Chapter 1

Note: The inner thoughts of people other than the protagonist are expressed in '' marks.

Stella White, the internet's favorite controversial starlet, enters into a secret marriage contract with a business titan, Louie Stone, for mutual benefit.

In public, Louie is the ice-cold CEO of Stone Group, and Stella is the notoriously high-maintenance drama queen that the internet loves to hate.

In private, Stella can hear the deafening roar of his inner obsession, a silent vow that he will never, ever let her go.

One day, during a live-streamed reality show, Stella accidentally dials him and whines, "Honey, filming this show is exhausting."

In an instant, the internet goes into a total meltdown. The cold-blooded tycoon's carefully guarded secrets are laid bare.

*****

Stella White sat in the sterile waiting room of the city hall, her manicured fingertips absentmindedly tracing circles on the denim of her jeans. The tension in the air was suffocating, way more intense than the minutes before she stepped onto any red carpet.

Today, she was marrying Louie Stone, the notoriously ruthless billionaire who practically owned half the city.

"Stella, take a breath. It's just a contract. This is going to save your career," her manager, Brenda Chase, whispered soothingly, completely failing to hide the giddy excitement in her own voice.

Stella forced a smile that felt more like a grimace. She was currently the star everyone loved to hate. Her engagement numbers were sky-high, but her reputation was in shambles. Haters branded her a spoiled diva, and her likability index had flatlined.

Louie was the only life raft left in the ocean. He needed a legal wife on paper to get his overbearing family off his back about producing an heir. She needed a formidable patron to force the industry to salvage her career.

It was a highly logical yet brutally cold transaction.

The door clicked open. A towering figure stepped into the room, backlit by the fluorescent hallway lights.

Louie was wearing a bespoke, midnight-blue suit that clung perfectly to his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His face was the kind of genetic masterpiece that made women lose their minds.

With a sharp jawline, deep eyes, a straight nose, and lips that looked both cruel and incredibly kissable, he radiated a terrifying energy. Just the sweep of his gaze made the air pressure in the room drop.

Stella's stomach did a nervous flip as she finally saw her husband-to-be, feeling like a fluffy white rabbit that had just accidentally hopped into a lion's enclosure.

Louie walked directly up to her and stopped. He didn't offer a greeting. Giving a curt nod, he signaled that he was ready to get this over with.

Stella took a deep breath, fighting to keep her expression composed. She reached across the glass table to pick up the pen to sign her name. But the exact second her fingertips brushed the paper, a slightly raspy voice suddenly exploded directly inside her brain.

'That skirt is way too short. God, her legs are so fair.'

Stella's hand jerked, sending the pen skidding across the paperwork, leaving a jagged line of ink. She whipped her head up, staring at Louie, who looked entirely unbothered. His eyes were icy, as if that intrusive voice had just been a hallucination.

'Huh? Why is she staring at me? Did I say that out loud? No, impossible. My poker face is flawless.'

Stella had to bite the inside of her cheek to stifle a laugh. Flawless poker face? His eyes had literally been glued to her thighs.

She quickly lowered her head, her mind spinning wildly. She could hear his thoughts. It was like the universe had just handed her the ultimate cheat code.

Louie was supposedly the definition of an icy billionaire, but he was burning up on the inside. That gap-moe was exactly her type. She could play with him forever!

The paperwork took less than ten minutes. When the clerk handed over the official marriage certificate, the whole situation felt entirely surreal.

"Mrs. Stone," Louie said aloud. His voice was a low, smooth baritone, carrying a faint, magnetic vibration.

Stella looked up. He was watching her, his eyes analyzing her reaction.

'The tips of her ears just turned pink when I called her Mrs. Stone. That is so fucking cute. I want to bite them.'

Stella's entire face instantly flushed burning hot at his inner voice.

She fought the frantic urge to smack him in the chest with their freshly printed marriage certificate. She channeled every ounce of her acting training to maintain a perfectly polite smile. "Mr. Stone," she replied evenly.

'Oh. She called me Mr. Stone, setting boundaries. I respect the distance. But once I get her home, she won't be calling me Mr. Stone anymore.'

Stella's breath hitched as she wondered what the hell actually went on inside his head.