"The ink had barely dried, and already I felt the chains tighten."
—Ava Carter
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Ava's Point of View
The rest of the signing process was cold and quiet. I didn't waste time pretending to read through the fine print, I knew the contract was designed to favor him. I hadn't come to bargain over the price of my freedom. I had already decided to sell.
I closed my eyes briefly on the bus ride back to the hospital, fighting back tears. The moment my signature touched the paper, phone calls were made, and my mother's bill was paid. He hadn't even waited for the ink to dry.
I let out a sharp breath. This wasn't the time to mope about what I wanted. I gave up on wanting the day I became the breadwinner. My mother was going to get her surgery, and she'd live. That was all that mattered.
"You aren't going to go through the details?" His cold voice replayed in my head.
Men like him didn't see people,they saw bargaining chips. But what exactly did a contract marriage entail? Were we going to live together? Sleep in the same bed? Or only act married in public? My stomach twisted. I had no idea what I'd gotten myself into. I should have read the contract.
The bus hissed to a stop, the hospital looming in front of me. Shaking off the thought, I grabbed my bag and forced myself forward. Worry wouldn't change the truth, I had already sold my soul to the devil. All I could do now was survive until it ended.
I walked into my mother's ward only to find her bed empty.
"Your mother was moved earlier today," a nurse explained, her tone warm and reassuring. "Her doctor would like to speak with you."
I forced a smile. "Please, where was she moved to?"
"The VIP ward."
I froze. My chest tightened. VIP? So this was part of the bargain too. A fancy price tag for my freedom. I swallowed the lump in my throat and plastered on another smile, dragging my feet toward the doctor's office.
"Her surgery has been scheduled for three days from now," the doctor said, scanning her file.
Relief rushed through me like air after drowning. A smile tugged at my lips, small, tired, but real. My mom was going to be fine. That was enough. That had to be enough.
I thought about visiting her but stopped myself. She would have questions I couldn't answer: how I got the money, why she was suddenly in a VIP ward. I couldn't face her yet, not with this secret choking me. Tomorrow, maybe. Tomorrow, I'd have my story straight.
When I finally got home, it was just in time for lunch.
"Ana, Avie, I'm home! Guess what I brought?" I called out cheerfully, stepping into the living room, only to freeze at the sight before me.
Mr. Reed.
He was seated on the couch, Avie perched happily on his knee, while Ana sat across from him, smiling like she'd forgotten how to worry. It looked almost picture-perfect. The same man who had been so cold to me this morning, speaking about my family like we were items on a contract, now sat in my living room charming my sisters.
I stiffened.
"Ava!" Avie cried, scrambling off his lap to throw herself at me. Ana followed quickly, pulling me into a hug, though my eyes never left him.
He straightened in his seat, his gaze locking onto me, stoic again.
"Since you got home late yesterday and left early this morning, I forgot to tell you," Ana chirped, "he came looking for you yesterday too." She glanced at him, cheeks pink with excitement, then leaned closer to whisper, loud enough for him to hear. "Is he your boyfriend, Ava?"
I almost laughed. Almost. Nothing about this was funny. But he chuckled lightly, and for the first time I wondered what he found amusing.
"Ava brought cake!" Avie squealed, snatching the box from my hands and running toward the dining table.
"Are we celebrating something?" Ana asked, blinking between us, dazed.
Before I could answer, he rose smoothly to his feet, adjusting his jacket and wristwatch. The devil always did wear the sharpest charm.
"I need a word," he said, his voice clipped, eyes on me.
He turned to Ana and Avie, his tone softening as though he were two different men. "Bye, girls. I'll be back soon.''
Avie pouted but calmed when he patted her hair and said "I just need to settle something with your sister."
He walked out, and after a stunned beat, I followed, my thoughts a tangled mess. Only then did I notice his car parked in front of the house. He opened the passenger door, glanced at me once, and barked,
"Get in."
You have got to be kidding me.
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