Chapter 2   WHEN HOPE COMES WITH A PRICE

The car seat feels bitterly cold beneath me. I pull my coat tighter around me, but it barely helps. The smell inside? Sharp, expensive cologne. Nothing like the greasy diner or hospital stench I'm used to. My hands fold tightly in my lap like I'm trying to hold on to something real, but really, I'm just trying not to shake.

He's driving, eyes locked on the road ahead. Doesn't glance my way once. I'm just some stranger he's ferrying somewhere. Which, I guess... no, not really. Not to him. To me, this ride feels like the start of everything falling apart.

"Where to?" His voice is low and steady. No judgment, no pity.

I want to say "home." But home's a lie. My apartment is just a place I scrape pennies for. And Lily, God, Lily's always in my head. Her scared, tired eyes. I can't say home. So I say what I feel.

"Anywhere but here."

He nods like he's been waiting for me to say that. "I know you're tired." Then silence. No pushing, no questions. Just that.

Outside, the city blurs, neon signs flicker, cars zoom past, and laughter floats in the wind somewhere. I want to ask: Why me? Why now? But I stay quiet. I already know. Nothing's free.

We stop. The building is all glass and has sharp edges, too perfect, too clean. I want to run. But I don't.

"This is temporary," he says. "A fresh start. But there's one thing."

I want to laugh. Because of conditions? When do I ever get those? I say nothing.

"You'll sign a contract." His voice is flat like it's no big deal. "Marriage contract."

My heart skips, then sinks. Marriage? What a joke. I stare at the cracked sidewalk instead of at him. That word tastes like burnt toast, bitter, wrong.

"I'm not some charity case," I say before I can stop myself. "Not a prize."

He shrugs like it's the truth but doesn't care. "Neither am I."

Silence presses down, heavy and tight.

Who is he? Why does he know my name? Why does it feel like everything's about to change or break right here, right now?

He opens the door for me. The cold night air stings my skin, jolting me awake. No more rides. No more waiting.

"Think about it." His voice is soft but serious. "I'm not asking forever. Just long enough to fix what's broken."

I want to scream. Say no. Slam the door. But then I see Lily's pale, scared face, the trembling hand this morning.

Hope doesn't come free. But maybe... maybe it's worth the cost.

-

Inside, the lobby is silent. Marble floors stretch far, too polished, too cold. I follow him, each step echoing like a warning. The contract's weight crushes me.

"This way," Damian says, clipped but not unkind.

He leads me to a glass-walled office. A huge desk cluttered with papers and sharp pens. A leather chair that's swallowed too many secrets. He gestures, and I sit, clutching my coat like armour.

"I'm Damian Kingsley," he says, sitting opposite me. His eyes don't leave mine, sharp, assessing. "You've been through hell, Ava. But I don't do charity. This contract is a transaction. You help me, I help you."

I want to ask: What's the catch? What does he want beyond the obvious?

He watches me like he reads every unspoken thought. "You'll be my wife. On paper and in public. A partnership. But it's not just for show. I need stability. You need a lifeline."

His voice softens. "I'll cover your debts, Lily's bills, rent, all of it. But I need your full commitment. No secrets."

The words settle like a storm. Marriage. Commitment. Secrets.

I think of Lily lying alone in that hospital bed. Her eyes begged me to fix this, to keep fighting. The empty fridge. The bills piling up like bad news.

I swallow hard. "And if I say no?"

He stands, pacing slowly, deliberately. "Then this ride ends. You go back to struggling, fighting. Maybe you survive. Maybe you don't."

I want to hate him for that, for the way he holds all the cards. But something in his eyes, the pain and steel, makes me pause.

He stops and looks at me quietly. "You don't have to decide now. But time isn't on your side."

Suddenly, the door swings open. A man steps in. Tall, slick, eyes cold enough to freeze fire. The villain. The man I've seen before, lurking in the shadows of my worst moments.

Damian's jaw tightens. "Ethan Cole."

Ethan's smile is thin and dangerous. "Ava," he says, voice dripping poison, "You really think you can escape me?"

I grip my coat tighter. Heart racing.

Damian steps between us. "She's under my protection."

Ethan's eyes flick to Damian, dark simmering beneath the surface. This isn't just a contract. It's a war.

I realize then: that hope's price might be a fight for survival.

-

The night air hits me as I step outside. The city hums, indifferent. My phone buzzes, a message from Lily. "Miss you. Stay safe."

I tuck it away and look at the skyline. Pretty lights don't promise a thing.

I don't know what tomorrow holds. But one thing's clear:

This isn't just a transaction.

It's everything.

And it's just beginning.