Contract Marriage To The Cold Billionaire

Elina Hart woke up to the sound of her alarm screaming as if it were angry at her existence. 6:03 AM. She groaned, pressing her face deeper into the thin pillow as sunlight leaked through the cracked curtain of her small apartment. The room was too quiet except for the distant hum of traffic outside and the weak buzzing of a ceiling fan that had clearly given up trying. For a few seconds, she didn’t move. Then reality returned. Bills. School. Work. Debt. Elina sat up slowly, pushing messy hair from her face. Her eyes flicked to the corner of the room where a stack of unopened envelopes sat like a silent threat. She already knew what they were without looking. She didn’t open them. She already knew the contents too well. “Later,” she whispered to herself, like it was a promise she might actually keep this time. Her phone buzzed. MAYA: Girl, don’t forget class today. And eat something. You look like a haunted ghost. Elina stared at the message for a second, then let out a small breath that almost sounded like a laugh. “Haunted ghost,” she repeated under her breath. Not wrong. She swung her legs off the bed and stood, immediately feeling the cold floor against her feet. The apartment was small—too small—but it was hers. That mattered. At least that’s what she kept telling herself. The tap water ran weakly as Elina washed her face. The mirror above the sink reflected someone who looked like she was surviving more than living. Dark circles and tired eyes. A face that had learned not to expect kindness from the world. She stared at herself for a moment longer than necessary. “You’re fine,” she said quietly. A pause. “…You’re fine.” Lies always sounded more convincing the second time. She turned away. Her routine was simple: change into clean clothes, pack notes, ignore the growing stack of problems. She put on a plain shirt and pale jeans, tied her hair back in a ponytail, and grabbed her worn-out backpack. The zipper stuck halfway. Of course, it did. “Not today,” she muttered, tugging harder. It finally gave way. She looked into the mirror again, and what she saw was a very pretty girl with red cherry lips, a pointed nose, and striking curves. She smiled at her own reflection before walking out of the room. OUTSIDE — CITY LIFE The city was already awake when she stepped outside. Cars honked. Vendors shouted. People rushed like they were all late for something important. Elina blended into it perfectly. No one looked at her twice. She preferred it that way. As she walked toward the bus stop, her phone buzzed again. Unknown number. She hesitated. Then it answered. “Hello?” Silence. Then a voice—calm, controlled, unfamiliar. “Miss Elina Hart.” Her steps slowed. “Yes?” A pause. “You are requested to attend a meeting today at Kingsley Tower.” She frowned. “I think you have the wrong person.” “No,” the voice replied instantly. “We don’t.” Click. The line went dead. Elina stared at her phone. Kingsley Tower. She had heard of it. Everyone had. The tallest building in the city. Glass-like steel. Security like silence. A place where normal people didn’t just walk in. And she had definitely never been invited there. “… Spam call?” she muttered. “Or is it for a job offer?” she laughed. She was just a student. What connection does she have with that kind of company?… UNIVERSITY By the time she reached campus, the strange call had already settled at the back of her mind, buried under lectures and deadlines. Maya was waiting for her under a tree, waving dramatically. “There she is! The queen of sleep deprivation!” Elina rolled her eyes. “I slept fine.” Maya gave her a look. “You call three hours' sleep fine?” “It was quality sleep.” Maya laughed. “Girl, how do you have that kind of energy to work for almost 9 hours!” She sighed.” I don’t know either.” They walked together toward class, Maya talking about random gossip, professors, assignments, and campus heartthrobs. But Elina’s mind kept drifting. Kingsley Tower. The certainty. Like she was already chosen for something she didn’t understand. LATER THAT DAY Class ended slowly. Too slowly. Elina packed her bag while students flooded out of the room. Maya left first, promising to meet her later. Elina stayed behind a moment longer. Alone now. That’s when her phone buzzed again. Same unknown number. This time, a message appeared. “You have been selected. Kingsley Tower. 