The wind was soft that morning too soft. The sky was clear, like the world didn't care what she had lost.
Lucy stood still in her black dress, staring at the coffin. Her mum was in there. Gone.
People moved around her, talking quietly, hugging her, handing her tissues. But everything felt far away, like it wasn't real.
She didn't cry. Not yet.
"I thought grief would feel loud," she muttered. "But it's just… quiet."
June stood beside her, one hand on her back. She didn't speak. She just stayed close.
Lucy's mind drifted to the beginning when her mum first started coughing. It seemed small at first. Just tired, she had said. But then came the hospital visits, the weight loss, the fear.
"I'm fine, baby," her mum had whispered once, tears in her eyes. "Just tired."
Lucy had known better. And her dad had known too. When she told him over the phone from jail, he cried. He wasn't there to help. And now, it was too late.
Lucy remembered the nights she stayed at the hospital, holding her mum's cold hands. Pretending everything would be okay.
"We'll go to the beach when you're better," she had said once. "Just the two of us."
Her mum smiled a little. "I would like that."
But they never went.
The last few days had been the hardest. Her mum barely spoke. Lucy had been there, alone.
Now, standing at the funeral, Lucy bit her lip. The pain helped her feel something,anything.
"I'm sorry, Mum," she whispered. "I should've done more. Gotten Dad out faster."
Her voice cracked.
"I promise I'll fix this. I'll get him out. I swear."
June finally spoke, softly. "You don't have to do everything on your own, Lucy."
Lucy turned to her. Tears finally fell. She let June hold her, and this time, she didn't pretend to be strong.
"Babe."
A deep voice.
She looked up.
Josh.
She ran to him, wrapping her arms around him. He held her tightly.
"It's okay, love," he said gently. "I've got you."
She cried harder. "Josh… Josh…"
She didn't care who was watching. She didn't care about being strong anymore.
She just wanted her mum back.
But all she had now... was a promise.
#####
Few days after the Funeral,
"Please," Lucy begged, pressing her palms against the front desk. "Just let me talk to him. Please."
One of the guards crossed his arms. "He doesn't see anyone without an appointment."
"I'll wait all day if I have to. Just tell him."
The elevator dinged, and heads turned.
Marcel.
Tall, sharp, and cold in a dark suit, he walked into the lobby like he owned every breath of air in it. He didn't even slow down until he saw her.
Lucy.
He had heard her name before, whispered in legal documents and gossip trails. But this was the first time he saw her in person. Soft features, but fire in her eyes. Desperation made her glow in a strange, haunting way. Something stirred in him, but he shoved it down.
The whole lobby went still.
"Let her in," he said, not bothering to look again.
Gasps followed his words.
"Wait, is that her?" "The daughter of the guy who scammed Johnson?" "What's she doing here?" "Begging, obviously." "Marcel never lets anyone in. Especially not her."
Lucy's heart pounded as the guards stepped aside.
Jeremy, Marcel's assistant, trailed behind with a tablet in one hand and a half-eaten granola bar in the other. "Wow. We're living in a full-blown soap opera now."
"Shut up, Jeremy," Marcel muttered, holding the office door open.
Inside, Lucy stood stiffly, her eyes flicking from the oversized desk to the man behind it.
"I'm not here to make excuses," she began. "I know what my father did. But please, don't punish him forever. I'll work. I'll pay it off. I'll do anything."
Jeremy, still lurking by the bookshelf, coughed. "Anything? Like, scrubbing floors or... 'Marry the CEO to save your dad' type of anything?"
"Jeremy," Marcel warned.
"Alright, alright. I'm quiet."
Marcel studied Lucy in silence. "You said anything?"
She nodded quickly, her voice shaky. "Yes."
"Then marry me."
The room froze.
Lucy blinked. "W-what?"
Jeremy dropped his tablet. "What!You've got to be kidding me."
"I'm serious," Marcel said, eyes on her. "Two years. You marry me. Your dad walks free. His debt is gone."
Lucy took a shaky step back. "You're asking me to marry you? Just like that?"
Jeremy cleared his throat. "Boss? You planning to mention the whole... 'you are something no one should know about.'"
Marcel sighed. "Lucy, wait outside."
As the door closed behind her, Jeremy rounded on Marcel. "You're dragging a regular girl into this? What happens when she finds out you're a werewolf? That we're not exactly normal?"
"She won't," Marcel replied calmly. "We change only on full moons. I'll keep my distance. This isn't love. It's strategy."
Jeremy threw his hands up. "What strategy? How does this benefit you?"
Marcel smirked. "Pleasure."
Jeremy groaned. "Because if Elena,You're unbelievable. I hope she's not allergic to dogs."
"Wolves," Marcel corrected. "Call her back in."
Lucy returned, still visibly shaken.
"You have until midnight to decide," Marcel said. "Say no, and your father stays in prison."
She looked at him, voice barely above a whisper. "Why me? What do you get out of this?"
"Publicity. You'll be the poor girl married to the billionaire whose money her dad stole. A media fantasy. Makes me look generous. Kind."
Her throat tightened. Nothing about this was romantic. But it was the only door left.
"I'll do it," she said quietly. "But no intimacy. At all."
Marcel scoffed. "Trust me, no one's dreaming of candlelit nights with you."
He laughed to himself.
Jeremy chuckled too. "Paper marriage it is."
"Come back later to sign the documents," Marcel said, already looking at his screen like she was just another email.
Outside, Lucy walked down the steps like she was sleepwalking. Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone.
A worker nearby stared, but she didn't care.
"June?" she said the moment her friend answered.
"You sound like you've seen a ghost. What happened?"
"I said yes," Lucy whispered. "I agreed to marry him."
"Who?!"
"Marcel."
"Marcel Johnson? You are Joking!Are you insane? The devil in a three-piece suit?!how did you guys even get to the point of marriage,hmmm."
"I didn't have a choice."
"Lucy, you always have a choice."
"Not this time," she said, voice cracking. "It's the only way to get Dad out."
There was a pause.
"I don't like this," June muttered. "He's scary. Rich and scary. Be careful."
"I will," Lucy said softly. "I'll call you later."
####
Lucy went straight to her boyfriend's workplace. She waited outside, heart pounding, wondering if her boyfriend of three years was going to understand. When he finally came out for his break and saw her, he smiled until he noticed her face.
''Whats wrong babe,''
His asked curiously.
"I need to tell you something," she said quietly. "I… I'm getting married."
He frowned. "What?"
"It's just for two years. I'm doing it for my dad."
His face changed. The smile was gone. "Wow. So now you're marrying for money? Just like your dad."
"Please don't say that. I didn't..."
"I don't want to hear it," he cut her off. "You're just like him."
"I'm not! Just let me explain,please."
"No." He stepped back. "We're done. Don't come bac
k."
Then he turned and walked away.
Lucy didn't move. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she stood there, alone again this time, tied to a deal she couldn't escape.
''i can't lose another parent.''