The Price of Freedom

CRASH—!

A sharp sound exploded right at my feet.

That antique porcelain vase, the one I'd polished until it shone just yesterday, was now a million pieces scattered across the pristine marble floor.

"Useless girl! Can't even handle one simple thing!"

Victoria's shrill voice sliced through the air, her expensive custom heels clicking sharply as she deliberately stepped back, a nasty smirk plastered on her face.

The other maids nearby covered their mouths, eyes glinting with cruel amusement, whispering like buzzing flies.

"Look at her, serves her right."

"Exactly, still thinks she's the young miss or something."

My knees buckled, and I sank to the floor.

My fingertips wouldn't stop trembling as I carefully started picking up the sharp fragments.

I absolutely could not let them see me cry.

Hold on, Elara, just a little longer.

A voice screamed inside my head.

Just one more week. Then the inheritance hearing.

But Victoria clearly wasn't finished with me.

She leaned down, her overpowering designer perfume invading my space, suffocating me.

"You didn't really think," she hissed right beside my ear, her voice like venom dripping, "that your deadbeat father left you anything, did you?"

Her breath felt hot and damp, thick with malice.

"Let me tell you, you're nothing but a permanent stain on this family!"

I suddenly clenched a piece of the broken vase in my hand.

The sharp edge bit deep into my palm, a sharp, grounding sting of pain.

Breathe, Elara. Just keep breathing.

That night, I pressed myself against the cold wood of the study door like a ghost.

My heart hammered against my ribs, boom, boom, boom, threatening to burst out.

Inside, Victoria's voice was crisp and cold: "—the papers have to be signed by Friday."

"That mining tycoon from the north, the one with fingers thicker than your waist, he's had his eye on you for ages!"

My stomach twisted violently, like an icy hand had clenched it tight.

Marriage?

To him?

That man was old enough to be my father, with a reputation so vile it made my skin crawl.

Lawyer Anderson cleared his throat hesitantly. "But, there's still that clause in the inheritance. If she can prove she's capable of living independently—"

Victoria cut him off with a sharp, scornful laugh.

"Independently?"

Her voice dripped with contempt.

"She scrubs floors for a living! What independence can she possibly have?"

"Just marry her off quickly, stop wasting time!"

I couldn't listen anymore.

I turned and ran.

Icy rain lashed my face like a whip.

My thin coat was useless against this god-awful weather.

I stumbled down the long driveway, the brightly lit mansion behind me feeling like a lurking monster.

In the distance, the city lights blurred into a hazy glow through the downpour.

I had no money.

My mind was a complete blank.

No plan whatsoever.

But I knew one thing: I could never go back there.

The grandest hotel in the city loomed ahead, my last desperate hope.

Maybe, just maybe, they'd let me use a phone?

The towering doorman eyed me up and down like I was garbage.

My soaked dress, my dripping hair – pure desperation.

He stuck out an arm, blocking my way, disgust clear in his eyes.

"Get lost! This isn't a place for beggars like you!"

"I just need—" my voice shook uncontrollably.

"Beat it!" he barked, shoving me slightly.

A few well-dressed guests paused nearby, watching the scene with detached curiosity.

"Tsk, tsk, where did this crazy woman come from?"

"What rotten luck, seeing this."

My knees finally gave out, unable to hold me up any longer.

Just as I was about to collapse—

A faint, strange warmth pulsed against my collarbone.

Like a gentle heartbeat.

I looked down.

It was Grandmother's seashell necklace.

And right now, it was actually glowing!

A soft, warm light, like ripples on water.

I woke up to the smell of cedarwood mixed with something deeper, wilder.

Like the air before a thunderstorm over the ocean.

Something cold pressed against my forehead.

A man's voice spoke, low and laced with amusement.

"Well, look who's finally awake, little mouse?"

I bolted upright in shock—

And nearly slammed into a solid chest.

Him.

Jet-black hair, eyes darker than midnight.

That smirk playing on his lips sent my pulse into overdrive.

Sebastian Wolfe.

CEO of Wolfe Industries.

Billionaire.

And the most dangerous, untouchable man in this entire city.

He held up the damp cloth he'd pressed to my head.

"You passed out on my doorstep," he stated, as casually as commenting on the rain.

I scrambled backward like I'd been burned.

"I— I didn't mean to—"

His gaze traveled over me, slow, deliberate, assessing.

"Victoria's stepdaughter, hmm?"

I stiffened instantly.

He leaned closer, his warm breath brushing my ear, his voice dropping to a low, hypnotic purr.

"How about we make a deal?"

"Be my fiancée."

His words hit me like a thunderclap.

"Three months."

"Play the part, be obedient, and I guarantee Victoria won't be able to lay a finger on you ever again."

A laugh escaped me, dry and brittle like scraping sandpaper.

"Why would you help me?"

There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world, especially not from someone like him.

His fingers suddenly clamped onto my chin, forcing me to look up, to meet those bottomless eyes.

"Because," his thumb brushed lightly against my lower lip, sending shivers down my spine, "you have nowhere else to run."

"And desperate people," he added softly, "make the most convincing liars, don't they?"

I swallowed hard, my throat tight.

The printed contract lay between us, stark black and white, a tempting and deadly poison.

My hand trembled as I reached for the expensive-looking fountain pen—

A sharp sting pricked my fingertip.

A single, bright red drop of blood welled up, then fell precisely onto the signature line of the contract.

Plop.

And then the strangest thing happened.

The black onyx ring on Sebastian's finger—it seemed to absorb the blood drop, like a living thing!

It vanished without a trace!

Something incredibly dark flashed in his eyes for just a second.

Just then—

BANG!

The study door flew open, slammed back against the wall.

Victoria stood there, flanked by two hulking bodyguards built like brick walls, her face twisted in fury.

"You little bitch! So this is where you've been hiding—"

Before she could finish, Sebastian moved.

Fast as a shadow.

One second he was on the sofa.

The next, he was standing in front of me, his tall frame radiating a chilling pressure, looming over the furious Victoria.

His voice was low, but carried a cold, lethal threat.

"Touch her," he murmured, "and I'll make sure your entire family disappears from this city by morning."

The color drained instantly from Victoria's face, leaving it pasty white. Her lips trembled.

"You— you don't understand— she's nothing but—"

I took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

I smoothed down my still-damp skirt.

Then, I walked forward and slid my hand into the crook of Sebastian's arm, plastering a smile on my face, sweet enough to be insulting.

"Darling," I said softly, my eyes locking with Victoria's pale, furious ones, "don't waste your breath on this kind of shameless trash."

The two bodyguards behind her looked like their jaws might hit the floor, glancing at each other, not daring to breathe.

Victoria opened her mouth, looking like she wanted to spew venom, but no sound came out. She just stood there, shaking with rage.

Sebastian didn't even spare her another glance. His arm tightened slightly, guiding me towards the door.

His hand felt steady, strong.

The elevator doors slid shut, finally blocking out Victoria's distorted face.

The small, enclosed space felt suddenly charged with a strange tension.

His gaze abruptly dropped to the floor by my feet.

Where my damp dress had left a small puddle.

Except...

That puddle... it seemed to have a faint, eerie glow?

And... was there a faint, salty smell in the air?

That wasn't just rainwater.

It was... saltwater?