Elena shut her bedroom door and leaned against it, her chest rising and falling unevenly. The walls of her room, once a sanctuary, now felt like a prison.
Her father's words echoed relentlessly in her mind. Marry Damien Blackwood. Save your mother.
She pressed her palms to her temples, as if she could push the words away. How could she even consider it? How could she bind herself to a man who despised her family, a man who was known for his cruelty, just to fix mistakes that weren't hers to begin with?
And yet… her mother's frail face haunted her.
Elena sank onto the edge of her bed, burying her face in her hands. She was trapped. No matter how she turned it over in her head, every path led to sacrifice. Either her freedom… or her mother's life.
The sound of the door crashing open jolted her upright.
Vivian stormed in without knocking, her silk robe trailing behind her like a banner of entitlement. Her younger sister's eyes sparkled—not with sympathy, but with something sharper.
"So it's true," Vivian said, her lips curling into a smirk. "Father really asked you to marry Damien Blackwood."
Elena's blood ran cold. "You were listening?"
Vivian leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, utterly unashamed. "Of course I was. You know Father never tells me anything, so I have to find out somehow." Her tone was light, but there was venom underneath.
Elena stood, her jaw tight. "That conversation was private."
Vivian tilted her head, mock innocence dancing in her eyes. "Private? Please. Do you think something this big can stay a secret? The whole city will know soon enough. Harrington's golden daughter, sold off like a prize mare."
The words stung, but Elena refused to let it show. "Leave, Vivian. I'm not in the mood for your games."
But Vivian only stepped further inside, her voice rising with anger. "Why you, Elena? Why does it always have to be you? You were Father's first choice for everything—his pride, his heir, his perfect little daughter. And now, even when our family is ruined, you get chosen to marry Damien!"
Elena blinked, taken aback. "You think this is some kind of prize? He doesn't want me because I'm special, Vivian. He wants me because it will hurt Father."
Vivian's eyes narrowed. "And I would've taken it. Gladly. I could've handled Damien Blackwood. I could've been the one to save this family. But no..Father picked you. Again."
The bitterness in her voice was like acid, years of jealousy bubbling to the surface.
Elena's heart ached, but she stood her ground. "This isn't about you. It isn't about me either. It's about Mother. She's dying, Vivian. If this is the only way to save her, then.."
"Then you'll do it," Vivian snapped, cutting her off. "Of course you will. The dutiful daughter, always sacrificing, always the savior. Do you know how sick I am of living in your shadow?"
Her words shook, not with weakness but with fury.
Elena softened her tone, trying to reach her. "Vivian, listen to me. This isn't what you think. Damien doesn't want a wife, he wants control. He wants revenge for what Father did to him. Whoever marries him will be walking into a cage. You don't understand what you're wishing for."
But Vivian's laugh was sharp, bitter. "A cage lined with diamonds is still better than being invisible."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
For a moment, Elena saw not just jealousy in her sister's eyes, but desperation. Vivian wanted to matter, to be chosen, to step out of her shadow.
Elena reached for her, but Vivian jerked back. "Save your pity," she hissed. "If you go through with this, don't expect me to stand behind you. You'll deserve everything Damien does to you."
With that, she spun on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
The room shook with the force of it.
Elena stood frozen, her hand still half-extended, her chest tight.
She wanted to scream, to cry, to undo it all. Instead, she walked to the window, staring out at the city lights. Somewhere out there, Damien Blackwood was waiting, pulling the strings that held her family's fate.
And now, even under her own roof, she was alone.