Chapter 3 Loophole

MAYA

The world was a blur as my feet moved. My brain kept playing the same image over and over. My spineless father remained glued to the floor while a stranger took me as collateral for his debt.

He signed me away.

The figure was still impossible to grasp. The amount was still ringing in my ears. It felt fake. It was too big to be real. How could one man even spend that much money? How could he owe it? I couldn't understand how he had managed to lose that much, or why I was the one paying for it.

"Get in the car."

Silas's voice snapped me back to reality, sharp and cold as the Bay York wind hitting my face. We were at the curb. Three massive, black SUVs were waiting, their engines humming as if they were impatient to haul away the day's latest purchase.

I looked at the open door of the middle car, then back at Silas. I shook my head and took a step away from him.

"No. I'm not getting in there. This isn't real. You can't just collect people."

Silas looked at his watch. "You're wasting my time, Maya. I have a board meeting at six. Get in."

I stood my ground, even though my legs felt like they were going to give out.

"I don't care how many zeros were on that contract, Mr. Blackwood. I am a human being, not a business acquisition. You don't get to just take me because my father decided that using me as collateral was cheaper than therapy for his gambling habit!"

Silas stepped toward me. He was so close I had to look up to see his face.

"That mouth of yours really doesn't stop moving, does it?" He watched me for a moment. "I wonder if it'll be quite as chatty when you're saying your vows."

Vows? The word hit me like a physical blow. This wasn't just a debt. This was a life sentence.

My pride finally took a backseat to my survival instincts. I panicked. I spun around to run, but I didn't make it three steps.

Before I could even draw a breath to scream, Silas's arms were around me. He scooped me up effortlessly, hoisting me against his chest in a bridal carry that felt more like a kidnapping.

I gasped as my view tilted. My hands instinctively flew up to grab his shoulders for balance before I remembered I was supposed to be fighting him. My heart was beating fast, but it wasn't just from the fear. It was the way he held me, as if I weighed nothing at all.

"Put me down! You asshole! Let me go!" I screamed, finally finding my voice.

I hammered my fists against his chest, but it was like hitting a brick wall. He didn't even flinch. His grip only tightened, his fingers digging into the back of my knees and my waist.

"Are you insane? We just met ten minutes ago!" I yelled into the crook of his neck. "You don't just kidnap and marry people because you have a high credit limit!"

He didn't say a word. He didn't even look at me. He just carried me toward the SUV calmly while I swung my feet in defiance, feeling small and pathetic.

He tossed me into the backseat like a piece of luggage and climbed in after me. His large frame made the spacious SUV feel suddenly cramped. The door slammed shut with a heavy, final thud.

"Drive," he muttered to the driver, not even glancing at me as he adjusted his suit jacket.

I scrambled to the opposite door, pulling the handle until my fingers hurt, but it was useless. It was locked.

I turned to him, "I need to go home. Please. I have things. I can't just leave," I pleaded, my voice trembling.

Silas turned his head slowly. He looked at my tear-filled eyes, his expression unreadable. For a long second, those ocean-blue eyes searched mine. He was looking for a lie, for manipulation, or for the sarcasm I usually used as a shield. But there was nothing left but the truth.

"There's nothing for you back there," he said calmly. "Your new life started the moment we left your father's office."

"My mother's things," I blurted out. "I have a box filled with photos, her jewelry, a scarf... some clothes that still smell like her perfume. If I'm never coming back to that apartment, I can't leave them behind. They're all I have left of her."

The car went silent. I held my breath, watching him and waiting for an answer. For a second, I thought he was going to mock me.

But then he looked away, staring out the tinted window at the passing city.

"Five minutes." He gave a curt, sharp nod to the driver. "Make a stop at her apartment. Five minutes. And if she isn't back in the car by the sixth minute, I'll go in and get her. I don't care what she's wearing or what she's holding."

When we arrived at my building, Silas didn't let me out of his sight. He followed me all the way to my door.

"I need privacy. I thought you'd wait in the car," I said. My hand trembled as I gripped the bedroom door handle. My heart was racing so hard I thought it might burst through my chest. "It's my last time here. Give me time to say goodbye to my life in peace."

He hesitated. He looked past me, checking the room for other exits or windows. Finally, he stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Five minutes, Maya. If you aren't out by then, I'm coming in to get you."

I slammed the door and locked it. I didn't go for my clothes. I didn't even look for my mother's jewelry. I grabbed my passport from the nightstand. I kicked off my heels and shoved my feet into a pair of worn sneakers.

A heavy knock hit the door, making me jump. "One minute, Maya."

"I'm coming! I'm just grabbing the box!" I yelled back.

I was already swinging my leg out the window.

The metal was cold against my hands. I looked down and swallowed hard, already feeling sick. The fire escape felt much higher than I remembered.

I climbed down as fast as I could. When my feet hit the alley floor, I took off. I didn't look back once. I ran until I found a taxi three blocks away.

I climbed into the backseat and gave the driver Liam's address.

I tried to catch my breath. Silas really thought he could just own me. He was in for a surprise.

When I saw Liam, I couldn't hold it in anymore, finally letting go. I broke down, falling into his arms, sobbing as I told him the whole story. The contract, the money, and Silas. He must have realized I was gone by now.

Liam just shook his head. He looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "He really thinks he can take you as collateral? He's insane. We aren't letting this happen."

He grabbed his car keys. "We're getting out of here, Maya. Now."

"Where would we go?" I wiped my face with the back of my hand.

"The Marriage Bureau," Liam replied. "There's a loophole, Maya. If we're already married, that contract is useless. He can't claim a wife as a debt settlement."

I stared at him, my heart skipping a beat. "You want to marry me? Now?"

"I love you." He dropped to one knee right there in his room. "I don't have a ring, and this isn't how it was supposed to happen. But I won't let him have you."

I didn't care about a ring. I reached down and hugged him, nodding against his shoulder. "Yes. Let's do it."

He stood up and gripped my hand. "Then let's go. We do this now, or you're his."

I looked at Liam's determined face and then back at the road. I was about to marry one man to escape another, and I didn't know if I was ready for either.