I was being sold.
In less than forty-eight hours, I would be married off to Sebastian Morales, a man I barely knew, a man my father had chosen like I was nothing more than a signature at the bottom of a deal.
For the tenth time, I picked up the contract, my hands trembling as I read it aloud, as though the words might rearrange themselves out of pity.
They didn't.
The dread settled deeper in my chest, heavy and suffocating, as I scanned every line again, searching for a loophole… an escape… anything.
There was none.
I dropped onto my bed, the paper slipping from my fingers as the weight of it all came crashing down on me. The same helplessness. The same suffocating fear.
The same feeling I had felt twelve years ago.
Silence filled the room, but my mind was anything but quiet. My fists clenched as I forced myself to breathe, to gather the courage I never had back then.
What if I had said no?
What if I hadn't frozen that night?
What if I hadn't stood there useless, terrified, while my father destroyed everything?
My chest tightened as the memory clawed its way back.
Blood stained the floor. Broken glass crunched beneath my feet. The room smelled of something metallic… something final.
And my mother…
Her eyes found mine.
Soft. Loving. Fading.
Like I was the only thing she could still hold onto.
And I...
I did nothing.
My phone rang, slicing through the memory like a blade.
I gasped, dragging in air as reality snapped back into place. My hands shook as I reached for it.
Edward.
My breath caught.
I hadn't told him.
Not about the contract. Not about the marriage. Not about the fact that in less than two days, I would become the wife of the man he hated most.
Sebastian Morales.
A bitter laugh threatened to escape me.
How was I supposed to tell him that his enemy was about to become my husband?
This wasn't just bad news.
This was a war waiting to happen.
And I was standing right at the center of it.
My fingers tightened around the phone… then I turned it off.
No.
I couldn't do this over a call.
I had to face him.
I rushed downstairs, my heart pounding violently against my ribs, my steps unsteady as I made my way to the door..
Only to stop short.
He was already there.
My father.
A slow, knowing smile stretched across his lips as he leaned on his black cane, his tailored suit perfectly in place like he wasn't the devil standing in my way.
My body reacted before I could stop it.
I stepped back.
My gaze dropped.
Just like always.
"Where do you think you're going… princess?"
My stomach twisted at the word.
Princess.
The same word he used when he made me lie.
The same word he used when he turned me into bait.
The same word he used while stripping me of every choice I ever had.
To him, I wasn't a daughter.
I was leverage.
All I ever wanted was a simple life, to run my art studio where I paint the world I never had and stay out of my father's twisted business.
He shortened the distance between us, standing just a few inches away from me, the faint smell of cigar smoke hitting my nose.
I didn't dare raise my head up.
I heard him tsk and he shook his head.
He placed his chapped palm on my cheek, as he raised my head slowly.
I'm sure he could feel the fear seeping through me from his palm.
"Just where are you rushing to my princess?" He said as his lips parted in a stretched smile, showing his coffee-stained teeth beneath. His eyes gleamed with wild amusement.
"I'm...going to..see..Edward" my voice broke.
"Hmmm," he scoffed "I see".
I said nothing, I just stood, waiting for his permission to go.
"You should go then, have your little romantic farewell. enjoy it while it lasts, because by Saturday morning, you will be Mrs Morales". There wasn't a flicker of empathy in his tone.
He locked his eyes on me once more before he walked away slowly.
I don't know if it was the little courage I had summoned or if I was just finally letting go of that scared cat inside me.
I said, "Why!! why must you do this to me!!," my voice had come out louder than I expected.
My father stopped in his step but didn't turn back.
"No matter what you do princess, even your Edward can't save you from the clutches of Sebastian," he said and walked away.
I crashed to the ground, throat itching as tears streamed downy my face, finally losing the little control I thought I had over my life.
I drove without thinking.
The road blurred beneath me, headlights streaking past like ghosts. My hands gripped the steering wheel too tightly, my knuckles paling as my thoughts spiraled out of control.
How was I supposed to tell him?
How do you look the man you love in the eye and tell him you're about to marry his worst enemy?
My chest tightened.
My breathing hitched.
I barely registered the blaring horns behind me.
"Fucking bitch!" someone yelled as they sped past, but the words barely reached me.
