Avery sat on the velvet sofa in her apartment, staring at the contract her father had sent over that afternoon. The pages felt heavy in her hands. Every clause spelled out the cold reality of what her life was about to become. A three month engagement period. A lavish wedding. A merger between Sinclair Logistics and Parker Group that would make both families significantly more powerful.
She had spent the last hour reading and rereading the document. Her father had already signed his part. The Parkers had made their position clear. Everything was moving forward whether she agreed or not.
Lila had come over with a bottle of wine after work. She sat across from Avery now, legs tucked under her.
“You don’t have to do this,” Lila said quietly. “There must be another way.”
Avery laughed without humor. “My father made it very clear. If I refuse, the merger falls through. Several key contracts will be lost. People could lose their jobs. All because I don’t want to marry a man made of ice.”
She stood up and walked to the window. The city lights blurred slightly through the glass. “I built Sinclair Interiors so I could be independent. So I wouldn’t have to depend on family money or strategic marriages. Now here I am, being sold off like some valuable asset.”
Lila poured more wine into both glasses. “Ferdinand Parker is terrifying. Everyone who works with him says the same thing. He’s brilliant but completely closed off. What kind of life is that going to be?”
Avery thought back to their conversation in his office. The way he had looked at her with those empty eyes. The quiet threat in his voice. The pain hidden beneath all that frost.
“He loved someone once,” Avery said softly. “Her name was Sophia. She destroyed him. Now he’s determined to never feel anything again. And I’m supposed to spend my life married to that.”
She turned away from the window. “The worst part is that a small part of me feels sorry for him. No one should have to live that cold. But then I remember how he speaks to people. How he looked at me like I was nothing. And the pity disappears.”
Later that night, after Lila had gone home, Avery lay in bed unable to sleep. She kept thinking about the man she was being forced to marry. His broad shoulders. His sharp jawline. Those dark eyes that seemed to see everything and feel nothing. He was undeniably handsome. The kind of handsome that turned heads everywhere he went. But beauty without warmth was just another kind of emptiness.
Across the city, Ferdinand sat in his private study reviewing the final terms of the merger. The documents were clear and favorable to the Parker Group. Everything was falling into place exactly as planned.
Yet he could not focus.
His mind kept returning to Avery. The fire in her hazel eyes when she challenged him. The way she refused to cower even when he made his position brutally clear. She was dangerous. Not because she had power or influence, but because she made him feel something he had buried deep.
A knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” Ferdinand said.
Victor Parker stepped inside, his expression carefully neutral. “I heard the marriage arrangement is moving forward. Smart move, nephew. The Sinclair merger will strengthen our position in the shipping sector.”
Ferdinand leaned back in his chair. “This is purely business. Nothing more.”
Victor smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. “Of course. Still, the girl is quite beautiful from what I hear. Spirited too. Might be good for you to have some warmth in this big penthouse.”
Ferdinand’s gaze turned icy. “Do not concern yourself with my personal life, Uncle. Focus on your own responsibilities. I hear several departments under your supervision have been underperforming.”
Victor’s jaw tightened. “I am handling it.”
“Then handle it better,” Ferdinand replied coldly. “Or I will handle it for you.”
Victor left without another word. Ferdinand stood up and walked to the bar. He poured himself a drink but set it down untouched. Alcohol had never helped him forget. Nothing did.
He thought about Sophia again. The way she used to look at him with such open affection. How she would kiss him like he was the only man in the world. For three years, she had been his everything. He had given her all the love he possessed. He had hidden his wealth and status just to prove that his heart was enough.
And she had thrown it all away the moment someone richer appeared.
Ferdinand clenched his fist. That kind of pain changed a man. It taught him that love was a weakness. A vulnerability that others would always exploit. Avery Sinclair, with all her fire and independence, would eventually do the same. Or worse, she would try to break through his walls and fail. Either way, he would not allow her close.
The next morning, Avery returned to Parker Tower with a small team to present updated designs. She had adjusted some elements to be slightly cooler while still maintaining functionality and elegance. She refused to completely compromise her vision.
Ferdinand was already in the conference room when they arrived. He stood by the windows, hands in his pockets, looking every bit the untouchable billionaire.
Avery set up her presentation without greeting him. She kept her voice steady as she explained the revisions. “The feature wall will use darker tones with subtle metallic accents. The lighting will be adjustable to create different atmospheres for various meetings.”
Ferdinand listened in silence. When she finished, he gave a single nod. “Better. Proceed with these changes.”
Avery expected him to leave. Instead, he dismissed her team.
“Miss Sinclair, stay behind.”
Once they were alone, Ferdinand turned to face her fully. His expression was unreadable.
“The engagement party will be held in two weeks,” he said flatly. “My mother is handling the details. You will attend and play your role convincingly.”
Avery crossed her arms. “And if I refuse?”
Ferdinand stepped closer. His presence was overwhelming. “Then your father’s company will suffer. Several major contracts depend on this merger. Do not test me on this.”
Avery met his gaze without flinching. “You really are heartless, aren’t you? You suffered because someone used you and now you’re doing the same thing to me.”
Ferdinand’s eyes darkened. “Do not speak about things you do not understand. Sophia made her choice. I made mine. This marriage is a contract. Learn to live with it.”
He paused for a moment, studying her face. “You have fire, Miss Sinclair. Use it wisely. Channel it into your work. Do not waste it trying to change me. You will fail.”
Avery felt her chest tighten with a mixture of anger and unexpected sadness. “One day you’re going to realize that pushing everyone away doesn’t make you strong. It just makes you lonely.”
She gathered her things and walked toward the door. Before leaving, she looked back at him one last time.
“I will play my role in public, Mr. Parker. But do not expect me to ever love a man who has already decided his heart is dead.”
The door closed behind her with a quiet click.
Ferdinand stood motionless in the empty conference room. Her words echoed in the silence. For the first time since his return, he felt a faint crack in the armor he had built so carefully around himself.
He pushed the feeling down immediately.
Love had nearly destroyed him once. He would not allow Avery Sinclair to finish the job.