Everything was a deal until divorce novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Back in the Country

It was 9 a.m. at Silverbay Villa when Arden Wynn woke up, every inch of her body aching like she’d been hit by a truck.
Flashes of the night before came to her in a blur. Panicked, she threw back the covers to check herself—her face instantly flushed hot.
Her hand trembled as she grabbed her phone and opened the group chat with Nova Smith and Isla Boyd on WhatsApp.
Arden typed frantically, then sent the messages one after another.
“What do I do?” Arden said. “I brought a man home last night. I cheated on Dorian.”
A second message followed almost immediately. “I’m dead. You know how he is. If he finds out I cheated while we’re still married, he’ll probably tear me apart.”
Isla replied first, “Uh, Arden… are you sure the guy you brought home wasn’t Dorian?”
Nova chimed in right after. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure your husband was the one who carried you out of the bar last night.”
Wait, what? Dorian‘s back in the country?!
She quickly turned to check the other side of the bed. It’s empty.
The sheets were rumpled, and the air still carried the subtle trace of clean cologne with a smoky, masculine edge.
That scent. That‘s his.
Ding.
A message popped up. Arden tapped speaker.
Isla’s voice blared out, teasing, “So? Did you two finally make it a real wedding night? You’ve been married for three years, Arden! I bet Dorian’s amazing in bed. He looks like a man who’d be amazing in bed.”
God. Isla, you lunatic.
Her so-called husband had vanished the same day they got married. Hopped on a private jet for a “business trip” abroad and never looked back—not even for the holidays.
They barely knew each other.
For the past three years, Dorian had remained as distant as ever. Arden had sent him messages he never replied to, made calls he never answered.
She was used to it. Honestly, she preferred it that way—he could stay overseas forever for all she cared.
After all, their marriage was strictly transactional. Each had something to gain.
Her family had gotten tangled in a massive lawsuit over a failed construction project. With investors pulling out and money bleeding fast, they were on the verge of collapse. The deal was simple—if she agreed to marry Dorian, his grandmother, Eugenia Vale, would step in and cover the billion-dollar fallout.
That way, her brother and father could walk away unscathed.
Of course, Arden had also made a promise to Eugenia—to play the part of the devoted, lovesick wife, the kind who admired and adored Dorian wholeheartedly. Eugenia had never mentioned it, but Arden knew Dorian had laid out the terms himself: a contract marriage, lasting five years.
After that, they’d go their separate ways.
So for three years, she’d played her role to perfection—checking in through WhatsApp, sending sweet, empty messages full of carefully crafted affection.
She played the part of a woman who wanted no one but him.
Last night, Isla and Nova had dragged her out to Stellar Lounge to celebrate their college graduation.
One drink turned into three.
Arden was the type to get tipsy fast, but she wasn’t going to let graduation night slip by without raising a toast to the end of her youth. No matter what, she wasn’t going home sober.
When she spotted Dorian across the room, she honestly thought she was seeing things. She stumbled after him, calling out.
He didn’t stop. Because no woman ever had.
He wasn’t just strikingly handsome—he was Dorian Vale, a man who wielded so much power in the city, his name alone could open doors. The line of women hoping to get close to him could’ve stretched across the ocean.
Flirtation never fazed him. But Arden wasn’t giving up that easily.
In just a few unsteady steps, she cut in front of him.
The lighting inside the hotel was dim and cool, casting shadows over his sharp features. It only made him seem colder.
He was nearly six-foot-three. Even with Arden in heels, she had to tilt her head just to look up at him.
She was more than a little drunk.
“You look exactly like Dorian,” she murmured, trying to steady herself as she leaned in.
Dorian frowned, stepping back. He turned to the muscular man beside him and said flatly, “Handle it.”
The man, built like a tank, was Lucien Rae—Dorian’s personal bodyguard and assistant, who never left his side.
Lucien looked Arden over.
She was stunning. Sweet-looking too, the kind of girl people remembered. There was something about her that even felt… familiar.
He couldn’t help but wonder—was there really no one who could make Dorian stop in his tracks?
He stepped forward and reached out with a tattooed arm to restrain her.
Arden flinched. She wrapped her arms around herself and warned, “Don’t touch me. He—Dorian Vale—is my husband. If you lay a hand on me, he’ll break yours.”
Lucien’s eyes twitched. Right. He’d nearly forgotten—his boss was married.
And if memory served, the wife really was head over heels for him. She messaged Dorian almost daily, all heart-eyes and sweet nothings.
Lucien quickly pulled out his phone and scrolled to the wedding photos.
Arden and Dorian had gotten married during her freshman year of college. Three years ago, but she hadn’t changed much—if anything, she’d only grown more beautiful.
One glance at the photo, and there was no doubt.
He turned to Dorian. “Boss, I think this might be your wife—Arden Wynn.”
Dorian’s brow furrowed. His gaze dropped to meet Arden’s. She was drunk.
Her usually clear eyes were hazy with alcohol, like fog over glass. Her cheeks were flushed with a soft crimson, like rouge swept under her eyes.
Dangerous, that look.
He tilted her chin up with one finger, eyes sharp as they studied her face.
He knew this face all too well. Even though he’d been out of the country for three years, his grandmother had made sure he saw a photo of her every single day. Whether he liked it or not, she was burned into his memory.
“You’ve been drinking?” His voice was cold, disapproving.
“Mm-hmm. Just a little,” Arden mumbled.
No one stopped her, so she got bolder. Rising onto her toes, she cupped Dorian’s face in both hands and leaned in, her gaze soft and shimmering.
“Oh, you just look like him. My husband’s still overseas.”
And with that, she slumped against his chest and closed her eyes. Dorian’s frown deepened.
“Take her off me,” he said.
Lucien hesitated. “Sir, she’s your wife. Not really my place.”
The rest of the security team quickly looked away, choosing life.
With a scowl, Dorian yanked her off him and was about to drop her on a nearby table when Lucien reminded him, “Mrs. Vale really likes her. If she finds out you came back and didn’t tell Arden, and then dumped her somewhere drunk, she’ll definitely drag you back to the manor for a lecture.”
Dorian hesitated.
He could already hear his grandmother’s nagging. He sighed and didn’t toss Arden away.
“She’s supposed to be well-behaved. What the hell is she doing out drinking at night?”
Right on cue, his phone rang.
Lucien checked the screen. “It’s Mrs. Vale.”
Dorian answered. “Grandma.”
“Dorian! You’re back?” Her voice was practically beaming through the phone.
“Yeah.”
“Does Arden know?”
“I didn’t tell her.”
Her tone immediately turned stern. “You really are something. You got married and jumped on a private flight the same day. Then you disappeared for three years. You didn’t even give her a proper wedding! It’s a good thing she’s such a sweet girl, never once complaining—always checking in on you. You’re going home with her tonight. No arguments.”
Dorian’s voice was frigid. “That marriage wasn’t even my choice. Arden isn’t my wife—she’s yours.”
“Watch your mouth. She’s a good girl. You think those women in your gossip columns are better? Cut them off. Get fhome and give me a great-grandchild. She just graduated. She’s younger than you by several years. She’s willing to put up with you. You should be grateful.”
This was exactly why he didn’t want to come back. He still didn’t know what kind of spell Arden had cast over his grandmother, but the woman had threatened to die unless he married her.
It only made him resent Arden more.
“I heard she went to Stellar Lounge tonight. Go pick her up and take her back to Silverbay Villa.”
With that, she hung up. Dorian sighed, annoyed, and looked down at the woman in his arms.
Then he bent down and picked her up. “We’re going home.”