The knock on the door came late at night.
Not a normal knock.
Slow. Heavy. Like whoever was outside already knew I would open it.
I froze in place, my heart hammering in my chest. My mother slept in the next room, unaware. The power had gone out hours ago, leaving the house dark and quiet… except for the sound of my own heartbeat.
Another knock.
This time, I almost didn't move. My hands were shaking, but curiosity and fear forced me forward.
I opened the door.
Two men stood there. Black suits. Cold eyes. No smiles.
"Amara Collins?" one asked.
"Yes," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"You need to come with us."
I stumbled backward. "For… what? Why?"
One of the men glanced inside the house. "Your father's debt."
My stomach dropped. "Debt?"
He didn't answer. He just turned, and I felt the weight of my life tipping forward into unknown darkness. Somehow, my feet moved on their own, following them into the night.
The ride was silent. Long. Endless.
I didn't ask where they were taking me.
I didn't want answers. My mind was racing too fast anyway.
When the car finally stopped, I stared at a tall, dark building that seemed to swallow the stars. Guards in black stood motionless at the doors. Nothing about this place felt like the world I knew.
They led me inside. The air was cold, polished marble under my feet, and the silence pressed against my ears like a heavy hand.
And then I saw him.
He didn't rise from his chair when I entered.
He just looked at me.
And I felt it immediately—power. Danger. Control.
The man known as Luca Moretti.
The Devil.
"Sit," he said, calm but sharp, like a blade sliding through the quiet.
I obeyed. My knees felt weak.
"You know why you are here," he continued.
"My father is dead," I said quickly. "I don't owe anything."
He leaned back, a faint smile playing on his lips. "No. But he owed me."
I swallowed hard. "How much?"
"Enough to ruin your family," he said.
My mind spun. My chest tightened. "Then… kill me. Don't drag me into this."
His expression didn't change. Calm, controlled. Terrifying.
"If I wanted you dead," he said slowly, "you wouldn't be standing here. But there is another way."
I looked up, desperate. "What way?"
He stood and walked closer. "You marry me."
The words hit me like a punch.
"I… what?" I stammered, stepping back.
"You heard me," he said, cold as steel. "Marry me. Sign the papers. Clear the debt."
I laughed nervously. "You can't be serious."
"I am," he said, eyes dark and unflinching.
I shook my head. "And if I refuse?"
Luca leaned down slightly, the room suddenly smaller, his presence suffocating. "Then tomorrow, your mother wakes up with nothing."
Silence swallowed me whole.
I had a choice.
And somehow, it wasn't really a choice at all.
I didn't remember saying yes.
I only remembered the cold, heavy ring sliding onto my finger.
It was done. Signed. Sealed. My life no longer belonged to me.
"You'll move into my house tonight," he said, his voice quiet but commanding.
"Tonight?" I whispered.
"Yes."
I followed him out, each step heavier than the last.
Before stepping into the car, I finally asked, my voice breaking, "Why me?"
He paused, his eyes locking onto mine. "Because," he said quietly, almost like a warning, "you're stronger than you think."
The car door shut behind me.
And then I realized something terrifying:
I had just married a stranger.
A man who owned my life.
And the devil… doesn't forgive.