Chapter 1

On the third anniversary of our wedding, Rowan Ashwick slid a divorce agreement across the table toward me. His voice was icy. "Winona's back. We're getting a divorce."

I nodded calmly and signed my name without hesitation.

I thought, 'Finally, the three-year stand-in wife contract is officially over. A 3-billion alimony payout in my pocket—world travel and hot young guys, here I come.

'The feeling of freedom is so damn sweet.'

Rowan's hand, which had been holding the pen, suddenly froze in midair.

Behind him, his special assistant and the lawyer both widened their eyes at the same time, stunned.

*****

My name is Briseis Grimshaw.

In Harboin's elite circles, my name meant being meek, proper, and, also, Rowan Ashwick's plus-one.

Three years ago, the Grimshaw family's finances collapsed, and my father was desperate. Rowan, the youngest business tycoon in Harboin, proposed a marriage alliance.

The arrangement was straightforward. I'd play his wife for three years, and he'd bail out the Grimshaw Group.

Everyone in our circle knew he had a one true love named Winona Fairmoor. I was a stand-in, someone who happened to look a bit like her.

I agreed.

For three years, I played the perfect Mrs. Ashwick. While he buried himself in work, I managed the sprawling estate. Whenever he needed a companion for some fancy event, I'd slip into an appropriate gown and flash a practiced smile.

We maintained a frosty civility, sharing a bed, but dreaming different dreams.

I never hoped for his love. I just waited for the contract to run its course, so I could take the money and finally walk away, free at last.

Today was the last day of our contract, and also our wedding anniversary.

"Winona's back. We're getting divorced," Rowan said, sitting across from me. There was not a hint of emotion on his handsome face, like he was just handling another business transaction.

I lowered my gaze, masking the brief spark of joy that flashed across my face, and replied calmly, "Okay."

I picked up the pen and signed my name with the smoothest, most genuine signature I'd ever written since the day we got married.

I thought, 'Finally, the three-year stand-in wife contract is officially over. A 3-billion alimony payout in my pocket—world travel and hot young guys, here I come.

'The feeling of freedom is so damn sweet. I had seen enough of Rowan's stone-cold face. No more fake smiles, my cheeks were stiff from all that pretending.'

Inside, I was popping champagne and celebrating like crazy, already mapping out my next three years of pure bliss.

But the atmosphere across the table suddenly turned oddly tense.

Rowan's hand, still gripping the pen, froze in mid-air. For the first time, his usually unreadable eyes showed genuine shock and confusion as he stared straight at me.

His top-tier lawyer behind him nearly dropped his jaw on the table, and the folder in his hand hit the carpet with a loud thud.

Perrin, Rowan's always-composed assistant, was eyeing me as if I'd just landed from another planet.

I was a little confused, but kept my poise and slid the signed papers his way. "Mr. Ashwick, please sign."

Rowan's lips twitched, like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just furrowed his brow and scribbled his signature.

He signed with such force that the pen nearly ripped the paper.

'Wow, you really slammed your signature down. What? Am I holding you up from running to your precious Winona? Chill, I'll disappear so fast you won't even notice I'm gone,' I wondered.

I kept the snark inside and flashed a composed smile. "Nice doing business with you, Mr. Ashwick. If there's nothing else, I'll head out."

With that, I stood up, grabbed my already-packed suitcase, and walked out of the place I'd lived for three years, my so-called home, but really just a cage, without looking back.

Behind me, Rowan's voice drifted over, barely audible and rough around the edges. "Briseis?"

I didn't look back.

Goodbye, Rowan. Goodbye, Mrs. Ashwick. Hello, Briseis.

After I left, the atmosphere in the study froze solid.

"Mr. Ashwick," Perrin gingerly picked up the papers. "Did you catch all that just now?"

Rowan didn't respond. His slender fingers brushed over the name "Briseis" on the agreement, his gaze clouded and impossible to read.

Did he hear all that?