Chapter 1

Winona Nander was known in her circle for her untamed, radiant charm. She'd watched lions bare their teeth on the Alencan savannah, danced until dawn in the underground clubs of Bolund, and switched boyfriends as casually as changing outfits. There was hardly a reckless thing she hadn't done. But fate had other plans. She was arranged to marry Caleb Solt, the most disciplined and restrained gentleman in their circle. At their first meeting, Winona deliberately arrived five hours late, determined to put him in his place. But her father's men dragged her straight out of a bar and delivered her to an exclusive teahouse. When she arrived, Caleb was seated by the window, quietly sipping tea. Afternoon light filtered through the lattice, tracing soft shadows across his refined profile. He sat with calm grace, as if he had been waiting not for five hours, but mere minutes. Frank Nander looked embarrassed as he nudged Winona forward. "Sorry, Caleb. It took us some time to make her presentable." Caleb's gaze drifted past Winona and settled on her ankle, reddened from the strain of high heels. Settling down his teacup, he rose and fetched a brand-new pair of soft-soled slippers. Under everyone's shocked gaze, he crouched before her. After removing her torturous heels, he slipped the comfortable slippers onto her feet. He didn't forget to retrieve a Band-Aid and carefully placed it over the blister on her heel. When everyone was done, he got to his feet and gazed at Frank, his voice calm. "Mr. Nander, my fiancee doesn't need to be presentable." Turning to Winona, his deep eyes seemed to hold the vastness of a starry sky. "She just needs to be herself." In that moment, Winona heard her heart pounding wildly. She knew she was done for. The wildest, most untamed wind had fallen for a mountain that seemed immovable. It was only after their marriage that Winona finally understood what it meant to be living in restraint. Caleb lived like a precisely programmed machine—waking at 7:00 am, sleeping at 11:00 pm, eating each meal at the same time and in the same amount. He even scheduled intimacy for the 15th and 30th of each month. His meticulousness drove Winona mad. She tried everything to stir his emotions. This included a series of incidents—losing her license after a speeding ticket, starting a public argument at an auction, and intentionally making the daughter of a disliked business partner burst into tears. She tried seducing him by wandering around his study in her sexiest nightwear, deliberately straddling his lap to cause a scene during his meetings, and teasing him by blowing softly in his ear. Yet, no matter what she did, Caleb's handsome face remained utterly expressionless. She had never seen any trace of ordinary emotions—joy, anger, jealousy, or even helplessness—on his face. One day, Winona set fire to a cafe she despised and was promptly taken to the police station. She sat idly on the bench, bored out of her mind, until steady footsteps approached from outside. Cleared quickly by his bodyguards, a man in a sharp black suit entered. He possessed an intense, almost searing authority that compelled everyone to keep their distance. He walked straight to her and extended his hand. "It's settled. Let's go home." Winona remained seated, tilting her head back to look up at him. Her eyes carried a faint, almost imperceptible flicker of hope. "Caleb, why is your expression always the same, no matter what you're dealing with? Can't you smile?" Caleb looked at her. "Do you think this is funny?" "Are you mad I caused trouble again? Will you punish me?" With a seductive gaze, she finally rose from the bench. She deliberately reached for his hand and firmly placed it on her hip. Caleb's gaze remained calm, his breathing steady. "This is hardly worth punishing. Even if you raise hell, I could handle it." Winona felt a surge of fury constricting her chest, nearly unable to speak. "Aren't you going to ask why I set the cafe on fire? I'll tell you why! Someone ogled me and tried to harass me! Look, he even touched my hand! Aren't you at least a little jealous?" Caleb's gaze lingered on her hand for a moment, his expression still unreadable. "Next time something like this happens, just have the bodyguards handle it." Winona clenched her jaw, her anger rising at how stubborn he was. "Caleb, you clueless old man! You're boring and stubborn!" Hearing her words, Caleb replied solemnly, "You're only 24, and I'm five years older than you, so yes, I am a bit old." A wave of fury crashed through Winona. He was always the same. Every time she gave her all to stir things up, it felt like punching a pillow, with nothing but helplessness bouncing back at her. Wordless with rage, she yanked her hand free from his attempt to hold it and stormed ahead into the waiting Cullinan. Caleb followed her into the car and instructed his chauffeur, Wesley Sinclair, "Back to the mansion." The car was about to drive away when Winona suddenly cut in. "Wait. Get out for a while and come back later." Wesley glanced at Caleb through the rearview mirror. Caleb gave a slight nod, so Wesley hastily got out of the car and hurried away. "What do you want?" Caleb gazed at her. Winona inched nearer, her deft fingers sliding to his waist to unbuckle his expensive belt. A sly smile lit her lips. "Mr. Solt, have you been so busy that you forgot that today is the 15th, the day we're supposed to have sex?" Caleb's gaze lingered on the bustling street outside the window, his voice calm as ever. "You want to do it here in the car?" "Can't we?" Winona teased, giving him a sultry look as her fingertips traced circles over his tense muscles. "Isn't it good to stimulate an old machine like you?" Caleb looked at her silently for a few seconds, his gaze dark. Without another word, he lifted a hand to cup the back of her neck and bent down to kiss her. His kiss carried his signature scent, cool and intense. Winona responded with ferocious force, trying to ignite his desire. Her nails raked across his back as a sultry murmur escaped her lips by his ear. She was using every tantalizing, teasing trick she knew. Alas, no matter how hard she tried, he remained the most precise musician following a set composition; his breathing did not even falter in the slightest. Winona was about to give up when Caleb's phone, left aside, rang suddenly. He froze in mid-action and reached for his phone. Winona had no idea what was said on the other end, but Caleb's eternally calm expression suddenly shifted. Though it was only a faint frown and a slight darkening of his eyes, to her, it was nothing short of earth-shattering. He pulled away and smoothed his slightly disheveled clothes. "Winnie, I have something else to take care of. You should leave." Winona's eyes widened in disbelief. "Caleb! I haven't…" "Behave," he interrupted, his tone softening slightly yet still distant. "I'll make it up to you later." He then pushed the door on her side open, signaling her to get out. Winona trembled with rage as she watched him slip into the driver's seat and start the engine. The black vehicle shot off like an arrow, leaving her standing by the curb in front of the police station. "Caleb Solt, you clueless bastard!" she screamed, stomping her foot. Yet, a strong sense of unwillingness and curiosity rose deep within her. What kind of billion-dollar project would make him lose composure and walk away from someone as beautiful as her? She immediately hailed a cab and gave the cab driver Caleb's car license plate number. "Follow that Cullinan ahead!" The car sped all the way and came to a stop in front of a bar named Maze. Winona was stunned. Caleb never touched a drop of alcohol. He was damningly self-disciplined. What on earth was he doing here? She paid her fare, quickly exited the cab, and began sneakily following him. At the bar entrance, she spotted a young woman in a white dress being harassed by a few drunkards. The woman's face had gone pale with fear as she stumbled backward, trying to get away. Following that, a scene that would forever be seared into Winona's memory unfolded right in front of her eyes.