The moment the car stopped, Alya realized there was no turning back.
The slowly looked out of window, her breath catching as her eyes fell on massive mansion standing before her. It wasn't just a house- it was a fortress. Tall gates, armed guards, and an eerie silence that made her chest tighten.
This was his world.
Zayn Varez's world.
And now... she was a part of it.
The car door opened before she could move.
"Mrs. Varez," a man in a black suit said respectfully, stepping aside.
The title felt wrong.
Heavy.
Unreal.
Ayla stepped out, her legs slightly weak as she looked around. Everything about this place screamed power… and danger.
She didn't belong here.
"Move."
The deep voice behind her sent a chill down her spine.
Zayn.
She turned slowly to face him.
He looked exactly the same- calm, composed, and completely in control. As if nothing about this situation affected him.
As if he hadn't just changed her life forever.
Without waiting for her, he walked past her toward the entrance.
Ayla hesitated for a moment... then followed.
The inside of the mansion was even more overwhelming.
Dark marble floors. Expensive decor. Guards standing at every corner.
It felt less like a home... and more like a cage.
Ayla wrapped her arms around herself as she walked in, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling building inside her.
"This way."
She looked up to see a maid standing near the stairs.
"Your room is ready."
Your room.
Not their room.
A small sense of relief passed through her.
Maybe... maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought.
The room was huge.
Too huge.
Ayla stepped inside slowly, taking in the king-sized bed, the dim lights, the heavy curtains that blocked out everything from the outside world.
It was beautiful.
But it didn't feel safe.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
This was just a contract.
Nothing more.
She just had to survive one year.
That's it.
The sound of the door opening behind her made her freeze.
Her body tensed instantly.
She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
Zayn.
He walked in without saying a word, closing the door behind him.
The soft click echoed loudly in the room.
Ayla slowly turned to face him, her heartbeat picking up speed.
"Isn't this your room?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Zayn looked at her for a moment before replying.
"This is our room."
Her stomach dropped.
"But... they said-"
"I don't care what they said."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
And that somehow made it worse.
Ayla took a small step back as he moved closer.
"You're my wife now," he continued, his gaze locking onto hers. "Did you really think I'd let you sleep in a separate room?"
Her breath caught.
"This wasn't part of the deal," she said quickly.
Zayn stopped right in front of her.
Close enough for her to feel his presence... overwhelming and suffocating.
"Then you should've read the contract more carefully," he replied.
Her heart skipped.
"What do you mean?"
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
"There are rules," he said.
Ayla felt a chill run down her spine.
"What rules?"
Zayn leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping to a low whisper.
"Rule number one..."
His hand lifted, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
The touch was soft.
But it didn't feel gentle.
It felt controlling.
"Don't question me."
Ayla's breath hitched.
"And rule number two..."
His gaze darkened.
"You belong to me."
The words hit her harder than anything else.
Her chest tightened.
"This is just a contract," she whispered, trying to hold onto the last bit of control she had.
Zayn didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
Ayla's eyes widened as she saw it.
The contract.
Her signature staring back at her.
Zayn held it up between them, his expression unreadable.
"Then tell me..." he said slowly.
"If this is just a contract..."
He took a step closer.
"What exactly did you just sign yourself into?"
Ayla couldn't answer.
Because deep down...
She already knew the truth.
This wasn't a marriage.
This wasn't even a deal.
It was a trap.
And she had walked into it on her own.
Zayn folded the paper calmly before placing it aside.
Then his gaze returned to her.
Dark.
Intense.
Unforgiving.
"Tonight," he said quietly, "you start learning your place."
Ayla's heart stopped.
And for the first time...
She truly understood-
This wasn't the beginning of a marriage.
It was the beginning of something far more dangerous.