"Sign the contract." Jake's voice was firm, unyielding. His dark eyes pinned her in place, an intensity she couldn't quite fathom.
"And if I don't?" Jay challenged, trying to match his stare. Her voice shook slightly, but her pride wouldn't let her flinch.
"You don't have a choice, Jay. Do not test me."
She swallowed hard, the weight of reality pressing down on her. Her little sister's life rested in her hands. Jake had made it brutally clear what was at stake. She could not, would not, gamble with that.
"One year," he continued, softer this time, almost as if he were offering her a twisted mercy. "After that… you leave. Your sister stays with us. She'll have the best education, the best life you never got."
Jay's throat tightened. Relief and guilt tangled inside her chest. At least she could give her sister what she never had. At least she could protect her.
She stared down at the crisp paper on the table, the pen that could seal her fate resting at the edge. Every choice she had ever made, every wrong turn, every sacrifice flashed before her. And in that moment, she felt the heavy, suffocating weight of responsibility.
Her hand moved before her mind fully agreed. She grabbed the pen, pressing it harshly against the paper. Her signature marked the beginning of a life she had never chosen.
Jake's expression didn't change, but a faint nod acknowledged her submission. He took the paper with an indifferent grace, leaving her with a single, piercing glance that made her shiver.
Jay stood, forcing herself to walk out of his office with her chin high. Every step felt heavy, yet necessary. This was her choice now… or the only one that truly mattered.