3:00 PM. Do not be late.” Her stomach tightened. Selected. Not invited. A cold feeling crawled up her spine. She stared at the message for a long time. Then whispered, “Selected for what?” KINGSLEY TOWER — 2:58 PM Elina shouldn’t have come. That thought repeated in her head as she stood in front of the building. It was very enormous in person. Massive. Everything about it screamed luxury. Glass stretching upward like it wanted to scrape the sky. Everything about it screamed wealth, control, and power. Security guards didn’t even look surprised when she approached. That was worse. They expected her. One of them stepped aside. “Miss Hart,” he said calmly. “This way.” Her heart beat faster. “I didn’t confirm—” “This way.” No room for argument. She followed. THE ELEVATOR The elevator had no buttons. No visible floor numbers. Just a smooth panel that responded to her presence alone. Elina swallowed. “This is insane,” she whispered. The doors closed. And it rose. Silence filled the space. Too quiet. Her reflection on the mirrored walls looked smaller than usual. Like she was being watched. The elevator slowed. Stopped. Ding!!! 80TH FLOOR The doors opened. And everything changed. Cold air. Black marble. A skyline that looked like it belonged to another world. And at the far end of the room— A man stood with his back to her. Tall. Even from his back he was domineering. Still. Like he owned silence itself. Elina stepped out slowly. Her voice came out before she could stop it. “Who are you?” The man didn’t turn immediately. Instead, he spoke first. “You’re late.” Her brows furrowed. “Excuse me?” Only then did he turn. And Elina forgot how to breathe properly. Sebastian Kingsley. Everyone knew the name. Even people like her. Billionaire CEO. Handsome. Ruthless and domineering. Cold enough to make headlines feel warm. His cold blue sea eyes landed on her like she was already part of a calculation. “You’re Elina Hart,” he said. It wasn’t a question. “Yes,” she replied carefully. “And you are—” “You don’t need introductions.” That silenced her instantly. He walked toward her with a slow and measured pace. Each step was deliberate, as if time obeyed him. Elina didn’t move back. She refused to move back. He noticed. Of course, he did. “You don’t look like someone who ignores instructions,” he said. “I don’t remember receiving any.” A faint pause. Almost… amusement. Then— “You were instructed to come here.” “I wasn’t.” Adrian stopped in front of her. Close enough that she had to tilt her head slightly to meet his gaze. Too close. “You will be compensated,” he said. “For what exactly?” Then the words fell like a blade. “Marriage.” Silence. Elina blinked once. Then laughed. One sharp, disbelieving sound. “I think I heard you wrong.” Adrian didn’t react. That was the worst part. “You didn’t.” Her laughter faded. “… Marriage?” “Contractual,” he clarified. Elina took a step back this time. Finally. “What kind of person asks a stranger if it’s a business deal?” His eyes didn’t leave hers. “The kind who doesn’t waste time.” Something inside her snapped. “I don’t even know you.” “You don’t need to.” “That’s insane.” “Efficient.” Elina stared at him. The certainty. The complete lack of hesitation. And suddenly, anger rose in her chest. “You think everything can be bought?” “You think marriage is child’s play?” A pause. Then Sebastian said quietly: “Perhaps.” That answer hit harder than anything else. Elina’s fists tightened. “Then buy someone else.” For the first time, something shifted in his expression. Not emotion. Interest. “You’re not suitable for a replacement.” That made her freeze. “…What?” Adrian turned slightly, walking back to the table. He picked up a file. And placed it in front of her. Her name was already printed on it. Her full name. Like she had already agreed. “How do you know my name?” she asked sharply. “You exist in systems I control,” he said simply. Her stomach dropped. “That’s not an answer.” “It’s the only one you need.” Silence stretched. Then Sebastian added: “Read it.” She didn’t move. He looked at her again. And for the first time, his voice lowered slightly. “If you walk away now,” he said, “your father loses everything, including your sick little brother.” Elina froze completely. Her breath caught. “… What did you say?” Adrian’s gaze didn’t change. “Sit down.” Her heart started beating faster. “Are you threatening me?” “No.” A pause. “That would imply choice.” The room suddenly felt smaller. He pushed a pen closer to the contract. “One year,” he said. “You comply. You leave after.” Elina stared at the pen. Then at him. Then, at the contract that somehow already felt like it had been waiting for her all her life. Outside the glass walls, the city seemed to move as if nothing important was happening. But inside that room… Everything was already there. Elina reached for the pen slowly. Her fingers trembled slightly. Adrian didn’t stop her. Didn’t encourage her. Just watched. Like he already knew the ending. The pen touched the paper. Ink started to flow— And just before she finished signing… Sebastian spoke quietly. “You won’t regret this.” A pause. Then, even softer: “Because you won’t be able to leave when it starts to feel real.” Elina stopped. Her hand froze mid-signature. Slowly, she looked up. “… Well, this was not my wish, though. "... "You move in tomorrow," he said calmly. " You can't control me and tell me all this trash all of a sudden," she retorted. He stopped, "Oh, we'll see about that." Then he turned.....