Chapter 2 A Cage of Silk and Steel

Aria stared at her phone, rereading Mira's message over and over again.

Don't hate me for this. Please. I didn't know they'd do this to you.

They.

Not just Dorian.

Her hands trembled as she slowly lowered the phone. The silence around her grew louder, pressing into her ears like a warning. She thought she had done the right thing-taking the blame, protecting her sister, trusting her family. But now she realized something far worse.

They had all known.

Her parents. Mira. Maybe even Dorian.

She was never a shield. She was a sacrifice.

Aria barely slept that night. Her mind kept replaying every moment of that night-Mira's hysterical crying, their mother's cold voice demanding silence, her father pacing with clenched fists, muttering about the company's reputation. There had been no gratitude in their eyes when she said she'd take the blame.

Only expectation.

Friday came like a funeral.

The private chapel was empty except for a government official, Dorian, and a lawyer with dead eyes and too many documents. Aria stood there in a cream-colored dress someone else had picked for her, her hair neatly pinned up by the stylist Dorian had sent. She looked beautiful. Elegant.

Like a doll dressed for display.

"You will sign this," the lawyer said, sliding a prenuptial agreement across the table.

Aria skimmed the pages. It was more than just a prenup-it was a contract.

No media exposure. No public appearances without permission. No emotional claims or accusations. One child minimum. No rights to assets. Absolute discretion.

It wasn't a marriage. It was a transaction.

She didn't argue. Her hands moved on their own as she signed page after page. What was there to say? He already owned her silence. This was just a formality.

Dorian didn't even look at her when he signed.

"Do you, Aria Renwick, take Dorian Calderon to be your lawful husband-"

This is not real, she told herself as she said I do.

It was over in minutes. No kiss. No ring. No smiles.

Just a signature and a single nod from Dorian before he turned and walked away.

The Calderon penthouse was unlike anything Aria had ever seen. Perched above the city like a silent predator, it overlooked the skyline with towering glass windows and an intimidating silence. Everything was gray, black, and chrome. Cold. Precise.

Just like him.

"You'll stay in the guest wing," Dorian said, walking ahead without waiting for her. "I don't want noise. I don't want questions. And I don't want drama."

Aria followed silently, her small suitcase in her hand. "And the rest?"

He turned to her, eyes narrowing. "The rest?"

"You said you wanted a child," she said quietly. "Am I supposed to-do you expect-?"

Dorian's jaw flexed. For a moment, his composure cracked-just slightly. "When I'm ready, I'll let you know."

The answer chilled her more than if he had demanded it outright.

He didn't see her as a woman. He saw her as a function.

A solution.

Aria's room was beautiful. Spacious. Tastefully decorated. But it wasn't hers. Nothing in this place was. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the city lights outside, her chest tightening.

She had never felt so small.

A soft knock startled her. She stood quickly and opened the door-only to freeze.

Mira stood there, eyes red, face pale.

"You shouldn't be here," Aria said, voice flat.

"I had to see you," Mira whispered, stepping inside.

Aria shut the door behind her and crossed her arms. "So? How long did you know?"

Mira looked down. "I didn't know they'd go this far. I thought... I thought once you took the blame, it'd go away. That they'd protect you."

"You thought?" Aria laughed bitterly. "You ran someone over, Mira. A pregnant woman. You fled the scene. You cried and hid and let them convince me to take the fall. And you thought it would just disappear?"

"I was scared!" Mira cried, eyes brimming with tears. "I didn't mean to-I wasn't even speeding, she just-she came out of nowhere-"

"And now I'm married to a man who hates me because of you."

Mira wiped her face with trembling hands. "I didn't ask them to do this. Mom and Dad... they made the deal. They said you were expendable. That Dorian wouldn't touch me if he had you."

Aria's stomach turned.

"They sold me."

Mira nodded slowly. "I'm sorry."

But it was too late for sorry.

"I don't think you are," Aria whispered. "Because in the end, you're still free. You still get to chase your dreams, live your life, have love. And me?"

She looked down at the ringless hand she never wanted.

"I belong to a man who doesn't even see me as a person."

"I'll fix this," Mira said suddenly, desperate. "I'll talk to him. I'll tell him the truth-"

"No." Aria looked up sharply. "You'll do nothing."

"But-"

"If you confess now, you go to prison. You think he married me out of mercy? He wants revenge. If he finds out the truth, he'll destroy you."

Mira's voice broke. "Then what do you want me to do?"

Aria looked her dead in the eyes.

"Leave. Go live your perfect little life. And never ask me for anything again."

Mira opened her mouth, then closed it. And finally-she left.

When the door shut, Aria let herself fall to her knees. She didn't cry.

Not this time.

Because now, the pain had hardened into something else.

Something sharper.

She had given up everything-her freedom, her body, her future.

But she would not give up her dignity.

And Dorian Calderon would learn that his new wife was not as breakable as he believed

That night, as she lay in the unfamiliar bed, the door creaked open.

She sat up instantly.

Dorian stood in the doorway, watching her with unreadable eyes.

"No more waiting," he said coldly. "It's time."