The penthouse at the Hoffman Tower felt like a museum of her own failure. Amaris stood in the living room, her eyes scanning the space she had shared with Elijah for the past year.
The walls were covered in framed photos. The two of them at the Met Gala. Skiing in Aspen. Kissing on a yacht in the Hamptons. They looked perfect. They looked like a lie.
She walked over to the nearest shelf and grabbed a silver frame. She didn't look at the picture. She just dropped it into the trash can. The glass cracked with a satisfying crunch.
She moved methodically around the room. Frame after frame went into the bin. She didn't cry. She didn't feel anything at all.
In the bedroom, she pulled a single suitcase from the closet. She packed quickly-jeans, t-shirts, her running shoes. Essentials. She left the designer gowns and the glittering jewelry Elijah had bought her.
She paused at the vanity. A diamond tennis necklace sat in its velvet box. It was a gift for their first anniversary. She stared at it for a second, then tossed it into the trash on top of the broken glass.
The doorbell rang.
Amaris opened the door to find three men in black suits. No logos, no smiles. Just Cristian's moving team.
"Ma'am," the lead man said, nodding respectfully.
She handed them the suitcase. "That's it."
She walked out of the bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind her. She dropped the apartment key on the welcome mat and stepped into the elevator.
The drive to the Upper East Side was quiet. The Lowe family estate wasn't just a house; it was a fortress. Wrought-iron gates swung open as the car approached, revealing a sprawling Georgian mansion lit up against the night sky.
A butler met her at the door. "Mrs. Lowe," he said, his tone perfectly balanced between respect and distance. "Welcome."
He led her up a sweeping staircase to the master bedroom. It was massive, decorated in shades of charcoal and steel. It was cold, minimalist, and screamed of masculine control.
Cristian was already there. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, a phone pressed to his ear. "No, buy the shares. I don't care about the premium. Just do it," he snapped before hanging up.
He turned as she entered, his eyes dropping to her single suitcase. A flicker of something-disappointment?-crossed his face before he masked it.
He walked over to the desk and picked up a thick manila folder. He held it out to her.
"The prenuptial agreement," he said.
Amaris opened it, scanning the pages. The restrictions were brutal. She couldn't use the Lowe name for business. She couldn't appear on reality TV. She couldn't discuss the marriage in public without his approval. It read like a prison sentence.
But then she hit the financial section. Asset protection. Debt isolation. A generous monthly allowance that was hers to keep, no questions asked. If they divorced, she walked away with a fortune, completely shielded from her mother's debts or Elijah's reach.
She looked up, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you doing this?"
Cristian's face was blank. "Lowe family rules. You live by them now."
Amaris clicked the pen and signed her name. She was selling her freedom, but she was buying her survival. For Aura, she would endure it.
Cristian took the folder back. He pointed to a door on the far wall. "Your closet."
Amaris walked over and opened the door. She froze.
The massive walk-in closet was full. Racks of haute couture dresses, organized by color. Shelves of designer shoes, all in her exact size. A glass case filled with vintage watches and jewelry she had only ever seen in magazines. The vanity was stocked with a full range of high-end skincare products, all from top-tier brands she recognized.
"How?" she whispered, her hand brushing against a silk blouse that fit her perfectly.
"Efficiency," Cristian said from the doorway. "I don't do things by halves."
Amaris frowned. It was too much. Too fast. But she was too exhausted to argue.
Dinner was a silent, awkward affair. They sat at opposite ends of a dining table that could seat twenty. The only sounds were the clink of silverware and the ticking of the grandfather clock.
Amaris stared at the steak on her plate. She hadn't eaten all day, but her stomach was tied in knots. She picked up her knife and fork, but her hands were still shaky from the morning's trauma. The knife slipped, scraping loudly against the porcelain.
Suddenly, Cristian stood up. He walked the length of the table, his footsteps heavy on the rug. He stopped right next to her chair.
Amaris stiffened, expecting a reprimand.
Instead, Cristian reached over. He took her knife and fork from her hands. With easy, practiced movements, he sliced the steak into bite-sized pieces. He set the fork down beside the plate, the pieces perfectly arranged.
He didn't look at her. He just walked back to his seat and resumed eating his own meal.
Amaris stared at the cut meat, her heart pounding in her ears. That wasn't a transaction. That wasn't a duty. That was... intimate.
After dinner, Cristian walked her to the bedroom door. He stopped, his hand resting on the doorknob.
"Goodnight," he said, his voice low.
He closed the door, leaving her alone in the cold, beautiful room. Amaris leaned back against the wood, her mind racing. This marriage was supposed to be a contract. So why did it feel like something else entirely?
