Bound by debt, Trapped by desire

Bound by debt, Trapped by desire

last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-05
By:  Favour Ebeburu Completed
Language: English
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Elena Thompson’s life has never been easy, but she’s always managed to survive. Working long shifts at a small diner, she’s spent years cleaning up the mess her father made—until the day he makes the ultimate mistake. Drowning in debt to dangerous people, he signs away the only thing he has left to offer: her. Alexander Calloway is ruthless, powerful, and dangerously cold. When he steps in to settle William Thompson’s debts, he doesn’t want money—he wants Elena. To him, marriage is just another contract, another deal to control. But what he doesn’t anticipate is the fire in her eyes and the way she refuses to bend to his will. into a world of wealth and secrets, Elena vows to fight for her freedom. But the more she clashes with her formidable husband, the more she finds herself drawn to the man behind the icy exterior. And as an old flame from Alexander’s past resurfaces, determined to ruin everything, Elena realizes that escaping her new life might not be her biggest challenge… Surviving it—and resisting the growing tension between her and Alexander—might be. In a battle of wills, desire, and betrayal, how long can Elena fight the pull of the man who holds her fate in his hands?

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Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The scent of burnt coffee and fried food clung to the air as Elena Thompson weaved through the crowded diner, balancing a tray with three plates of burgers and fries. The old ceiling fan above did little to cool the humid space, and the chatter of customers mixed with the sizzle of the kitchen grill.

“Table five,” her boss, Marv, called from behind the counter, barely glancing up as he wiped a smudge off a glass.

Elena forced a polite smile as she set down the plates for a group of college kids who barely acknowledged her. She was used to it. Five years of waitressing at Joe’s Diner had taught her that people rarely saw the person serving them.

She turned toward the register, rolling her stiff shoulders. It had been another grueling double shift, and her feet ached, but she needed the extra hours. The bills weren’t going to pay themselves, and neither was her father’s ever-growing gambling debt.

The thought of him sent a pang of exhaustion through her. William Thompson had once been a respected businessman, but after her mother passed, he’d spiraled into drinking and bad decisions. And now, he was drowning in debt to men who didn’t send reminders in the form of polite letters, they sent threats.

Elena exhaled sharply and reached for the coffee pot, topping off an old man’s cup. She had barely turned back toward the counter when the bell above the door chimed.

A man stepped inside, and the energy in the diner seemed to shift.

He didn’t belong here.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, he stood out like a wolf among sheep. His sharp features were unreadable, his expression cold, and his piercing gray eyes swept over the room before locking onto her.

Elena’s stomach twisted.

He walked toward her with an effortless confidence that made people instinctively move out of his way. She gripped the coffee pot tighter as he stopped just inches from her, his towering height making her tilt her head up.

“Elena Thompson?” His deep voice was smooth, but there was an edge to it—like a blade wrapped in silk.

She swallowed. “Who’s asking?”

A flicker of something amusement, maybe crossed his face before vanishing. “Your father owes me a debt.”

Her blood ran cold.

She had known this day would come, but she hadn’t expected it to arrive in the form of a man like him.

Elena straightened, forcing steel into her voice. “If you’re here for money, you’re wasting your time. I don’t have any.”

A slow, deliberate smirk touched his lips. “I’m not here for money.”

Dread settled like a weight in her chest. “Then what do you want?”

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, setting it on the counter. She hesitated before picking it up. Her hands trembled slightly as she unfolded it and scanned the contents.

Her pulse roared in her ears.

A contract.

Marriage.

Her eyes snapped up to his, her breath shallow. “This—this is a joke, right?”

The man because he wasn’t just any man, she realized, but Alexander Calloway, a billionaire whose name carried power and influence, tilted his head slightly. “Your father lost everything. The only thing left to give was you.”

A chill ran down her spine. “He wouldn’t—”

“He did.”

She felt the room spinning. Her father had sold her. Not metaphorically. Not in some vague, desperate attempt to buy time. He had actually signed her away in marriage to a stranger to pay off his debts.

Elena’s fingers curled around the paper, crumpling it slightly. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Alexander didn’t flinch. “You don’t have a choice.”

Anger surged past the fear. She slammed the contract onto the counter. “The hell I don’t.”

His eyes darkened, and for a moment, she could have sworn something flickered in them something unreadable. Then, just as quickly, his expression hardened back into a mask of indifference.

“You can fight it,” he said, his voice infuriatingly calm. “But it won’t change the outcome.”

