The Ice-Hearted Groom

Chapter One — A Marriage Signed in Silence The ink on the marriage contract hadn’t dried, and yet, Ariana Cole already knew she had made the biggest mistake of her life. Not because she married a stranger. Not even because that stranger was billionaire CEO Zayden Knight—New York’s most feared and untouchable man. But because as she stood there, in a designer dress she didn’t choose, beside a groom who hadn’t once looked at her, she realized something far worse: He hated her. The ceremony had lasted only twelve minutes. No vows, no kiss, no warmth. Now, in the dim silence of the Knight family’s private library—where Zayden had retreated immediately after the wedding—Ariana stood across from him, waiting for him to say something. Anything. He didn’t. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, eyes focused on the swirling amber, as if she didn’t exist. “You can sit,” he said finally, without glancing at her. “I’d rather stand.” “Suit yourself.” He took a slow sip, then set the glass down with a sharp clink. “Let’s make one thing clear from the start: this marriage is nothing more than a transaction. You stay out of my way, keep your last name, and smile when the cameras flash. In return, your aunt’s hospital bills are covered. No strings. No love. No expectations.” Ariana’s stomach twisted. She had agreed to this—to a marriage of convenience, to saving the only family she had left. But nothing could’ve prepared her for the bitterness in his voice. The disgust in his eyes. “You think I’m here for your money,” she said quietly. Zayden finally looked at her. And it was like ice cutting through glass. “I know women like you. Sweet smiles. Tragic stories. Hidden agendas.” “I didn’t ask for this,” she replied, her voice calm, steady. “Your mother came to me.” “You could’ve said no.” “She begged me.” “She manipulates people when she wants something,” he snapped. “And clearly, she wanted a daughter-in-law to play nursemaid while she fades away.” Ariana stepped forward, heart pounding. “Don’t talk about your mother like that.” Zayden stared at her for a long, hard moment. Then he laughed—a hollow, bitter sound. “You really think you’re going to fix me, don’t you? Heal the cold billionaire with nothing but kindness and wide eyes.” “I think,” Ariana said softly, “that your heart isn’t cold. You’re just terrified of anyone getting close enough to feel it beat.” His smile vanished. “Stay out of my personal life, Ariana,” he said, voice low. “You’re here because my mother wants to die believing I’ll be okay. So play the part. Be the obedient wife. And when she’s gone, we go our separate ways.” Ariana didn’t flinch. “And if I don’t play it your way?” He walked toward her, slow and calculated, until he was just inches away. “Then I’ll make this marriage the worst decision of your life.” She met his gaze. “It already is.”