Ojo_Omowumi

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:
To save her family from ruin, Aria Chen agrees to a marriage she never wanted—with Elias Xian, a powerful and emotionally distant CEO. Their relationship is bound by a contract, not love. She's expected to stay quiet, act perfect, and disappear when the deal ends.

But Elias didn’t expect his silent bride to challenge his heart. And Aria didn’t expect the cold man behind the contract to make her feel anything at all.

As the lines blur between duty and desire, secrets unravel and emotions ignite. But can a marriage built on silence survive the noise of truth?

In a world where love isn’t part of the agreement, will their hearts rewrite the terms?

Silent Vows

Chapter 8: Glass Walls and Unspoken Truths

The night after the gala was too quiet.

Aria lay in bed, staring at the ceiling of her suite in the Xian estate. Her thoughts wouldn't stop racing. Every word from Nathaniel echoed in her ears—cryptic warnings, a name Elias refused to speak, and the way he'd stiffened when she touched his hand.

He wasn't just cold. He was wounded.

And wounds like that didn't come from business.

A soft knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts. She sat up, heart jumping. No one came to her room this late—not even the maids.

His tie was undone, the first two buttons of his shirt loosened. His eyes weren't cold tonight. They were stormy. Unreadable.

"Can I come in?" he asked, voice low.

He didn't sit. Just walked to the window, stared out at the moonlit gardens, and folded his arms.

"I'm not here for drama," he said. "I just want to clear something up."

"I didn't ask him anything," she said quietly. "He offered it on his own."

"Did he tell you her name?" His voice was almost a whisper now. "The one everyone avoids mentioning?"

He turned then, and for the first time, Aria saw something raw in his expression—regret? Anger? Fear?

"She was someone I trusted. And she betrayed me in every possible way." He looked down, jaw tight. "You don't need to know more."

Aria didn't speak. She could feel the weight behind his words, like he was holding back a flood.

He moved to the door, then paused with his hand on the knob. "I know I'm not easy to live with. But if we're going to do this for two years, you should know—loyalty is everything to me. I don't give second chances."

She nodded slowly. "Then don't expect me to lie to you."

His eyes met hers, something flickering behind them. Not affection, not yet—but something like acknowledgment.

Alone again, Aria closed the door gently behind him.

He had come to warn her. But what she heard was something else entirely.

A man who didn't trust, standing at her door.

And for the first time, Aria didn't feel like a pawn.