The smell of burnt coffee clung to Ava's clothes as she slammed her locker shut. Another twelve-hour shift and not a single tip.

Her back ached. Her feet were numb. And still, the worst pain was in her chest.

She pulled out her phone - cracked screen, battery at 4%.

12 missed calls - Mom

1 new message - Dr. Henson:

> "Your brother's condition is getting worse. The hospital needs a payment by Friday, or we'll have no choice but to stop treatment."

Her heart sank. Again.

They needed R120,000. She had R22 to her name and a freezer full of spoiled leftovers.

Ava swallowed hard, blinking back tears. She was tired of crying in stock rooms. Tired of hoping for miracles that never came.

She sat on the cold bench, stared at her phone, and whispered to herself, "God, help me. Please."

That's when a voice interrupted.

"Ms. Leigh?"

She jumped and turned.

A man in a sleek black suit stood by the door. Expensive. Tall. Silent like a shadow.

"Who's asking?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

He stepped forward. "My name is Taylor. Mr. Kane would like a word with you."

She blinked. "Who?"

"Alexander Kane. CEO of Kane Global."

Ava laughed, dry and sharp. "I think you've got the wrong girl. I'm just a waitress."

Taylor didn't smile. He held out a sealed envelope.

"He asked me to give you this. And to tell you that it comes with a million-rand opportunity. But it also comes with a ring."

---

Ava sat on her small couch in her even smaller flat, reading the letter over and over.

She still couldn't believe what it said.

> "You will marry me. One year. In exchange, I'll cover all your brother's medical costs and provide R1 million when the agreement ends.

In return, you will fulfill the role of a wife-publicly, convincingly.

There will be no emotional involvement. No real intimacy.

It's a contract. Nothing more.

If you accept, come to my office by 9 a.m. tomorrow."

No signature. Just a bold, typed name at the bottom: Alexander Kane.

---

Ava couldn't sleep that night.

She stared at the ceiling in the dark, thoughts racing like wild horses.

She didn't know this man. Why her? Why now? What kind of person offers marriage like a business deal?

But then her eyes drifted to the small photo on her nightstand - her brother Noah, smiling through oxygen tubes.

And she knew.

She had no choice.

---

The next morning, she walked into the towering glass building of Kane Global. Security tried to stop her until she showed the letter. Then they escorted her up - top floor, corner office, views of the entire city.

Alexander Kane sat behind a sleek desk, unreadable eyes locked on her.

He looked exactly like the news articles described: tall, dark-haired, cold as stone. But in person, there was something else. Something dangerous. Magnetic.

He didn't stand. He didn't smile. He simply said, "You came."

"I read your letter," Ava replied. "I came for my brother."

Alexander nodded once. "Sit."

She did.

He slid a folder toward her. "This is the contract. Legal. Binding. Everything you need to know is inside."

Ava opened it. Her hands trembled. Medical coverage. Monthly allowance. Strict rules. No falling in love. No touching unless in public. Separate bedrooms. Total privacy outside public events.

She looked up. "This is insane."

"No," he said. "This is clean. You get help. I get a wife to silence the press and satisfy my grandmother. Everyone wins."

Ava stared at him. "Why me?"

Alexander leaned back. "Because you're desperate. Because you have no ties. And because you're not the type to ask questions."

She flushed with both anger and shame. "You don't know me."

"No," he said calmly. "But I've researched you. You've worked three jobs. Paid your brother's bills alone. You don't drink. You don't party. You're clean. Smart. And invisible. You're perfect."

Ava stood. "You're disgusting."

Alexander didn't flinch. "And you're broke."

Silence.

She hated him.

But she hated the cancer in her brother's body more.

---

Later that afternoon, Ava sat at Noah's bedside in the hospital. He was asleep, IV lines in his arms, his face pale but peaceful.

She held his hand and whispered, "I'm going to fix this. I don't know how... but I will."

She pressed a kiss to his knuckles.

Then she pulled out her phone.

And called the number at the bottom of the contract.

"I'll do it," she said quietly.

On the other end, Alexander's voice was calm. "Good. The wedding's Friday."

---

Two days later, Ava stood in a private room at City Hall, wearing a simple white dress provided by Kane's assistant. Her hands shook. Her lips were numb.

Alexander stood beside her in a black suit, cold and unreadable as ever.

There were no guests. No flowers. Just a judge, a pen, and two people with too many secrets.

"Do you, Alexander Kane, take Ava Leigh-"

"I do."

His voice was firm. Empty.

"And do you, Ava Leigh, take Alexander Kane-"

"I do," she whispered.

A flash of cameras. A signature on paper.

Just like that... she was married.

To a man she barely knew.

For a reason she couldn't tell anyone.

And the moment he slipped the ring onto her finger, Ava felt something heavy settle into her chest.

Not fear.

Not regret.

But a quiet, aching goodbye to the life she used to have.

That night, Ava sat on her bed, the lights off, the city buzzing softly through her cracked window. She held the contract in her hands like it might burn her skin.

How had her life come to this?

She had fought so hard to stay afloat. Late-night shifts. Cold meals. Sleepless worry. But now... this?

Marry a stranger? A billionaire with ice in his veins?

She looked at the photo beside her bed-Noah, just last summer, running through the garden with a superhero cape on, giggling. Now he was barely breathing.

"God," she whispered, "what do I do?"

No answer. Only silence and bills.

---

At the hospital the next morning, Dr. Henson's face was serious.

"I don't like pressuring you, Ava," he said gently, "but you need to make a payment. Tomorrow. Or we'll have to transfer him out of ICU."

Transfer him? That was a death sentence.

Ava nodded slowly, holding back tears. "I understand."

She walked out of the building feeling like her heart was made of lead.

---

At 8:59 a.m., she stood in front of the massive glass doors of Kane Global.

By 9:03, she sat in the same chair again across from Alexander Kane.

He looked at her once. "You've made your decision."

She nodded. "I'll do it."

He slid the final contract toward her. "Then sign."

Her fingers trembled as she picked up the pen. The ink felt heavier than it should. But she signed it.

"Good," he said. "The wedding is Friday. You'll receive a wardrobe package and instructions today."

That was it.

No warmth. No thank you. No fake charm.

Just a deal. Like any other transaction.

Except it wasn't.

It was her life.

---

Friday came fast.

Too fast.

Ava stood in a white dress in a small private City Hall room. There were no flowers. No guests. Just a table, a judge, and the man who now controlled her fate.

Alexander Kane stood beside her like a statue. Perfectly dressed. Perfectly silent.

He didn't even look at her.

The judge cleared his throat.

"Do you, Alexander Kane, take Ava Leigh-"

"I do," he interrupted.

"And do you, Ava Leigh, take Alexander Kane-"

"I do," she whispered.

The ring was cold on her finger. A flash of cameras. A short signature.

That was it.

They were married.

And as they walked out of that cold room, Ava couldn't help but think:

What have I just done?