Everything felt distant.
Muted.
Wrong.
I couldn't do this.
I swerved to the side and pulled over abruptly, the car jerking to a halt. Before I could think, I pushed the door open and stumbled out.
My chest constricted.
Air.
I needed air.
But it wouldn't come.
My breaths came out short and broken, each one more useless than the last. My hands shook violently as they pressed against my chest, like I could force my lungs to work, like I could steady the frantic pounding of my heart.
It didn't help.
It never did.
My vision blurred, my knees buckling beneath me as I collapsed onto the pavement.
Cold.
Rough.
Real.
I stayed there, gasping, trembling, unraveling… until slowly—painfully—my breathing began to steady.
By the time I reached Edward's place, the world felt dull, like something inside me had gone quiet.
I checked the time.
A little past ten.
Please be home.
I stepped out of the car, my movements slower now, heavier. My clothes were rumpled, my hair a mess—I must have looked like I had just crawled out of a nightmare.
Maybe I had.
I made my way inside, my heart picking up again with each step.
I didn't find him in his study.
So… his room.
Of course.
On my way upstairs, I ran into Miss Greg. Her eyes lingered on me, taking in my appearance, her expression caught somewhere between concern and confusion.
I gave her a small, tired smile.
She didn't return it.
I didn't blame her.
I stepped into his room quietly.
Empty.
The faint sound of running water came from the bathroom.
He was inside.
Good.
That gave me time.
I sank onto the edge of his bed, my hands clasped tightly together as I tried to steady myself.
Say it.
Just say it.
The words formed in my head, over and over again.
Edward… I'm getting married.
My throat tightened.
No.
That sounded wrong.
Too blunt.
Too cruel.
I swallowed hard, shaking my head.
Maybe if I explained it properly…
Maybe if I told him everything—
My thoughts halted.
A different idea crept in.
Sebastian.
If I could just reach him… talk to him… make him understand—
"Ruthless bastard," I muttered under my breath.
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
I didn't feel guilty.
Not even a little.
We were nothing to each other. No history. No connection. Just two people tied together by a decision neither of us made.
At least… I hoped he hadn't.
There had to be a reason for this.
Something big enough to make my father this desperate.
But whatever it was,
I would find a way out.
I had to.
No one was coming to save me.
Not even Edward.
The bathroom door opened.
My heart stopped.
He stepped out, a white towel wrapped loosely around his waist, droplets of water trailing down his skin. His hair was damp, his expression relaxed
Until he saw me.
"Ari?"
Concern replaced everything else instantly.
"What's wrong?"
He crossed the room in seconds, his hands finding my face, warm… gentle… grounding.
And just like that,
I almost broke.
Say it.
The words burned at the back of my throat.
I'm getting married.
Say it.
His eyes searched mine, filled with worry, with something so painfully genuine it made my chest ache.
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
I just stared at him.
At those eyes.
Those same eyes that had become my safe place.
And all I could think was—
How will they look at me after I tell you?
"Ari…" his voice softened.
He pulled me into his arms, holding me close, one hand resting against the back of my head as he gently stroked my hair.
"It's okay," he murmured.
And that was it.
That was all it took.
The dam broke.
Tears spilled over before I could stop them, my body pressing into his as quiet sobs shook through me. I clung to him, like he was the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely.
Maybe he was.
Minutes passed.
Or maybe longer.
I didn't know.
At some point, the exhaustion caught up with me.
My thoughts slowed.
My body went still.
And without realizing it,
I fell asleep in his arms.
When I woke up, the world hadn't changed.
The contract still existed.
The wedding was still happening.
And I still hadn't told him.
I stared at the ceiling, my chest heavy as reality settled back in.
Telling him now…
wouldn't change anything.
It would only make things worse.
He would be furious.
He would try to stop it.
And if he did,
Someone would get hurt.
Maybe Sebastian.
Maybe Edward.
Maybe…
me.
My fingers curled into the sheets.
No.
This wasn't his fight.
It was mine.
Only I could get myself out of this.
Only I could face what was coming.
I exhaled slowly, forcing the weight back down, locking it where it belonged.
This is my war.
And for the first time…
I wasn't going to run.