Chapter 1
“Everything has a price. Even me.”
Ava Foster’s hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the thin, fraying strap of her dress in the mirror, the reflection staring back at her revealing a mix of vulnerability and determination. The fabric was cheap and worn, its once vibrant color now faded to a dull shade that barely held together the fragile image she was trying to project. It clung to her in all the wrong places, the uncomfortable fit accentuating her self-consciousness, while the faint scent of last night’s tears still lingered in her hair like a ghost of her shattered emotions.
She hated this dress. Hated how it made her feel exposed, as if every secret she held deep within her was about to be revealed to the world. But there was no other option — no one else would help her escape the crushing weight of her circumstances.
With each step, her heels pinched mercilessly, a persistent reminder of her precarious situation, each blister forming a painful yet necessary layer of resolve she swallowed with determination. The city buzzed around her like a storm of glass and steel, towering buildings reaching for the sky, their sleek facades reflecting the early morning sun. To everyone else, this world appeared glittering and untouchable — a realm of dreams and possibilities — but for Ava, it was a cage she’d willingly stepped into, driven by desperation, because the alternative was far darker and more unbearable.
At the front desk of the Knight Corporation, the receptionist sat in her polished chair, barely looking up from her computer screen. Her perfectly manicured nails clicked rhythmically against her keyboard, the sound almost mocking Ava’s presence, as if it could somehow erase the desperation that filled the air.
“Name?” the receptionist asked, her voice cold, monotone, and practiced like a well-rehearsed script.
“Ava Foster,” she whispered, almost afraid the words would shatter the quiet room like fragile glass.
The woman’s eyes flicked over her quickly — scanning the thrift-store dress, the worn heels, and the way Ava tried to stand taller than the years of fear etched into her posture.
“Mr. Knight doesn’t see unexpected visitors,” she said, her voice clipped and devoid of empathy.
“He’s expecting me. Please.” Ava’s voice was firmer now, a surge of defiance pushing against the weight of her anxiety.
The receptionist hesitated for the briefest moment, her gaze finally locking onto Ava’s. Then, with a begrudging sigh, she pressed a button on the phone. “Send her up,” she instructed, her eyes never meeting Ava’s.
The elevator ride felt agonizingly slow. Each ding echoed inside Ava’s chest like a countdown, the anticipation coiling tighter around her heart. She pressed her forehead against the cold metal interior, inhaling deeply, trying to steady the swirl of panic and hope that threatened to overwhelm her.
What would Alexander Knight want with her? The question turned over in her mind like an unwelcome visitor.
When the doors slid open, the silence was suffocating, the air thick with an oppressive weight. The penthouse office was vast and sterile — a fortress of glass and steel overlooking the sprawling city that had contributed to his untouchable reputation.
Alexander Knight sat behind a desk as massive as his reputation itself. His sharp jawline was shadowed with dark stubble, and his piercing eyes, cold and assessing, locked onto her with an intensity that left her breathless. The sleek lines of his tailored suit only served to enhance the air of authority he exuded.
He didn’t rise. He didn’t speak. He simply watched her with an unsettling calm.
“You’re late,” his voice broke the silence, smooth but laced with an underlying steel that sent a ripple of unease through her.
Ava’s throat tightened with dread. “I… I got here as fast as I could,” she managed to reply, her voice wavering.
“No excuses.” He rose from his chair, and the room seemed to shrink under his imposing presence. “Do you understand what you’ve agreed to, Miss Foster?”
The question struck her harder than she anticipated, each word a sharp reminder of the reality she was about to embrace.
“I… understand enough,” she stammered, her resolve faltering as she met his unyielding gaze.
“Enough?” His lips twitched, a flicker of disdain crossing his features — almost a sneer. “You understand nothing.”
He circled around her slowly, the scent of his expensive cologne filling the air, so powerful and suffocating it made her stomach twist.
“This isn’t salvation. This is a transaction. You think I’ll save you? Fix your problems? I won’t.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low, menacing whisper.
Ava swallowed hard, her pride already evaporated in the face of desperation.
“You’re here because I need a wife. A name on a piece of paper. A woman to fill the role. To smile when I say. To obey without question. In return, I clear your debts.” His words were blunt, devoid of compassion, yet they held the promise of a way out.
Her hands clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms as she fought against the tears that threatened to spill.
“I’ll do what you need,” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
“You’ll do what I demand.” His tone left no room for misinterpretation.
Her voice cracked, revealing the vulnerability beneath her bravado. “Fine.”
For a moment, something flickered in his eyes — surprise? Disgust? Boredom? It was impossible to tell, but it left a thorn of uncertainty in her chest.
Then, as though a curtain had fallen, ice settled over his features again.
“This is not a fairy tale. I won’t love you. I won’t want you. I won’t care what happens to you.”
She already knew that truth — it loomed over her like a shadow.
He offered safety. Not kindness. And as the cold air bit at her skin upon leaving his office, she felt a fire ignite within her — fierce and unyielding — one she wasn’t sure could ever be extinguished.
