"What the hell have you done, Father?" Eva's voice cut through the heavy silence of the dining room, her body shaking with barely contained rage.
She tossed the document onto the table, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the tense atmosphere.
"How can you just tell me I have to sleep with someone I don't know? Like I'm just a piece of property you can throw away! This is insane!"
Michael's face twisted into a mixture of irritation and defensiveness. "You don't understand the gravity of our situation, Eva," he said, his voice low but intense.
"We're on the brink of losing everything! This is necessary!"
"Necessary?" Eva spat, her fists clenched at her sides, shaking with fury. "You think signing me away to some stranger is necessary? You've completely lost your mind!"
"Enough!" Michael roared, rising to his full height. He crossed the distance between them in an instant, the tension in the air crackling like electricity. "You will do this! You will sleep with his son and bear an heir!"
Eva stared at him, disbelief coursing through her veins like ice. "How can you even think this is right? You want me to be some kind of breeder for your mistakes?
Just because you can't handle the consequences of your own actions?"
"Yes it is a better choice for us all than watching this family crumble!" Michael's voice rose, anger pouring out of him like a dam breaking. "You owe it to me, to your sister, to this family! This is your duty!"
"Duty?" Eva's heart raced as she glared at him, stepping closer, refusing to back down.
"You're treating me like I'm a tool to fix your mess! What about my happiness? Don't I deserve a say in my future?"
"Don't talk about happiness!" he snapped, the desperation creeping into his tone. "Ever since your mother died, all I've done is work to keep this family afloat. And this is how you repay me? With rebellion?"
"Rebellion?" Eva shook her head, frustration spilling out. "You're the one rebelling against common decency! Forcing me into a life I didn't choose? I won't be your pawn! You can't do this to me!"
"Watch your mouth!" Michael's eyes narrowed, fury flickering across his features. "You're a member of this family, and you have your duty! You're going to meet with his son tonight. No questions asked."
"Why do I have to be the one?" Eva's voice trembled with a mix of anger and despair. "What about Olivia? She's older; she should do this!"
"Olivia?" Michael laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "You really think your sister would be willing to throw her life away for us? She has her own plans, her own dreams. This is your responsibility, and you need to face it!"
Oh so you mean Olivia is not suitable to be sold but I am.
"Why should I bear the burden for your mistakes?" Eva retorted, feeling her heart race as anger washed over her.
"I'm not the one who wasted money on your stupid schemes! I'm not the one who let this family drown!"
Michael's patience snapped, and before Eva could react, he struck her hard across the face. The blow sent her stumbling back, shock and hurt flooding her system.
"Don't you ever talk to me like that again!" he shouted, his voice booming in the room. "I am your father, and you will respect my decisions!"
Eva touched her cheek, disbelief mingling with a surge of defiance. "How can I respect this?" she gasped, fighting back tears.
"You expect me to just lie down with a man you picked? No I won't be part of your twisted plan!"
"Then you will suffer the consequences!" Michael's eyes narrowed, a cold fury settling over him. "You will meet Vorak's son, or I will make your life miserable! You think I'm joking?"
"Go ahead!" Eva's breath quickened, adrenaline surging through her veins. "I'd rather face my own misery than live your version of happiness! This is my life, not some game for you to play!"
"Eva." Micheal's voice sliced through the thick silence of the dining room, heavy with authority. "If you won't listen to my decision, then you leave me with no choice but to take drastic action."
"What are you talking about, Father?" Eva asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty as she faced him. The tension in the room felt palpable, as if it were a living entity, ready to explode at any moment.
"Do you think I haven't noticed your little escapades? The late-night outings with that worthless boyfriend of yours?" Micheal's eyes narrowed, his voice low and dangerous.
"If you refuse to comply with my wishes, I will have to eliminate the obstacle standing in your way. I will kill that stupid boyfriend of yours, Kelvin."
Eva felt her heart drop into her stomach. "You wouldn't dare!" she gasped, her mind racing. "You can't be serious! He's done nothing wrong. He's just a—"
"A distraction," he interrupted, his voice rising in anger. "A liability. You are a member of this family, and you have a duty to uphold. If it means making sacrifices for our survival, then so be it."
"Survival?" she echoed, incredulous. "What about my life? My happiness? You want me to sacrifice everything for your mistakes?"
Micheal stepped closer, the tension crackling in the air as he towered over her.
"This is not about your happiness, Eva. This is about the family business and keeping us afloat.
The bankruptcy, the debts—it's all a mess you've made worse with your reckless spending. If I'm forced to take drastic measures, it's on you."
"On me?" Eva shouted, fury boiling over as she felt tears prick at her eyes.
She felt her heart sink, the weight of his words crushing her spirit. "So I'm just a pawn in your game? Is that it?"
"Yes! And you need to accept your role," he growled, anger flaring again. "You will meet Lucifer's son tonight, and that's the end of the discussion."
"Vorak's son?" Eva repeated, incredulous. "You expect me to just accept this? To sleep with someone I don't even know? That's disgusting!"
"Disgusting or not, it's what's necessary to secure our future," Micheal replied, his tone hardening. "You will produce an heir, and that is final.
Your emotions don't matter in this situation."
"Then you really are insane father!" she shouted, the raw emotion spilling from her as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.
"Enough!" Micheal thundered, his patience waning.
"You need to get it through your head that this is happening whether you like it or not. If you refuse, I will make sure that your lover boy doesn't live to see the next day.
"Father, you wouldn't!" Eva gasped, the fear creeping into her voice. "You can't possibly mean that."
"Oh, I absolutely mean it. And you know what I'm capable of.So I am giving you just ten seconds to decide.
Ten seconds before I make a call to make it happen," he said, his voice steady as he began to count down. "Ten… nine…"
"Please!" she cried out, desperation rising in her throat. "Don't do this!
"Eight…" he continued, his gaze unwavering, as if he relished the power he held over her.
"Just give me time!" she pleaded, her heart racing. "This isn't fair! You can't hold his life over my head!"
"Seven…"
"Six…"
"Five.."
"One…" he intoned, his eyes never leaving hers, a cruel smile creeping onto his face. "Make your choice, Eva. It's now or never."
The countdown echoed in her mind like a death knell, and with silent sobs, she blurted out, "I'll go, Father! I'll do it!"
As the final word left her lips, Micheal's demeanor shifted slightly, a flicker of satisfaction crossing his face.
"Good. I knew you would come around," he replied, a smug tone lacing his voice.
"You'll meet with his son tonight, and you will do exactly as I've instructed. No more defiance."