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He needed a wife to unlock his billions. She needed a way out. Neither expected to crave the very thing they both swore they didn't believe in-love. When struggling artist Paige is offered a cold, ruthless deal by billionaire heir Anderson White-marry him for one year in exchange for enough money to save her dying sister-she signs without hesitation. No emotions. No attachments. No questions. But nothing about Anderson is simple. He's arrogant, possessive, and dangerously magnetic. And when Paige steps into his world of designer lies and elite betrayals, she realizes she's not just his wife on paper-she's a pawn in a much bigger game. As desire turns into obsession and secrets unravel, Paige discovers a shocking truth: She's not the only one in this marriage with something to hide. And falling for her husband Might just cost her everything. A contract sealed with ink. A love written in fire. He owns the empire- But she might just own his heart... if it doesn't destroy them first.
Chapter 1 The Price for Breath
Paige-
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, harsh and unfeeling, casting cold shadows on the hospital walls.
It smelled like antiseptic and heartbreak-familiar now, like the perfume of grief clinging to my skin.
I sat on the edge of the plastic chair beside my sister's hospital bed, my hands balled into fists, knuckles white.
Machines beeped in rhythms i no longer feared but had come to resent.
They measured time-not in hours or minutes, but in how long my sister, Ava, still had left.
Ava lay there, pale as porcelain, her chest rising in fragile, uneven gasps.
Tubes tied from her arms, her nose, her ribs. The girl who used to dance barefoot in the rain now couldn't sit up without coughing blood.
"Paige?" came a soft voice behind her. It was Dr. Stephen, expression drawn, voice too gentle. I hated that tone. The one they used when preparing to destroy you kindly.
I stood, eyes wild. "Don't say it. Please, don't say it."
Dr. Stephen sighed. "The infection is spreading faster than we anticipated. The last round of treatment isn't working."
My stomach dropped.
"No-no, there has to be something else.
What about the experimental program in Chicago? You said she might be eligible-"
"She is. But it's not covered by Medicaid. And we're out of time." He hesitated. "The procedure alone costs six hundred thousand."
Six hundred thousand.
My lungs clenched. "Can't you just-start? I'll pay it in installments, I'll-"
"Paige." His voice was final. "We can't begin without payment up front."
I wanted to scream. Rip the machines from the wall. Smash through every wall and policy keeping Ava one heartbeat from the grave.
But I couldn't even afford rent Anymore. I worked two jobs, had sold everything of value-paintings, jewelry, dignity. All for hospital bills that barely made a dent.
Dr. Stephen left her in silence.
I sat back down as I held the tears back in place so Ava wouldn't see them fall, heart thundering, palms trembling.
My throat burned, eyes stinging with the tears I refused to let fall. Ava stirred faintly, her fingers twitching.
"P?" Her voice was a breath. "Did I miss your birthday?"
I choked out a sound-half laugh, half sob. "No. You'll be there next month to ruin the cake like always."
Ava smiled weakly. "Tell the truth... I'm not gonna make it, am I?"
I gripped my sister's hand hard. "Don't say that. Don't you dare."
Ava's eyes fluttered closed, but not before she whispered, "You've done enough. Just... let me go, if it gets too hard."
"No," i said fiercely. "I can't let you go." you're all I have and I never let anyone go.
But i was lying.
Because I had already lost our parents. i had already given up college. My art. My life. And now, my little sister was slipping from me grasp-quietly, painfully, and there was nothing left to give.
Unless...
My phone buzzed. A new message.
Unknown Number: Stop fighting this and think about what I offered..I hear you need a miracle. Come to the address below at 9PM. Ask for A.White. He doesn't do favors, but he pays for loyalty. And desperation.
My heart thudded.
Anderson White
The man known for building empires out of ashes. The billionaire with a soul blacker than his tailored suits. Everyone whispered his name with a mixture of fear and fascination.
But what did he want from me?.
I stared at the message, the weight of Ava's life pressing like a noose around my neck.
My fingers hovered over the screen.
Ava coughed. Hard. The machines beeped erratically, and my head whipped toward her.
Nurses rushed in. My heart pounded against her chest.
"Code blue!" someone shouted.
I was shoved aside as my sister's body began to convulse. Ava!
"No-NO! Ava! Please-"
The doors slammed in my face.
And then... silence
The cold, automated voice over the intercom echoed down the hallway:
"Resuscitation team to ICU. Patient in cardiac arrest
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