Sentenced to Marriage by MadlainQ novel Chapter 1

“What the hell is this?” I hissed, looking at the document I was given.

A lawyer in a fancy suit corrected his designer-rim glasses. “Your contract,” he said.

“Why does it say “marriage” on it?” I glared at him, blood boiling in my veins.

“This is what my client needs. He needs to get married.” The lawyer’s expression remained emotionless, making me feel as if I was tossing all my anger into a void.

I took a long breath out and glanced at the papers. “I’m not going to sign it,” I said, this time more composedly, as I crossed my arms over my chest.

The lawyer turned his head towards something, which I assumed was a one-way mirror. The second he did, the door next to the mirror opened with a slam, and a tall, black-haired man barged inside. It was Aren Lan, the only guy in this city whom no one dared to mess with. I looked at him, meeting his cold as stone gaze. I flinched but was unable to take my eyes off of him. For certain, he was dangerous, but he was also the most handsome man I had ever met in my life.

He smirked as he saw me shiver, my body submitting to him against my will. He strode across the office towards my seat. His broad shoulders and muscled chest could barely stay locked under his tailored suit jacket and tight shirt. As he stood in front of me, I could barely resist the urge to lower my gaze to his belt. He could have been deadly intimidating, but my lewd thoughts kept challenging my self-preservation instinct.

He leaned over me. His cologne was intoxicating but not as lethal as his onyx irises roaming my face. I gulped, indulging his confidence. His full lips were an inch away from mine, nearly touching them. A part of me instantly began craving their softness. My heart pounded erratically, turning me into a madwoman I had never imagined myself to be. He slightly opened his mouth, and I couldn’t restrain myself from looking at the tip of his tongue, slowly teasing the inner side of his upper lip. Unknowingly, I opened my mouth as well. He chuckled, sending a cold shower over my head.

“You can either sign it or go to jail.” He leaned back and smiled mischievously, emphasizing his impeccable jawline.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I choked out.

“You stuck your nose into my private matters,” he hissed.

“You can’t prove that I had anything to do with it aside from being at the same hotel,” I said, as a confident smirk curved my lips.

A cold chuckle escaped his throat. “I don’t have to prove it. All I have to do is tell the judge.”

“No one can sentence me without proof,” I challenged him.

He straightened up. Any traces of a smile abruptly disappeared from his face. “You still don’t get it, do you? I own this city. It means that if I say you go to jail, that means you go to jail.” He leaned over me again, his stare piercing right through me, “And if I say that I want you, that means you are already mine.”

My jaw tensed as I resisted an urge to talk back. This wasn’t a battle I could win, and this wasn’t a man I could win against… How did I get myself into all that mess?!

***

Three weeks earlier