EchoX

She signed the contract with quiet grace — not because she was naïve, but because kindness had always been her armor. Charlotte was gentle by nature, the kind of woman who apologized when others bumped into her. She didn’t raise her voice, didn’t make demands… yet she held onto dignity like it was stitched into her soul. He needed a wife on paper. She needed a lifeline. No romance. No complications. No touching. Simple. Until Adrian Blackwell — the frosty CEO carved from glass and pride — began to thaw. He shields her from paparazzi, adjusts her coat when she’s cold, and growls at anyone who dares speak harshly to her. His words remain controlled, but his actions whisper something dangerously close to devotion. He said it was just a contract. Then why does he look at her like she’s the only soft thing he’s ever wanted to keep? She promised not to fall in love. Too late — even ice melts in gentle hands.