CHAPTER SIX : TRAPPED.

Raymond walked home from Sovereign territory, his legs weighed down by exhaustion and his chest constricted by a suffocating blend of relief and terror. Over at St.Gabriel Heart Institute Hospital, a surgical team was already prepping Rachel for the procedure.

But the clock had already started.

Every step he took felt like another second stolen from his daughter's freedom.

As he turned onto his street, his gaze settled on the small front porch of their home.

Melissa stood by the front door, a small package cradled in her hands. It was neatly wrapped in thick, unbranded black paper. She slowly turned it over, glancing up and down the empty street, searching for whoever might have left it behind.

​The road was completely silent.

​Curiosity getting the better of her, Melissa raised a finger to pick at the taped seal.

​"Melissa! Stop!"

​Raymond’s voice shattered the quiet morning air.

​He sprinted up the steps, snatching the parcel out of her hands, a heartbeat before she could tear it open. Melissa flinched, shocked by the sudden aggression. She instinctively backed away.

​"Dad?" her voice trembled, thick with confusion. "What's wrong? It was just sitting on the...."

​

Raymond struggled to catch his breath, his hands trembling against the heavy cardboard.

He turned the parcel over, searching for a name, a return address... anything.

There was nothing, just plain black wrapping.

His stomach tightened.

Black.

His mind flashed back to the Sovereign estate. The black suits. The black gates. The cold, lifeless elegance that surrounded Lord Damian.

A chill crawled down his spine.

No… It couldn't be.

Then the terrible realisation settled over him like ice. It had to be Damian.

The only place Raymond had come from was Sovereign territory. If this package contained anything relating to their agreements or worse. Melissa could never see it. She could never know where he'd been or the impossible price he'd agreed to pay to save her mother.

​"I'm... I'm sorry, sweetheart," Raymond stammered, forcing his voice into a steady key as he tucked the parcel tightly under his arm.

He forced a smile, though he knew the panic in his eyes gave him away. "I didn't mean to yell. It's just... sensitive documents for work. I wasn't expecting them to deliver here."

​Melissa searched his face, concerned settling deeply into her features. She knew something was off, even if she couldn't piece it together.

​Still, she let it go. "Okay." She paused, her eyes soft gazed deeply into his eyes.

​ Raymond swallowed the bitter lump in his throat. He pushed open the front door nervously and gently ushered her inside.

"Dad..." She paused,

Melissa studied him for a long moment, concerned settled across her face.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" She questioned.

He forced another smile, though it barely reached his eyes.

"Everything's fine. Go upstairs and get ready for school."

She hesitated, as though she wanted to ask another question. Instead, she gave a small nod.

"Okay."

She slowly turned and headed upstairs, glancing back once before disappearing around the corner.

Raymond slipped into his private study and clicked the heavy door shut, turning the lock.

​Silence flooded the room.

With trembling fingers, Raymond peeled away the thick black wrapping.

Beneath it sat a sleek, matte black briefcase.

His heartbeat quickened.

He stared at it for several long seconds, almost afraid to touch it.

Finally, he reached forward and unclasped the silver latches.

Clack!

The sound echoed through the silent study.

He slowly lifted the lid, black velvet lined the interior. His eyes fell first on several neatly banded stacks of local currency.

Five hundred thousand rams.

His breathing caught.

Then he noticed something else.

Resting in a custom foam compartment was a dark titanium bank card. Attached beneath it was a small embossed note indicating its balance.

One million and five hundred thousand rams.

This was Liquid wealth.

​Raymond stared down into the briefcase, a cold nausea surging in his stomach.

He knew exactly what this was, it wasn't generosity.

​It was a trap!

​Damian had already paid Rachel's medical bills directly to the hospital before Raymond had even left Sovereign ground. This money had nothing to do with her surgery.

It was an unwanted addition to the loan.

Damian hadn't just saved Rachel; he had deliberately forced another two million rams into Raymond's hands, doubling his debt in a single move. It was a cold, calculated trap.

Damian was giving him the capital to attempt to rebuild his fallen empire, but in reality, it was just an impossible weight meant to drown him completely.

The faint sound of Melissa's footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Raymond immediately shut the briefcase, slid it into his desk drawer, and locked it away.

Then he remained standing in the silent study, suffocated by the crushing burden of a debt he had never wanted. And by the relentless sixty days countdown that had already begun.