Chapter 4 The condition

Victoria's POV

"Hello? Vic? Why are you crying? What happened?" Maya's voice burst through my phone like a lifeline.

I pressed the phone tighter against my ear, but my words came out broken and trembling. "Maya, they sold me off. My parents... they...they want me to marry a stranger. Because of a loan. A freaking loan."

There was silence for a beat, then Maya hissed, "What the hell? You mean to tell me you're getting married just because of some money your parents borrowed? Girl, that makes no damn sense!" Her voice trembled with disbelief.

"It's real," I whispered. "They said I have no choice. Either marry him or watch our family fall apart. They didn't even ask me. Just handed me over like... property."

"That's insane! You don't have to go through with this. Run. Come stay with me. We can figure something out. They don't get to own you."

Her offer tempted me for a moment. But then I pictured Mom and Dad, their exhausted faces and trembling hands. I couldn't.

"I love them, Maya. As messed up as this is, I can't walk away. I just... I have to believe they didn't mean to hurt me. Maybe they were desperate."

"Desperate or not, this isn't fair," she said, voice gentler now. "But I get it. Just know I'm here for you, okay? Always."

We talked until the weight on my chest loosened. Somehow, hearing her voice, her fierce loyalty, made it a little easier to breathe. I even laughed at one of her dumb jokes.

But the moment the call ended; reality came crashing back. I didn't talk to my parents that night. I couldn't. I lay there in bed staring at the ceiling, feeling more like a prisoner than a daughter. I kept wishing this was all a bad dream.

The next morning

Knock. Knock. "Who is it?" My voice cracked. "Come in." Mom stepped into the room. Her face was blotchy, her eyes swollen. "Sweetheart, can we talk?"

I didn't answer. I just stared at the ceiling. She sighed and sat on the edge of my bed. "Your father and I have decided we'll return the money. We'll figure something else out. You don't have to do this."

That got my attention. I sat up slowly, my heart hammering. "You're serious?"

Tears welled in her eyes. "We made a mistake. We panicked. But we won't sacrifice your happiness for money."

And just like that, everything shifted. A strange calm settled in me. Maybe it was bravery. Or maybe it was madness. But my decision had already been made.

"No, Mom. I'll do it. I thought about it all night. It's just one year, right? One year to save our family. Then I can leave." Her breath caught. "You'd do that for us?"

"For you. And Dad. And everything we've ever been through. I won't run from this. I'll face it." She pulled me into a trembling hug, whispering a thousand apologies.

It wasn't a fairytale. It was small, tense. His family and mine, no friends, no celebration. The whole thing felt like a business transaction, and I was the product.

"Oh babe, guess what?" I drawled into the phone as I sprawled across my penthouse couch. "I finally ended things with Victoria. Poor girl's probably crying her eyes out. But hey, business is business."

Madison giggled next to me, running her fingers across my chest. "You're heartless."

"That's what makes me rich," I smirked. "Now Scott's got her. Let's see how long his perfect little image lasts."

Scott's wedding. The words burned. He was marrying someone else. I thought I was over him. Thought I wanted the money, the glamor. But now, hearing he was moving on?

It twisted something inside me. "Madison, don't act surprised," Rylan said, watching me too closely. "You left him. You ran to me for the money. Don't pretend you miss your little angel."

"He's not like you," I snapped. "Scott would never do what you do to people. He's real." He smirked. "And yet, here you are. In my bed." I hated how right he was.

The wedding day arrived like a cold blade. I stepped out of the limousine, trembling in my gown. White lace hugged my body, delicate and cold. A diamond necklace shimmered on my collarbone...Mom's last gift before I stepped into the unknown.

The church was breathtaking. Stained glass windows painted the pews in rainbow light. Flowers lined the aisle, and soft piano music filled the silence.

But none of it reached me. Because Scott was waiting at the altar. His eyes met mine, unreadable. He offered a tight smile...not love, not warmth. Just duty.

My heart racing as I walked toward him. Every step felt heavier than the last. When I reached him, his hand took mine. It was warm. Firm. Steady, and yet I felt like I was falling.

The ceremony was a blur of vows and promises I didn't mean, of smiles I didn't feel. When he kissed me, it was gentle, brief, polite.

I was someone's wife now, but not his love. Not yet.

As we turned to face the crowd, ready to walk back down the aisle, a sharp wind blew through the church.

The candles flickered. Lights dimmed. People breaths, then I felt it.

A hand, Firm, Cold, On my shoulder. I turned, expecting Scott, but it wasn't him. It was a stranger.

Tall. Broad. Dressed in black. And his eyes...ice blue, piercing, dangerous. "You don't belong to him," he whispered, low enough that only I could hear. "Not yet."

My breath hitched.

I tried to speak, but he disappeared into the crowd like a shadow. Scott looked down at me. "What's wrong?"

But I couldn't answer...Because suddenly, nothing felt right. Not the dress, Not the kiss, not even the vows, and the stranger's eyes haunted me. Like a warning. Like a promise.