~ARIA~

The Wolfe estate wasn’t a house. It was a fortress with steel gates, armed guards and a twisted driveway that ended at a towering glass and stone mansion.

It was… intimidating. Everything about it breathed Cassian Wolfe and now it was mine.

When the car stopped, my jaw dropped and before I could even process it, the door swung open.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Wolfe,” greeted twelve neatly dressed staff members said in perfect unison, bowing slightly.

I froze to the name, Mrs. Wolfe.

I stepped out slowly, my heels clicking softly against the driveway as I walked.

Cassian stood at the entrance with his hands in his pockets, and his gaze cool and impassive.

“You’re late,” he spoke.

“Traffic,” I replied quietly.

“Follow me.”

There was no greeting, no warmth.

I followed him into the penthouse - polished marble, cold glass, curated perfection.

We hadn’t gone far when three people appeared from around the corner; two women and a man in navy uniforms.

The eldest woman spoke first.

“You must be Mrs. Wolfe,” she said with a soft smile. “I’m Teresa. This is Oliver and my niece, Dani. We’ll assist you here.”

I swallowed, managing a nod. “Thank you.”

“Your guest dressing room is ready,” Dani added brightly. “Until your wardrobe is delivered.”

“Wardrobe?” I asked.

Cassian answered, voice clipped. “I had it arranged. You’ll approve the layout tomorrow.”

Then he was already walking away. No further discussion or question of preference.

“If you need anything, Mrs. Wolfe, you may call us anytime,” Teresa said warmly.

“Thank you,” I whispered, trying not to show how raw my nerves felt.

The tour was fast, and straightforward.

‘Library, cinema, meditation room, and master suite.’

Each one introduced like items on a report.

When we reached the bedroom, he opened the door.

“This is your space. Use it however you want.”

“And you?” I asked quietly.

His gaze flicked to mine. “Wherever I want.”

Of course. This wasn’t a marriage of closeness.

I felt the words stick in my throat but forced them down. “Understood.”

Later, I sat alone in the sunroom. Dani poured tea with a smile I barely registered.

Cassian stood at the glass doors, back to me.

When the staff left, he finally spoke.

“If you need anything, Teresa will coordinate.”

“They’re very kind,” I said softly.

“They’re loyal.”

That was all. He didn’t elaborate, but something in his tone said that meant more to him than kindness ever could.

I stared at my tea. This wasn’t home, it didn’t feel like it, not yet and maybe not ever, but it was mine now, and I had no choice but to survive in it.

____

The next morning came with silence.

Cassian was already gone.

No note nor trace.

The emptiness of the bed hit me harder than I cared to admit.

I ate breakfast alone in the sunroom, trying to ignore the ache in my chest.

Later, I wandered the halls, aimlessly, until I found the garden.

It took my breath away with its lushness, its vibrant greenness, and the way it seemed alive in every breath of air. It was the only warmth in this cold place.

I sat quietly, living in the strange calm, when quick footsteps approached.

Cassian.

“They said you were here,” he said flatly.

“I just found it. It’s beautiful,” I answered softly.

“Hmm.” He didn’t move closer. Didn’t sit.

Silence hung heavy until he spoke again.

“There’s a board meeting in three days.”

I blinked, turning to look at him fully. “A board meeting?”

“You will attend, so be prepared. There will be a press afterward and you need to appear strong.”

That's it. No inquiry about how I was settling in, no care, just expectations and orders. That's what this marriage is about but still pain lanced through my chest, sharp and quiet. But I had no choice. None at all.

“Understood,” I said, my voice tight.

His gaze held mine coldly. “Weakness will be noticed. You will not falter.”

I swallowed hard. “I won’t.”

“Good.”

And with that, he walked away, his presence disappearing as quickly as it came.

I exhaled shakily, staring at the koi pond.

I was a weapon now, not a person or a wife.

____

Three days later, at Wolfe International.

The boardroom was vast, cold and dominated by gleaming steel and dark wood.

I stood beside Cassian as the board members entered like wolves in designer suits.

I felt their eyes on me - calculating and testing.

I straightened my spine, every inch of me screaming to retreat, but I didn’t. I couldn’t.

Cassian spoke first, his tone ruthless. “You’ve all read the announcement. This is my wife.”

He gestured to me without warmth. “She will be involved in the company moving forward. Any questions will be answered publicly in two hours. Privately? You know your boundaries.”

A murmur rippled through the room.

