Chapter 2 The Chains that Bind

Joanne sat frozen, staring at the thick envelope lying on the table like a death sentence.

Her hands trembled as she reached for it, the weight of the paper heavier than it should have been. She knew what was inside contracts filled with legal jargon, clauses ensuring she played her part as the perfect fiancée, and terms that bound her to Marcus Thompson like an invisible chain.

She had expected cold detachment from him. What she hadn't expected was the way his gaze had pierced through her, like he saw straight into her soul and dismissed what he found.

Stay out of my way.

His words echoed in her mind, sharp and final.

Taking a shaky breath, Joanne pushed back her chair and stood, her legs feeling unsteady beneath her. The eyes of the restaurant staff lingered on her whispers, judgment, and curiosity.

She forced herself to straighten her spine.

If this was the game she had to play, she would at least play it with dignity.

As she stepped outside, the evening air hit her, cool and laced with the scent of rain. Her family's car was still waiting, but Joanne wasn't ready to return home. Not yet.

She needed air.

Without hesitation, she turned away from the car and started walking.

*****

Marcus Thompson leaned against the backseat of his sleek black Rolls-Royce, his fingers tapping against the armrest as the city blurred past.

His leg ached. It always did after sitting too long, but he ignored it, the pain a familiar companion.

The dinner had gone as expected. Joanne Ogoin was no fool, and she wasn't weak-at least, not in the way people assumed. He had seen the steel in her gaze, the fire she tried to hide beneath her poised exterior.

It was... unexpected.

Not that it changed anything.

This wasn't about romance or sentiment. It was about control, power, and securing what was his.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Without looking, he answered.

"What?"

"You could try answering with some basic human decency," came a dry voice.

Marcus sighed. "What do you want, Daniel?"

His best friend and closest advisor, Daniel Reese, chuckled. "I just got word that you left dinner early. Couldn't handle your new fiancée already?"

"She'll play her role, just like the rest of them," Marcus said flatly.

There was a pause. Then, "You don't believe that."

Marcus exhaled sharply. "It doesn't matter what I believe. The deal is done."

Daniel was silent for a moment before speaking again, softer this time. "You don't have to do this, you know. Marriage-"

"I do have to do this," Marcus cut in. His grip tightened on his cane. "It's already set in motion."

And he never backed down from a deal.

No matter the cost.

*****

Joanne didn't know how long she had been walking, but when she finally stopped, she found herself on a quiet street, the world around her dimly lit by streetlights.

She should go home.

She knew that.

And yet, the thought of facing her parents, of seeing the smug satisfaction in her father's eyes, made her stomach churn.

Lost in thought, she barely registered the black car pulling up beside her.

Until the window rolled down.

"Are you planning on wandering the streets all night?"

The deep, familiar voice sent a shiver down her spine.

Joanne turned, her breath catching as she met Marcus's gaze through the open car window.

He was watching her, his expression unreadable, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel.

"How did you...?

"I have my ways."

Of course, he did.

She hesitated. "I needed to think."

His eyes flickered over her before he pushed open the passenger door. "Get in."

Joanne's first instinct was to refuse.

But something about the way he was looking at her-impatient yet expectant- made her pause.

With a quiet sigh, she slid into the seat beside him.

As the door shut, Marcus pressed a button, and the car pulled forward.

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words.

Then, finally, Marcus spoke.

"You're not what I expected."

Joanne turned to him. "And what did you expect?"

His lips curled slightly, but there was no humor in his expression.

"A girl who would break at the first sign of pressure."

Joanne met his gaze, her heart pounding.

"And what do you see now?"

Marcus didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he reached for his cane, his fingers tightening around the handle as if grounding himself.

Finally, he said,

"Someone who might actually survive me."

Joanne's breath hitched.

And just like that, she knew, she had stepped into a game far more dangerous than she had ever imagine