The Bargain.

BELLA.

If you’d asked me a year ago what my twenties would look like, I would have painted you a very different picture. Late nights at graduate school. A modest apartment in the city, where the windows stuck in the winter and the neighbors played their music too loud. Maybe a job in marketing, or design, something creative where I could use my brain.

What I would not have described was this: sitting at my parents’ dining table with a stack of unpaid invoices tucked neatly between the breadbasket and the butter dish, pretending not to see my mother’s hands tremble every time she reached for her glass of water.

The room looked beautiful, as it always did polished mahogany floors, crystal chandelier glowing like a crown of fire above us. My mother never allowed appearances to falter, not even now. Especially not now. But I could feel the panic vibrating beneath the surface, sharp and relentless, like a drumbeat no one could silence.

My father cleared his throat, the sound dragging me out of my thoughts. “Bella,” he said slowly, carefully, as though every word had been rehearsed, “you know how bad things have gotten.”

I swallowed hard, I did know… I wasn’t a child anymore. The family company, our legacy, our pride, and or identity was collapsing. I’d overheard enough late-night phone calls, seen enough documents left carelessly on the counter, to piece it together. Investors had pulled out and debts had mounted. The once-golden name we carried had turned into a weight dragging us down.

“I know,” I whispered, my eyes fixed on the silver fork resting on the linen beside my plate. “I know the company is in trouble.”

“In trouble,” my father repeated, as if tasting the phrase. His lips pressed together. “It’s more than that. We’re weeks away from bankruptcy. The board is restless and the employees are nervous. If we don’t act now, the name will be ruined forever.”

My mother reached across the table, touching his wrist briefly before turning to me. “But there’s a way out, Bella. A chance to save everything.”

I lifted my gaze. “What kind of chance?”

“The Blackwoods have offered to step in,” my father said.

The Blackwoods? Even I couldn’t keep the shock from flickering across my face. They weren’t just wealthy, they were powerful, untouchable, a dynasty. Our families had crossed paths at galas and charity events over the years, but theirs was a world we admired from a distance, never close enough to touch.

“They’re willing to provide the capital we need,” my father continued. “Enough to restructure, pay off debts, and stabilize the company. It would restore confidence, protect jobs, and secure the future.” My stomach clenched. I already knew what was coming next.

“But…” I said softly, waiting for the catch. My mother’s lips parted, but she hesitated. Her eyes flicked to my father’s, and it was he who finally said it.

“They want an alliance, a permanent one. Through marriage.” The word landed like a blow. Marriage! The room spun for a moment. I gripped the edge of the table, forcing air into my lungs.

“You can’t be serious,” I whispered.

“This is serious,” my father snapped, sharper than I’d expected. Then, softer: “This is the only way.”

I shook my head. “No. You’re asking me to what? Marry some stranger just to secure a deal?”

“Not a stranger,” my mother murmured. “A partner. Someone who will ensure the company survives.”

I laughed, but it was bitter, brittle. “A partner? You make it sound like I’ll be joining a board meeting, not signing my life away.”

“Bella,” my father said, his voice lowering into that heavy, authoritative tone he reserved for moments when his word was law. “Think of what’s at stake. The company isn’t just ours. Hundreds of employees depend on us, their families and their futures. If the company falls, they fall too. Do you want that on your conscience?”

“And what about my future? You seem to care for other people than you care for your own daughter.”

“Bella, it’s not like that. Think of it like you are doing your mom and dad a favor, please.” My mom said with pleading eyes. I didn’t like that look in her face, it makes me feel guilty even though I knew I wasn’t.

I pressed my lips together. “At least tell me who it is,” I demanded. “Who am I supposed to marry?” My parents exchanged a glance, and unease slid down my spine like ice.

“You don’t need to know that yet,” my father said finally. “What matters is that the arrangement is being handled. The Alexanders have already agreed. It will all be settled soon.”

“You’re joking,” I breathed. “You expect me to agree to this without even knowing who he is?”

“It isn’t about him,” my mother said, her voice breaking on the words. “It’s about saving everything we’ve built. Everything we are.”

My chair scraped loudly against the floor as I pushed back and stood. “Everything we are? What about who I am? Doesn’t that matter?”

My father’s expression was carved from stone. “You will do this, Bella. For the company and for the family. There is no other option.”

Later, in the solitude of my bedroom, I paced the length of the rug until my legs ached. My reflection in the tall mirror looked pale, hollow-eyed, as though some essential part of me had already been stripped away.

Getting married to someone I didn’t know. To save a company I hadn’t built. The weight of it pressed down on me until my chest ached. I thought of running of packing a bag and disappearing into the night, letting the company crumble without me. But I couldn’t do it. Not when the collapse would take so many innocent people down with it.

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I would do this. Not because I wanted to and not because I believed in fairy tales or happy endings. But because I had no choice.