One older man leaned forward, eyes gleaming. “If you don’t mind me asking, President, what exactly will Mrs. Wolfe’s role be?”

The question hung in the air like a dagger.

Cassian’s gaze sharpened, ice flashing behind his eyes. His smile twisted into something hard and unforgiving.

“A role far beyond what you’re capable of understanding and it's best you keep your curiosity in check.”

The room fell silent, the weight of his words pressing down like a stone. The older man’s smirk faltered for the briefest moment, just enough to reveal the sting beneath his composure.

I forced myself to keep my expression neutral, even as my heart pounded.

The meeting began. The first few minutes were just numbers, assets, market projections and strategies. Cassian spoke in sharp, exact and unreadable tones.

I just sat there trying to keep my mask in place, but every second was a fight against the panic clawing its way up my chest.

And then…

“Next item is the Ravenwood Studio acquisition.”

The name landed like a blow to my stomach.

I blinked. Had I misheard?

Acquisition?

My heart nearly stopped as I tried to process what I heard.

Cassian’s fingers tapped once against the table.

“Explain,” he ordered.

Sinclair, the older board member Cassian trusted, slid a sleek file across the table.

“Progress on the acquisition of Ravenwood Studio,” Sinclair said calmly. “We’re proceeding, but there is resistance.”

The blood drained from my face.

Ravenwood Studio.

My family’s empire. My parents’ legacy. The very company my grandfather built from nothing.

The place I’d once dreamed of saving.

Cassian’s voice broke through my thoughts, calm and cold:

“From whom?”

“The chairman, your wife’s grandfather. He is proving an unexpected obstacle.”

I couldn’t breathe. My grandfather.

The only man who had ever protected me. The only one who showed me love after my parents died, until the others poisoned his mind against me.

I swallowed hard, forcing a neutral expression on my face, but my heart was pounding so loud I could barely hear Sinclair’s next words.

“He hasn’t publicly opposed the acquisition,” Sinclair said, “but he’s blocking internal votes, quietly using old alliances.”

Cassian’s tone didn’t shift. “They won’t hold.”

“There’s also informal interference from Danielle Ravenwood,” Sinclair added. “One of the younger family members. There's no direct authority, but stirring sentiment among the staff and creatives.”

Danielle. Of course. A snake in a designer dress.

Cassian remained cold, eyes fixed on the documents.

“Push forward. Increase pressure on key shareholders.”

“Understood.”

My throat burned. The room swayed faintly.

He didn’t tell me.

Not a word.

Our deal was a war against his family. But now he was using this marriage - our marriage like a weapon, all while gutting the last piece of my family’s legacy, the only thing that still mattered to the one man who had ever loved me.

A bitter taste filled my mouth. My hands clenched in my lap.

Sinclair glanced my way, polite but calculating. “There will be PR fallout once your marriage goes public. Given Mrs. Wolfe’s ties.”

“Contained,” Cassian said without hesitation.

Contained. As though my life was a PR problem to be managed.

The meeting rolled on but I barely heard a word as blood roared in my ears.

My heart was caught in fire and ice.

I wanted revenge but never like this. Never in a way that would hurt my grandfather.

A part of me wanted to scream in opposition but another part… a darker part… whispered: Let it burn.

They had ruined me, lied to my grandfather and made him cast me out. The rest of them - Danielle, my uncles, my cousins - they deserved to lose everything. For them, I would watch. I would burn it to ash with my own hands.

The meeting ended. Cassian said in a firm whisper, “The press conference will be rescheduled. In seven days' time, be ready.”

It wasn't a question, it was an order.

When the boardroom emptied, I finally spoke. My voice was tight, low:

“You’re trying to acquire Ravenwood Studio.”

Cassian adjusted his cufflink, cool and unaffected. “Yes.”

“You didn’t think I should know?”

His gaze was cold steel. “It was irrelevant to your role here.”

The words sliced deeper than they should have.

“He’s still my grandfather,” I said. My voice trembled, barely.

Cassian’s eyes flickered, but his tone remained flat. “And the rest of your family?”

I met his gaze, something dark blooming in my chest. “I want them to lose.”

Finally, a pause. A faint flicker of approval in his eyes.

“Then you’ll stand beside me and watch them fall,” he said walking away, leaving me alone with my rage, and guilt.

I had married a Wolfe, and now I’d have to fight like one. No more soft edges or sentiment. That part of me was already gone.