His Ruthless Vow

"Miss Bennett, your father's debt has reached three million dollars." Aria Bennett stared at the documents spread across the polished mahogany desk, her fingers tightening around the edge of the chair. Three million. The number echoed in her mind like a death sentence. "There has to be some mistake," she whispered. "My father never stole from anyone." The lawyer adjusted his glasses, his face unreadable. "Whether he stole it or not is no longer the issue. The lawsuit has already destroyed your family's business, your house has been seized, and the creditors are demanding immediate payment." Aria swallowed hard. Only six months ago, she had been worrying about finishing her internship and landing her dream job as an architect. Now she was struggling to pay hospital bills for her sick mother while trying to stop her younger brother from dropping out of university to support the family. Everything had fallen apart. "There must be another way," she pleaded. The lawyer was silent for a moment before sliding a black envelope across the desk. "Mr. Damien Kingston has made you an offer." Aria frowned. She knew that name. Everyone did. Damien Kingston—the billionaire CEO of Kingston Group. The youngest business tycoon in New York. A man feared by rivals and admired by the media. "What kind of offer?" The lawyer looked directly into her eyes. "He wants to marry you." Silence. Aria blinked. "...What?" "It will be a one-year business marriage." She let out a bitter laugh, convinced she had misheard. "A stranger wants to marry me?" "In exchange, he will pay every debt your family owes." Her smile vanished. The room suddenly felt too small. "Why me?" The lawyer slowly stood. "Mr. Kingston said he will answer that himself." Just then, the office door opened. Heavy footsteps echoed across the marble floor. Aria turned. A tall man in a perfectly tailored black suit walked into the room with calm, confident steps. His expression was cold, his jaw sharp, and his dark eyes held no warmth. He stopped in front of her. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then he finally broke the silence. "Miss Bennett..." "You have twenty-four hours to decide." He placed a gold wedding ring on the table. "Marry me..." "...or watch your family lose everything."