The Offer
Bella pov
"Can you hear me? Are you with me?"
Samuel's voice echoed in my ears, snapping me back to reality. I blinked, trying to orient myself in the stark, sterile room. Had I imagined everything: the park, the mysterious text, the subway ride? "Am I hallucinating? Or just delusional? It's happened again," I muttered to myself, shaking off the eerie sensation that clung to me like a wet blanket.
"Bella," Samuel said, his tone sharp and insistent. "If you agree to this contract, sign here. Once you sign, there's no going back." He slid the pen across the table, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made me shiver.
I stared at the contract, my thoughts racing. Just moments ago, I'd been on the subway, anticipating a call that never came. Everything felt disjointed, as if reality had shifted without me noticing. My hands trembled slightly as I reached for the paper.
"Please," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Can you give me some time? Let me read through it today and get back to you?"
Samuel scrutinized me, his expression unreadable. A chill ran down my spine; it felt like he was dissecting my very soul. After what felt like an eternity, he finally nodded, though the curt motion did little to ease my anxiety.
"Okay," he said, rising from his seat. "Do whatever you need to. Get back to me tomorrow. I'll await your call." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone at the table.
I watched him go, my mind spinning. "Is he really this reasonable, or is he hiding something?" I whispered to myself, trying to piece together the puzzle of this bizarre encounter. There was something off about him, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
As I stood to leave, I noticed the contract lying on the table, glaring at me like a snake ready to strike. I picked it up and stuffed it into my bag, its weight pulling at my conscience. "Where do I even begin with this?" I wondered as I exited the restaurant and hailed a cab.
During the ride home, I flipped through the contract, the legal jargon overwhelming my already frazzled mind. But one clause leaped out at me: if I broke the contract, I'd have to pay back the money in full and in cash. "How on earth could I ever come up with that kind of money?" I murmured, my heart sinking.
The cab pulled up in front of the prison where my brother, Mark, was being held. I paid the driver and hurried inside, only to be met by a nurse rushing toward me.
"Miss Thompson?" she asked, her face etched with concern. "Your brother has been transferred to the hospital. He had some complications. You should go there immediately."
Panic seized me. "What happened? Is he okay?" I blurted, my chest tightening.
"He's stable for now, but his condition has deteriorated. You need to get a good lawyer to push for bail and better medical care," she said, her voice firm but kind.
Numb with shock, I nodded and made my way to the hospital, my thoughts a chaotic whirlwind. When I arrived, I found Mark pale and weak, his eyes barely open.
"Bella…" he whispered, his voice frail.
"I'm here, Mark. I'm right here," I said, taking his hand. Tears stung my eyes as I looked at him, the only family I had left. "Don't worry; I'm going to get you out of here. I promise."
But as I sat by his bedside, the weight of my promise crushed down on me. I knew the only way to keep it was to sign that contract. The thought made my stomach churn, but what choice did I have? I couldn't lose him, not after everything we'd been through.
"I'll do whatever it takes," I whispered, more to myself than to Mark. "I'll sign it."
That night, I returned to my small flat, the contract clutched tightly in my hands. The decision weighed heavily on me, and as I sat at my kitchen table, the walls felt like they were closing in. "Two years," I thought, staring at the document. "Two years of my life for his freedom. Can I really do this?"
But every time I hesitated, the image of Mark lying in that hospital bed pushed me forward. "This is for him," I reminded myself. "This is for my brother."
With a deep breath, I pulled the pen from my bag and hovered it over the signature line. My hand shook as I wrote my name, each letter feeling like a nail in my coffin. But as soon as I finished, a strange sense of calm washed over me. "It's done," I said aloud, the finality of it settling in my chest.
Just as I was about to put the contract away, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen; it was a text message from an unknown number.
"Do not sign it. The Asher is dangerous. Meet me at the park tomorrow at 9 AM if you want the truth. - J"
My heart skipped a beat. "Who is this?" I wondered, my eyes darting around the room as if someone might be watching. The message felt like a lifeline, pulling me back from the edge of a precipice I hadn't realized I was standing on.
I read the message again and again, my mind racing. "I've seen this happening before, but I can't see how it finishes. Who is this Sam? Why am I seeing this?" The question nagged at me. "Should I go?" I asked myself, torn between the safety of what I knew and the danger of the unknown. But the thought of discovering something that could change everything was too tempting to ignore.
"I have to know," I decided. "I have to find out who J is and what they know."
With that resolve, I carefully folded the contract and tucked it back into my bag. I stood up, my legs feeling like lead as I walked to my bedroom. Every step felt heavier than the last, as if I were trudging through thick mud. I collapsed onto my bed, utterly exhausted in body and mind.
As I lay there, staring up at the ceiling, my thoughts spiraled. "What if J is right? What if Samuel is more dangerous than I realize?" But then the thought of Mark, of the promise I made, pushed its way back in. "I can't back out now," I told myself. "I've already signed. There's no turning back."
Even so, the seed of doubt had been planted, and as much as I tried to push it aside, it took root in my mind. "I'll go to the park tomorrow," I decided. "I need to hear what J has to say. I owe myself that much."
With that determination, I finally closed my eyes, willing sleep to come. But even as I drifted off, the echo of Samuel's voice lingered in my mind. "You stick to a deal once you've signed the contract," he had said. "You cannot change your mind again."
But now, with J's message looming large in my thoughts, I wasn't so sure. I had signed the contract, yes, but perhaps there was still time to save myself from whatever fate awaited me. And with that uncertain hope, I finally drifted off to sleep, my dreams filled with sh
adows and whispers, and the promise of secrets yet to be uncovered.