Feeling as though the ground had been pulled from under me, I fixed blankly at my parents. Sitting across from me, they showed fake relief, as though they had just delivered the finest news of my life. Still, all I experienced was shock.
"You're saying the debt has been canceled?" I spoke no more than a whisper.
Mom said, attempting to keep her voice steady, "Yes, honey." "It's been handled. We were able to protect your future and restore the family's name.
My hands shook as I held the chair's edge. And in exchange: I'm meant to wed a man I've never met?
Dad slanted forward and cleared his throat. " Not just any man, Elena. This offers a chance. He is really powerful and influential. Damon Blackwood has means to guarantee our family keeps everything.
I shook my head, attempting to sort through everything. "My age is nineteen! I am still a college student. And Damon Blackwood is... not more than you are older?
They looked at each other then Mom reached across to grab my hand. Her hold was painfully firm, a desperation I had never seen in her eyes. "We know this is a lot, Ellie, but consider what he has to give us and yourself. You will be under good care. Damon can enable you to lead the life most people only dream of.
Before I could stop it, an odd, sour laugh leaked out. "A life I did not decide upon."
Dad wrinkled, his tolerance running thin. "Elena, keep things from getting more difficult than it must be. You should count yourself lucky for this chance. We accomplished this for all of us as well as for you. With him, your life will be wonderful.
"A decent life?" I answered, my voice full of incredulity. "You sold me to the highest bidder to clear your debt, and now you're calling it an opportunity??"
Mom's eyes started to seem begging. Elena, it was between losing the company or this. If you approved of the marriage, Damon was ready to forgive everything. We thought it was a reasonable trade.
What I was listening to astounded me. My own family was embracing it as though it were a gift, even though they had set me to wed a merciless billionaire—a man notorious for his cold, calculated methods.
"And if I disagree?," My voice said no more than a whisper, I asked.
The quiet that descended seemed like a smack to the face.
Dad's mouth grew tighter. "Then we lose everything, Ellie. Our house is the corporation; everything. We have been driven into a corner. There is just one way out.
Trapped, my pulse beating as truth sank in, I turned aside. They were not going to let me decline. I was supposed to follow this "deal," to give up all I had dreamed of—all for a man I had never met.
"What kind of person is he?" At last, my voice was so delicate I almost missed hearing myself.
Another glance passed between my parents, one I was unable to interpret. Mom spoke in a timid voice. "Damon Blackwood is a multifarious man. But he's rich, well-known, and—well, he's given us his word of recommendation that he would look after you.
I felt my heart stop. Their evasive descriptions made it much worse. Damon Blackwood had a reputation that made even the most strong commercial tycoons cautious around him. In business, he was renowned to be merciless; murmurs of his personal life only served to add to his mystique. Though I heard he was in his forties, a man who had created an empire by disposing of anyone in his path, I had never really seen him in person.
Looking at my parents, realizing they would let me leave with this without thinking twice, the room felt stifling and I could hardly breathe. For the survival of the family, they had already decided to forego my future, my independence.
When I did talk at last, my voice sounded empty. " Fine. I am going to wed him.
Dad let out a long exhale and Mom's shoulders slumped with relaxation. I still had to complete it though.
"But I have conditions," I said, a sliver of rebellion slithering in.
Both startled, they both looked up.
I said decisively, "I want to finish college and I want to be part of the business." I desire that much if I were to give up everything else.
Dad moved uneasily, but Mom nodded right away. Naturally, honey. We'll discuss this with Damon. He will surely grasp.
I was unsure about it. Although Damon Blackwood was not known for his empathy, it was the only approach I could persuade myself to carry out my plan. Maybe this wouldn't be the total end of my life as I knew it if I could hang onto some little of my dreams.
Mom stroked my hand, a grin flickering through her concern. Ellie will see, you will see. All will work out from here.
But a frigid sensation crept into my chest as I sat there. I wasn't convinced, and nothing they said would change my attitude. If he wished, I was going to wed a guy who could wipe off anything I cared about.
The room went quiet, and I allowed my eyes to stray to the window, peering out into the darkness, wondering what kind of future I was headed into.
Lying in bed, I was not asleep. The events of the day kept coming back in my thoughts, and the anxiety bit me sharp and relentless. Though all I could see from his picture was the dark, austere eyes from a man who knew exactly what he wanted and didn't care who he harmed to obtain it, I attempted to picture what he would be like.
On the nightstand my phone buzzed. Looking for a diversion, I grabbed it. Still, my heart stopped when I unlocked the screen.
"Good evening Miss Rivera. I know we will soon be getting acquainted. I am looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. I hope you are on time. Damien Blackwood.
The words frigid and exact came back at me. They seemed to reflect the man personally, a man I would be bound to by dawn.
Today and tomorrow.
Realizing there was nowhere to escape, I choked hard and gripped the phone tightly.
I sat there in the low light of my chamber, the quiet crushing down on me. Trapped, I felt as the minutes passed an icy certainty enveloped me.
I had no idea what was ahead and I was about to enter a life I did not want with a man I hardly know.
And a horrible idea crept in while I laid there:
What if this relationship served purposes beyond only marriage? What if Damon Blackwood chose me for personal motives as well as if I wasn't the only one with secrets to keep?