriage could be fake." James's jaw tightened. "It won't be." "And your cousin, Victor... he has already gathered enough shareholders to challenge your position." "I'll handle Victor." The call ended. For the first time, I noticed something hidden beneath his calm exterior. Pressure. No... fear. Not fear of losing money. Fear of losing everything. The elevator doors slid open onto the private penthouse. I had never seen anything so beautiful. Marble floors stretched beneath crystal chandeliers. A grand piano overlooked the city skyline, while paintings worth more than my lifetime salary decorated the walls. It didn't feel like a home. It felt like a museum where no one was allowed to breathe. James walked ahead without looking back. "This is your new residence." I didn't move. "What if I refuse?" He stopped. Slowly, he turned toward me. "You signed." "I signed because you threatened my father." His eyes hardened. "I gave you a choice." "No," I snapped, anger finally breaking through my fear. "You gave me a prison with expensive furniture." The room fell silent. For a heartbeat, neither of us spoke. Then, unexpectedly... James smiled. Not the cold smile from his office. This one carried the faintest trace of amusement. "Good." I frowned. "I was beginning to think you'd cry every time I looked at you." Before I could answer, an elegant woman wearing a maid's uniform hurried into the living room. "Welcome home, Madam Sterling." The title made my stomach twist. The woman handed James a black envelope sealed with silver wax. His expression changed the moment he opened it. The color drained from his face. "What is it?" I asked. He ignored me. His fingers slowly crushed the paper. A single photograph slipped onto the marble floor. I bent down before he could stop me. The moment I saw it... My blood froze. It was my father. Still tied to the chair. Only this time... Someone had placed a gun against his head. Across the photograph, written in thick red ink, were six terrifying words. YOU MARRIED THE WRONG BILLIONAIRE. A loud crash echoed through the penthouse. Every light went out. Darkness swallowed the room. Then... A gunshot exploded somewhere inside the apartment. I screamed. Strong arms grabbed me from behind. A voice whispered against my ear. "Don't make a sound... they're already inside." And it wasn't James's voice.