Disguised Desires: A Marriage to a Disabled Billionaire

Rain tapped against the windows of the Kensington estate, a symphony of delicate pings that mirrored the silent rage simmering within Aria. She stood at the base of the grand staircase, her fingers gripping the iron railing, her breath steady but shallow as she waited. The cold marble beneath her feet bit through her thin flats, an unnecessary reminder of the icy reception she was about to receive. Above her, faint laughter echoed through the halls-her sister Liliana's voice, sweet and melodic, cutting through the suffocating tension like a knife.

She clenched her jaw. Tonight. Tonight would be different. She had spent the entire week planning, waiting for the right moment to finally introduce her boyfriend, Jason, to her family. It was meant to be perfect. She imagined her father's nod of approval, her stepmother's dismissive comments that Aria would smile through. Most importantly, she wanted Liliana to finally see that Aria had something she couldn't take away.

But Liliana always had a way of getting what she wanted.

Taking a deep breath, Aria straightened her back and moved forward, following the light and laughter that filled the parlor room. Jason had arrived just half an hour ago. She had been too nervous to bring him straight into the lion's den, but now she had no choice.

Inside, her father sat in his usual armchair, swirling a glass of whiskey, disinterested as always. Her stepmother, Irene, was poised like a queen on the opposite side of the room, her emerald-green silk dress pooling around her in an impossibly elegant cascade. Liliana lounged casually on the chaise, her long legs crossed, her lips curled into a smug, practiced smile.

But the moment Aria's eyes landed on Jason, standing beside Liliana, her heart plummeted. His back was to her, but it was clear something was wrong. Too close. They were too close.

"Aria," Liliana's voice dripped with saccharine sweetness. "You took your time, didn't you?"

Aria ignored the jab, stepping further into the room. Her eyes darted to Jason. He didn't move, didn't even seem to notice her entrance. Her gut twisted. What's going on?

"Jason," she called softly, but he didn't turn. Liliana raised an eyebrow, her smile widening like a predator about to pounce.

"Jason," Aria repeated, louder this time, her voice sharper. His shoulders tensed, and then he slowly turned to face her. The expression on his face nearly knocked the air out of her lungs-guilt, laced with something else she couldn't quite place. There was an almost apologetic look in his eyes, like a man caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Aria felt the knot in her stomach tighten. Her hands began to shake.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to stay calm. Jason didn't meet her gaze. Instead, he glanced at Liliana, and Aria's world seemed to narrow down to the unspoken exchange that passed between them.

"I was just telling Jason," Liliana began, her voice dripping with false innocence, "about the family business. You know, Aria, it's such a shame you're not more involved. Jason was so interested to learn about it."

Aria swallowed hard, her throat dry. "I've told him about the business."

"Not like this." Liliana's smile widened. "He didn't know everything, did he, Jason?"

Jason shifted uncomfortably, finally meeting Aria's eyes for a fleeting second before he looked away. "I... I didn't realize how complicated things were."

Aria's heart began to race, the weight of the room crushing her chest. "What's complicated?"

Her stepmother, Irene, chose that moment to chime in, her voice cool and condescending. "Aria, darling, Jason didn't know about your... position in the family. Isn't that something you should have told him?"

"My position?" Aria repeated, confused. She had never hidden the fact that she was the illegitimate daughter-something her father had made clear from the day she was born. Jason knew everything. He had been with her through the worst of it, had comforted her when her father dismissed her achievements, when Irene treated her like a servant.

Liliana stood then, her movements slow, deliberate. She crossed the room and casually draped an arm over Jason's shoulder. "He didn't know you wouldn't be getting any of the Kensington fortune."

Aria's stomach dropped. Her mind raced to catch up. "Jason, I told you-I told you that I wasn't going to inherit anything. We've talked about this."

Jason finally spoke, his voice low and strained. "You didn't tell me everything. I didn't know... that you had no claim to the family's assets. Not even a penny."

A hollow silence filled the room as Aria stood frozen in place, disbelief clawing at her chest. "That doesn't change anything," she whispered, more to herself than to Jason.

But he didn't seem to hear her. "I thought you were going to have more than this," he continued, his eyes flicking between her and Liliana. "I thought your family was going to support us."

"Us?" Liliana laughed, the sound light and airy, as though this was all some amusing little game. "Oh, Jason, you're so sweet. 'Us' isn't really in the cards, is it?"

Aria's pulse pounded in her ears. "What the hell is this?"

Jason stepped back from Liliana, running a hand through his hair, clearly torn between his guilt and the sudden shift in his priorities. "I'm sorry, Aria, I just-this isn't what I signed up for."

"You signed up for me!" Aria's voice cracked, the anger rising in her chest, hot and uncontrollable. "I've been with you for three years, Jason. We've talked about the future, we've talked about getting away from all of this. And now you're-what? Siding with her?"

He wouldn't look at her.

Her stepmother's voice cut through the chaos, as sharp as a blade. "You should consider yourself lucky, Aria. At least you'll still have a marriage."

The words hit Aria like a slap. Her chest constricted. "What... what are you talking about?"

Irene rose gracefully from her chair, moving across the room to stand beside Liliana and Jason, her presence commanding as ever. "Your father has agreed that since Liliana will be... otherwise occupied, you'll be fulfilling the family's marriage contract."

Aria's vision blurred. "Marriage contract?" Her voice was barely a whisper now, her mind struggling to keep up with the nightmare unfolding around her. "What contract?"

Liliana's smile turned venomous. "Oh, didn't they tell you? I was supposed to marry Damon Blackwood. But now, thanks to your little boyfriend here," she gestured to Jason, "I have other priorities. So you'll be stepping in."

The room spun.

"Damon Blackwood?" Aria repeated, incredulity and horror blending into one. Damon Blackwood was a name whispered with fear and awe in high society-rumors of his immense wealth, his reclusiveness, his supposed disability. He was dangerous, powerful, and, by all accounts, not someone to be crossed.

"Yes," Irene confirmed with a nod, her smile thin and cold. "The contract was signed long ago. It was originally for Liliana, but circumstances have changed. You'll marry him by the end of the month."

Aria's heart stopped.

Jason shifted awkwardly, guilt flashing across his face again, but it was clear he wasn't going to fight this. He wasn't going to fight for her.

"You can't be serious," Aria breathed, stepping forward, her voice trembling with desperation. "You're telling me I have to marry a stranger-someone I've never met, someone... disabled?"

Liliana laughed again, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, don't worry about that, darling. You'll learn to love him. After all, what other options do you have?"

Aria stared at her, at all of them, the walls of the room closing in. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. She had spent her entire life clawing for just a shred of dignity, a shred of freedom, and now they were taking that from her too?

"I won't do it," she said, her voice quiet but firm, her chest heaving with the effort it took to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. "I won't."

Her father, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, his voice low and final. "You don't have a choice, Aria."

The weight of those words settled over her like a death sentence. Her entire body felt cold, her heart racing with a mix of fury and helplessness.

Jason shifted beside Liliana, looking down at the floor. He didn't speak. He didn't defend her.

Aria turned to him, her voice breaking. "Jason... please."

But he didn't meet her gaze.

And in that moment, Aria realized she had lost everything-her family, her love, her future.

Her fate had been sealed.