I stood frozen, my mother's words slamming into me like a blade.
Marriage. To her.
"You've lost your mind," I growled.
But my mother's expression didn't falter. She turned toward the window, her voice calm, merciless.
"This is bigger than you, son. Bigger than grudges. Our families owe each other debts. Elena is the bond that ties them together. You are the other half."
My chest tightened. "So I'm nothing but a pawn to you."
"You always were," she answered.
The room tilted. I wanted to lash out, to tear the walls apart, but Elena's voice broke the silence. Soft, almost tired.
"You think you're the only one trapped?"
My head snapped toward her. She wasn't smirking this time. Her hands were clenched at her sides, knuckles pale. Her gaze was steady, but behind it, I caught something raw. Something almost… broken.
"You think I want this?" she asked, her voice low. "You think I asked to be paraded into your house, tied to someone I've never met, because of debts I didn't create?"
Her words sank into me like stones.
For the first time since meeting her, I saw past the mask. Past the sharp edges and defiance. And what I found was worse—because it mirrored my own pain.
I swallowed hard, my anger faltering. "Then why agree?"
Her jaw tightened. She looked away, as if the answer was too heavy to speak.
"Because," she whispered, "sometimes we don't get to choose."
Silence filled the room, thick and suffocating. My mother remained still, her expression unreadable, as though the exchange was beneath her notice.
Elena finally met my eyes again. "Hate me if you want," she said softly, "but don't pretend you're the only one bleeding."
And just like that, the fire inside me shifted. From fury… to something far more dangerous.