Elena clenched her jaw. This couldn’t be real. People didn’t just get sold off in modern-day New York like this was some twisted historical novel.

And yet, the evidence was right in front of her.

She forced herself to take a breath, her mind racing. There had to be a way out of this.

But as she stared at the man before her, the cold, composed billionaire who had just claimed ownership of her life she realized something.

She was trapped.

And the only way out… was through him.

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15 Chapters
Chapter 1
The scent of burnt coffee and fried food clung to the air as Elena Thompson weaved through the crowded diner, balancing a tray with three plates of burgers and fries. The old ceiling fan above did little to cool the humid space, and the chatter of customers mixed with the sizzle of the kitchen grill.“Table five,” her boss, Marv, called from behind the counter, barely glancing up as he wiped a smudge off a glass.Elena forced a polite smile as she set down the plates for a group of college kids who barely acknowledged her. She was used to it. Five years of waitressing at Joe’s Diner had taught her that people rarely saw the person serving them.She turned toward the register, rolling her stiff shoulders. It had been another grueling double shift, and her feet ached, but she needed the extra hours. The bills weren’t going to pay themselves, and neither was her father’s ever-growing gambling debt.The thought of him sent a pang of exhaustion through her. William Thompson had once been a
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-12
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Chapter 2
Elena’s hands trembled as she gripped the contract, her pulse hammering in her ears. The words on the paper blurred as her mind screamed at her to run. To do something—anything—other than stand there, staring at the man who claimed to own her now.Alexander Calloway watched her with that same detached expression, as if none of this was unusual. As if forcing a woman into marriage was just another business deal to him.Her breath came fast and shallow. “I’m not going with you,” she repeated, her voice sharp, defiant.A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. “You are.”“The hell I am.”“Elena.”She froze. He had said her name with a quiet certainty, as if he already knew every step she would take. As if he had already played out every possible reaction and had a solution for all of them.She gritted her teeth. “You don’t get to say my name like that. You don’t know me.”A small, almost imperceptible tilt of his head. “Not yet.”Her stomach twisted. “This is insane. You can’t just—”“E
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-12
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Chapter 3
The car moved smoothly through the streets of New York, its quiet hum filling the tense silence inside. Elena sat rigid against the cool leather seat, her breathing uneven as she glared at the man beside her.Alexander Calloway.The name carried weight in the business world. She had heard it before—whispers of his ruthless tactics, the way he dominated every deal he touched. But none of that had mattered to her until tonight. Until he had barged into her life and taken everything from her.Now, she was trapped in a moving prison, heading toward an unknown fate.Her fingers curled into fists against her lap. “Where are you taking me?”Alexander, who had been adjusting his cufflinks as if none of this was unusual, glanced at her. “Home.”She barked out a laugh. “Home? I have a home.”“No, you don’t.” His voice was infuriatingly calm. “Your apartment was seized by the debt collectors. Your father disappeared. You have nothing.”A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down. She
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-12
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Chapter 4
Elena lay awake in the massive bed, staring at the ceiling. The sheets were softer than anything she had ever felt, the room silent except for the faint hum of the city outside. But despite the luxury, she felt suffocated. She was in his house now. Married to him. Her father had ruined her life, and Alexander Calloway had taken full advantage. She clenched her jaw and turned onto her side, glaring at the expensive decor that mocked her. She didn’t belong here, surrounded by wealth that wasn’t hers, trapped in a situation she never agreed to. She had spent her whole life clawing for independence, only for it to be ripped away in a single night. Her fingers curled into the sheets. I won’t just accept this. Her mind raced with ways to escape. The mansion was massive, and she had only seen a fraction of it, but it had to have weaknesses. Exits. Something. Alexander was powerful, but he wasn’t invincible. She exhaled sharply and sat up, glancing at the bedside clock. 2:13 AM. Per
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-12
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Chapter 5
Elena sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the floor. Her fists clenched in her lap, nails biting into her palms.She had thought she could escape. That she could slip away while Alexander slept, disappear into the city, and take control of her life again.But she had been wrong.The men at the gate—the debt collectors, the predators who saw her as payment—had shattered that illusion.She was trapped.Her breath came out shaky as she recalled the moment she had looked back at Alexander, her heart hammering with the sick realization that he had known all along.He had let her go because he wanted her to see the truth for herself.She hated him for that.A sharp knock on the door made her jump.“Elena.”His voice. Deep. Steady. Unbothered.She squeezed her eyes shut and ignored him.A pause. Then, “Open the door.”She remained still, breathing heavily.A moment later, the handle turned. Of course, it wasn’t locked. Why would it be? This wasn’t her real room—it was just another
