Elena's POV
I was in the middle of doing my laundry,less stressful chores that gave me a little sense of normalcy when I heard the front door slam so hard it rattled the old wooden frame. The echo reverberated through the hallway like a warning shot, and I froze, a half-folded T-shirt slipping from my hands.
"Dad?" I called out, but my voice barely rose above a whisper.
A shadow loomed at the end of the hallway. My father, George Clark, stumbled into view. His hair, once neatly combed and parted like the businessman he'd always tried to be, was disheveled, a few gray strands clinging to his forehead with sweat. His tie was crooked, the buttons on his shirt mismatched in a way that told me he'd dressed or undressed in a panic. His eyes darted wildly, unfocused, as if the house he'd lived in for years was suddenly unfamiliar.
"Dad, what's wrong?" I set the laundry basket aside and rushed toward him, grabbing his arm as he wavered on unsteady legs.
He didn't answer. His mouth opened, but no words came. Instead, a strangled sound ,a gasp, a whimper, maybe slipped from his lips. He collapsed into the old armchair by the hallway mirror, head in his hands, and for the first time in my life, I saw my father truly break.
The man who'd taught me to ride a bike, who'd insisted on attending every single dance recital, who'd always found a way to smile even when the bills piled high that man was gone, replaced by a shell of desperation.
"Dad, please," I pleaded, my voice trembling. "Talk to me. What happened? Are you hurt?"
He shook his head, and his voice came out a broken whisper. "Elena… I I've made a terrible mistake."
I knelt in front of him, clutching his knees like a child seeking comfort. "Tell me. Please."
His eyes, red-rimmed and bloodshot, met mine. "I borrowed money, Elena. From the wrong man."
My heart clenched. "What man?"
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing like he'd just choked down poison. "Justin Shawn. CEO of Jush Companies. The most powerful man I've ever met. And the cruelest."
The name sent a shiver down my spine. I'd heard of Justin Shawn, of course. Everyone had. He was the billionaire CEO who'd turned family businesses into monopolies with a single acquisition. Rumors of boardroom betrayals and hostile takeovers followed him like a shadow. I'd always thought of him as some corporate boogeyman, the kind of man you only met in the pages of the business section.
"Dad… how much did you borrow?"
"Too much," he choked. "I thought I could repay it with the new contracts coming in, but the economy everything just" He broke off, tears streaming down his face. "He called in the debt today. Said if I couldn't pay, he'd take something else instead."
I frowned. "Something else? Like what?"
His hands trembled as he reached out and clutched my hands, squeezing them like a lifeline. "You."
The word hit me like a bullet. My breath whooshed out of my lungs, and for a moment the room tilted.
"Me?" I whispered.
He nodded, his face contorted in agony. "Justin said… if I couldn't pay, he'd take my most precious possession. And that's you, Elena. He wants to marry you."
I recoiled as if I'd been struck. "What? Dad no! That's insane!"
"He said it was the only way to save the business. To save everything we've worked for. He said he'd ruin me if I refused. That he'd bury the company in lawsuits, crush every contract everything we have. Everything I've worked for, all gone."
I shook my head, bile rising in my throat. "And you agreed?"
He broke then, his face crumpling, tears falling in earnest. "I didn't want to. God, I didn't want to. I begged him to give me more time, but he wouldn't listen. He's a monster, Elena. A monster with the power to destroy us both."
A bitter laugh escaped me, harsh and cracked. "So you'd rather sell your daughter than face him?"
His voice cracked. "I'm so sorry, baby. I don't know what else to do."
I staggered to my feet, the walls closing in. "You… you didn't even ask me."
"I know," he whispered. "I know. I was desperate."
Anger flared in my chest, white-hot and consuming. "So that's it? I'm just a pawn in your business deal? A bargaining chip to pay off your debt?"
He didn't answer, just buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
I turned away from him, my chest heaving. My entire life had been about love my mother's lullabies, my father's bedtime stories, my dreams of a white dress and a man who would love me as fiercely as I loved him. But now, that dream lay in ruins at my feet.
My father's voice, hoarse and broken, cut through my rage. "Please, Elena. I know I've failed you. But if I refuse, he'll destroy everything. He'll ruin me, and he'll come for you anyway. This way… at least you'll be safe."
Safe. The word felt like a sick joke.
I sank onto the couch, my hands trembling. "Safe? Married to a man who doesn't know how to love? Who'll treat me like property?"
He reached for me, but I pulled away. "He's not a man who loves, Elena. He's a man who conquers. That's what he does. I've heard the stories. Employees who've crossed him, competitors who've stood in his way he destroys them all. I tried to stand up to him today, but he just… he looked at me like I was nothing. Like he could crush me with a snap of his fingers."
A cold chill spread through my veins. Justin Shawn. Even his name felt like a sentence.
I swallowed hard. "So that's it? I marry him and what? Smile for the cameras while he drags me through his world of power and coldness? You know I've always believed in love, Dad. How could you do this to me?"
Tears blurred my vision.
"I'm sorry, Elena," he whispered, broken. "I never wanted this. I never wanted to fail you. But I don't know how to fix it. I was weak. I was a coward."
Silence settled between us, heavy and suffocating.
Finally, I spoke, my voice trembling but strong. "Then I'll do it. I'll marry him. But not because you forced me to. I'll do it to protect you from his wrath. I'll do it to make sure he doesn't take everything you've built and turn it to dust."
His head snapped up, his eyes wide with horror. "No Elena"
I stood, squaring my shoulders, feeling older in that moment than I'd ever felt before. "No, Dad. I'll do this on my own terms. But I'll never forgive you for making me his pawn."
His sobs filled the room as I turned away, but I couldn't bring myself to comfort him. Not now. Not when I felt like a lamb being led to slaughter.
Upstairs, in the safety of my room, I collapsed on the bed, tears streaming down my face. I thought of the man I'd heard whispered about the man who could destroy companies with the flick of his wrist, whose eyes were as cold as ice, whose heart was rumored to be made of stone.
Justin Shawn.
My future husband.
My prison.
I buried my face in the pillow and let the sobs come, hot and bitter. My father's betrayal felt like a knife in my heart, but it was nothing compared to the terror I felt when I thought of the man who now held my future in his hands.
Somewhere deep inside me, a small, stubborn flame burned. Maybe it was defiance. Maybe it was hope.
This was the time I needed my mom the most and she was dead.
I didn't know yet if that flame would save me or destroy me.
Its like "I sold my soul to pay off the debts."