AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Clearly you do,” I say with a snort. “I don’t have any money, Dad. I can’t pay whatever debt you owe, assuming all they want is for you to pay them back.”
I stare at him, my chest tightening as I recall the countless times I've bailed him out of situations like this. The world we live in is a cruel and unforgiving place. Once you owe, you're owned. It's an unspoken rule among the elite and the wealthy. You borrow, you return, and if you can't, they have ways to make sure you do. Ways that often involve pain and fear.
It's a dangerous game of power, wealth and control, and my father, he's played it one too many times. Those who can't pay their debts end up as examples. Their fates are whispered in hushed tones at elite gatherings. Family empires crumble, reputations are ruined, and lives are lost. It's a gamble, and this time, he’s taken a bet against the Blackharts, a family notorious for their ruthlessness.
“I’ve handled it,” he says.
I suck in a sharp breath, not liking the tone in his voice. There are unspoken laws that govern our world. A world where the elite's power plays and hidden agendas shape our lives more than any public laws ever could. In our circle, reputation is more than a social currency. It's a lifeline.
The façades of affluence and propriety mask a world rife with silent battles for dominance. Here, debts aren't just financial. They're personal bonds of power and control. To owe someone is to be ensnared in their grasp, subject to their whims and mercy. It’s a high-stakes game among the privileged.
“How did you handle it?” I question. “Please tell me you did do something reckless.”
“I gave you to Jackson Blackhart and he accepted as payment for the debt,” Dad tells me as if it’s no big deal.
“You did what?” I shout. “You can’t be serious? I am not a piece of meat you can sell to settle your debts.”
The hand comes so fast that I don’t have time to block it. My head whips back from the force of his slap. My cheek stings, and I rub it before turning back to look at him with anger in my eyes.
“Mind your tongue, little girl,” he snaps. “I had no choice. Jackson would have killed me. Marriage was the only way.”
I reel from the sharp sting of his slap, with a bitter taste creeping up my throat. A rush of anger swells within me, hot and wild and fierce, yet there's also a chilling realization that spreads through my veins. This is not the father I once knew. This is not the man who held me when I cried, who taught me to ride a bike, who showed me the stars and made me believe in magic.
That man is a ghost, replaced by this monster of desperation and greed. Sorrow for my once happy family is replaced with a burning resolve. I will not be a pawn in his game of debts. I will not let my life be dictated by his mistakes. I am not his to barter.
“So, I have to marry that monster because you got greedy?” I scream, not caring if he hits me again.
My dad has done a lot of fucked up things, and I’ve forgiven him for it. However, this takes the cake. I’ve not once used my body to get him out of trouble, and he offers me up on a silver platter to save his own ass like it's nothing.
“It’s a good deal,” he says. “Jackson’s reputation is all rumors. The Blackharts are upstanding people.”
“Yet, he’s willing to accept an unwilling woman as his bride?” I snort. “Yes, really fucking upstanding.”
Jackson Blackhart is a name whispered with a mixture of fear and respect in our circles. Rumors of his ruthlessness are as dark as they are numerous, but there are also whispers of a different kind. Some say he's not just the cold-hearted villain he's made out to be. I don't know what to believe, but I do know one thing. Being bound to Jackson Blackhart might be more complicated and dangerous than I could ever imagine.
“Look at me, Dad,” I implore, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to spill from my eyes.
I see him glance at me, and it's a look I've seen far too often. It's not one of guilt or remorse but of desperation, a wild fear that he's been cornered without an escape.
“I know you're scared,” I say as calmly as I can manage. “But this...this isn't the way. You can't just trade my life away to save your own.”
"I can and I will," he replies without remorse.
“I refuse to do this!” I snap, angry that he can be so careless with my life.
Dad’s arm whips out quickly, and his clammy hand wraps around my throat. He tugs me closer until we’re nose to nose.
“The wedding is in three days. You will walk down the aisle, marry Jackson, and you will do it with a fucking smile on your face. Understood?” he growls.
I grab his hand, trying to pull away from him. “I will never sell my body to pay your debts. You’ll have to find some other way. I won’t do it.”
“You will, or I will sell all of your mother’s possessions and sell this house,” he growls.
He knows how much I miss my mom and how I love my childhood home. However, I don’t think I love it enough to trade my life away to a monster. I don’t think Mom would want me to, either.
“I won’t do it,” I say, defiance clear in my tone and eyes.
He releases my throat, and I sigh in relief. Until his meaty hand wraps around my hair and tugs.