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-12
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Chapter 6
The car ride back was quiet, but this time, the silence felt different. Charged.Elena could feel Alexander’s presence beside her, his arm resting casually on the center console, his fingers tapping lightly against the leather. He wasn’t looking at her, but she could feel his attention—like he was aware of her every breath, every movement.And the worst part? She was aware of him, too.The way his sleeves were rolled up, exposing his strong forearms. The way his cologne lingered in the air, crisp and expensive. The way his jaw tensed when she shifted in her seat.She hated that she noticed these things.She hated that her pulse had started doing this stupid, traitorous thing whenever he was near.She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. His face remained unreadable, as always. Cold. Detached.Then, out of nowhere, he spoke.“You don’t like being taken care of.”It wasn’t a question. It was an observation.Elena frowned, turning toward him fully. “No, I don’t.”Alexander’s gaze
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-15
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Chapter 7
Elena wasn’t sure how long she stood there after Alexander left.Her skin still tingled where he had touched her, and her heartbeat hadn’t slowed, no matter how many deep breaths she took.This can’t happen.She couldn’t afford to feel anything for him. He was still the man who had trapped her in this marriage. The man who controlled her life.And yet, the way he had touched her—the way he had looked at her—No.She needed space.Elena spun on her heel and walked out of the living room, heading toward the back of the house. She had discovered a small balcony the day before, one that overlooked the city. Maybe some fresh air would clear her head.But as she pushed open the glass doors and stepped outside, she froze.Someone else was already there.A woman.Tall. Stunning. With sleek blonde hair and a figure that looked like it had been sculpted by the gods themselves. She was dressed in an emerald-green silk dress that clung to her curves, her posture poised and elegant.Elena didn’t r
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-16
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Chapter 8
Elena barely slept that night.Scarlett’s words haunted her, twisting in her mind like a cruel echo.“He ruins people.”“He doesn’t like losing what belongs to him.”And worst of all—Alexander’s response.“Scarlett thinks she knows me. She doesn’t.”“Not yet.”Elena should have been terrified. Should have doubled down on her plan to escape.Instead, she found herself watching Alexander more closely.Looking for the truth.—The next morning, she found him in the dining room.It was a strange, quiet ritual between them. They never made plans to eat together, but somehow, they always ended up in the same space at the same time.Elena’s eyes flicked over him as she sat across from him at the long, sleek table. He was already dressed for the day—black button-up, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, wristwatch gleaming in the morning light.He didn’t look up when she sat. Didn’t acknowledge her at all.And yet, she could feel it—the way he was aware of her.The tension between them from last
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-16
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Chapter 9
Elena couldn’t stop thinking about Tristan Kane.Even after she returned to the mansion, after she changed into comfortable clothes and tried to push the encounter out of her mind, his words clung to her.“You don’t belong in his world.”“You’re looking for a way out.”She had wanted freedom since the moment she was forced into this marriage. She had dreamed of escape.So why did it feel wrong to hear those words now?Why did she feel like she wasn’t trapped anymore?Why did she think of Alexander every time she considered leaving?—She found him in his office that evening.He was sitting behind his desk, his sleeves rolled up, fingers tapping lightly against the polished wood. His eyes flicked to her as she stepped inside, but he didn’t speak.He was waiting.For her to say something.For her to choose why she was here.Elena hesitated, then crossed the room, stopping just before his desk. “I ran into someone today.”His fingers stilled. “Who?”She met his gaze. “Tristan Kane.”A sl
last updateLast Updated : 2025-02-21
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Chapter 10
Elena had never felt this way before.Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, she could still feel Alexander’s touch on her skin, still taste him on her lips.She had fought against him for so long, against this pull between them, convinced it was nothing but a trick of circumstance.But tonight, that illusion shattered.Because when Alexander had kissed her, she hadn’t resisted.She had kissed him back.And she had wanted more.A part of her screamed that this was dangerous—that Alexander Calloway was dangerous.But another part of her, the part that had felt his hands on her waist, the part that had heard the quiet hitch in his breath when she pulled him closer, told her something else entirely.Maybe he wasn’t just the cold, ruthless man everyone believed him to be.Maybe, with her, he was something different.—The next morning, Elena found herself walking through the house in a daze.The staff moved around her as usual, offering polite nods, but she barely noticed them.Her mind wa
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-01
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