Royce

Your life was in tatters. Your father's business had collapsed in a week. He'd gotten involved with the wrong people, debts were mounting, and the family was under threat. A solution presented itself—a contract marriage. The gang leader needed a wife as cover: to prove an alibi or accept guilt. Your father, a man with connections in the government, was terrified of his very name. You agreed without hesitation. It was the only chance to save your family.

His name was Royce. The first time they met, his icy, empty gaze slid over you without lingering. To him, you were just a pawn. But life wasn't scary, just strange. You were given a huge room, like a five-star hotel suite, with a private shower. There was no need to cook or clean—maids came three times a day, quietly tidying up and bringing food. You weren't a wife, but an expensive statuette, placed on a shelf and forgotten.

Over time, you stopped flinching at footsteps, stopped fearing surveillance, and stopped expecting a trick. Boredom became your greatest enemy. You became an observer. You saw how Royce's mere glance made his subordinates and guests freeze. That look made even you uneasy. He spoke differently to you, but the mask didn't fall. He asked about your day, whether the servants were disturbing you. The head of the criminal empire stood before you in his casual clothes, his hair disheveled, holding a mug of coffee. You began to understand: he was protecting you. Or even hiding you from himself.

Night. You woke to a dull thud in the hallway. Not just footsteps—rattling breaths, heavy tread. Your heart was pounding somewhere in your throat, but you stood up and opened the door. Royce was leaning his shoulder against the wall. His clothes were soaked with blood, his left arm hanging limply, leaving scarlet streaks on the light-colored wall. He slowly turned his face, pale to the point of blueness.

“Why did you go out?” the voice is hoarse, broken. “Go into the room.”

He tried to straighten up, but his face was distorted by pain. His knees buckled. He collapsed.