Chapter 3 – An Offer in the Dark .

I didn't sleep.

I couldn't.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my father's face.

Not the face from my childhood, the one that used to lift me onto his shoulders and promise everything would be okay, no.....

The face from last night.

Cold. Empty.

Willing to trade me to save himself.

The morning sunlight slipped through the torn curtains, but it brought no comfort.

I sat on the edge of my bed, still wearing the oversized sweater that hid the fading bruises on my arms. My head throbbed from all the crying, and my stomach churned every time I remembered Lucian Ashford's final words.

"You'll hear it tomorrow."

What offer could he possibly have?

And why must it be me?

A loud knock echoed through the house.

I flinched.

Another knock followed, firm and deliberate. My father was already awake. I heard his hurried footsteps crossing the living room before the front door creaked open.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice unusually polite.

A deep, calm voice answered.

"I'm here on behalf of Mr. Ashford."

Silence.

Then my father's tone changed instantly.

"Please...come in."

Curiosity pulled me from my room.

I stepped into the hallway just as two men in black suits entered the house.

They looked completely out of place among the peeling paint and broken furniture.

One of them held a black leather folder.The other carried himself like someone trained to notice every exit and every threat.

His eyes briefly met mine before returning to my father.

"Miss Ava Carter?" the first man asked.

I nodded cautiously.

"My name is Adrian. Mr. Ashford asked us to deliver a message."

My father rubbed his hands together nervously.

"What did he say? Is my debt cleared?"

Adrian didn't even look at him.

"Mr. Carter, this message is for your daughter."

The smile on my father's face disappeared. Adrian opened the folder and removed a single envelope sealed with black wax.

He walked toward me and held it out. My fingers hesitated before taking it.

The paper felt heavier than it should have. Inside was a short handwritten note.

Miss Carter,

I dislike making decisions with incomplete information. Meet me today at two o'clock. You are allowed decline but know that your father's debt would not be cleared, instead accumulated. If you choose to come, you will hear my proposal before making any decision.

The choice will be yours.

—Lucian Ashford.

I read the note twice.

Then a third time.

"You are allowed to decline."

Those three words echoed in my mind.

No one had given me a choice in years.

Not my father.

Not anyone.

My father stepped closer.

"Well?" he demanded.

I folded the note and slipped it back into the envelope. "It's addressed to me."

His expression darkened.

"I'm your father."

I looked at him for a long moment. The bruise on my cheek still ached from his hand.

"You stopped acting like one a long time ago."

The room fell silent. For the first time in years...

I walked past him without lowering my head.

And for the first time...

He didn't try to stop me.

...

Once I got into my room, I locked myself and leaned against the door.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking. I looked down at the envelope again.

"The choice will be yours."

It sounded too good to be true.

People like Lucian Ashford didn't give people like me choices.

Did they?

A knock interrupted my thoughts.

"Ava."

My father's voice.

"Open the door."

I stayed silent.

"I know you're in there."

Still, I didn't answer.

After a few seconds, his voice softened—so suddenly that it made my stomach turn.

"Ava... sweetheart."

Sweetheart?

I almost vomited. He hadn't called me that in years.

"Open the door. We need to talk."

Slowly, I unlocked it but kept my hand on the knob, leaving only a small gap between us.

He stood there with an expression I'd never seen before.

Not anger. Desperation.

"I made a mistake," he said.

I stared at him.

"I wasn't thinking clearly."

"You've had a lot of years to think clearly."

His shoulders slumped.

"I know, I was desperate."

"And you decided I should pay the price?"

"I never wanted to hurt you."

I couldn't stop the disgusted frown on my face. "You've been hurting me for years."

His eyes dropped to the fading bruise on my cheek.

For a brief moment, he actually looked ashamed.

"I'm sorry."

The words hung between us.

Once, I had dreamed of hearing them.

Now...

They felt empty.

"I don't know what you expect me to say."

"I just want another chance."

I shook my head. "You had hundreds of chances."

Silence settled over us.

Finally, he sighed.

"If you go to meet Ashford..." He hesitated. "...be careful."

I looked at him in disbelief.

"You suddenly care?"

His face tightened.

"I don't know what kind of man he really is."

Neither did I.

That was what frightened me the most.

After he walked away, I changed into a simple pair of jeans and a cream-colored blouse. I wanted to feel like myself, not like the frightened girl in the expensive dress from the night before.

At exactly ten minutes to two, a black luxury sedan pulled up outside the house. The same man from earlier—Adrian—stepped out and opened the back door.

"Miss Carter."

I glanced back at the house.

My father stood behind the living room curtain, watching. And for once...he didn't try to stop me.

Taking a deep breath, I climbed into the car.

As we drove away, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was about to enter a new world, leaving my old life behind.

The city slowly changed around us until the car stopped in front of an elegant estate surrounded by towering gates.

Adrian turned to me. "Mr. Ashford is waiting."

I swallowed hard.

Whatever happened next...

It would be my decision.

I just hoped I was strong enough to make the right one.

The gates opened without such of a sound. As the car rolled forward, I pressed my forehead lightly against the window. The estate was breathtaking.

Perfectly trimmed hedges lined the driveway, a marble fountain stood proudly in the center of the courtyard, and security guards patrolled the grounds with quiet precision.

It looked less like a home...and more like a fortress.

The car came to a gentle stop. Adrian stepped out first and opened my door.

"We're here."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and climbed out.

"This way."

I followed him through the massive front doors into a grand foyer. Everything was spotless—polished marble floors, towering columns, priceless paintings, and a crystal chandelier that bathed the room in warm light.

It was beautiful though it didn't feel like home.

But....It felt peaceful.

A middle-aged woman in a navy dress approached with a gentle smile.

"Welcome, Miss Carter."

She offered a small bow. "My name is Evelyn. May I take your bag?"

"Oh...um...t..thank you."

She accepted it carefully.

"If you'd like tea or coffee while you wait, I'd be happy to prepare some."

I blinked.

People usually barked orders at me. And they never asked me what I wanted. "Tea would be nice." I answered when I realized I was stalling.

She smiled warmly. "Right away."

A few moments later, Adrian returned.

"Mr. Ashford will like to see you now."

My heart began pounding.

I followed him down a quiet hallway until he stopped outside a pair of dark wooden doors.

He knocked once. A calm voice answered from inside.

"Come in."

Adrian opened the door.

Lucian Ashford stood by a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the gardens. He wasn't wearing the formal suit from the auction. Instead, he wore a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms and black trousers.

Even without the crowd around him, he still looked intimidating.

But a little more approachable...

Kinda....

He turned to face me.

"Miss Carter."

His voice was as calm as I remembered.

"Thank you for coming."

I nodded nervously as I look at the floor.

"Y..you said I..I had a choice."

"Yes, I did."

He gestured toward the chair opposite his desk. "Please. Sit."

I hesitated before lowering myself into the chair. For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. Finally, he broke the silence.

"I had someone look into your background."

My stomach tightened.

"I know about your job at the café."

I looked down again.

"I know about the hospital visit two years ago."

My fingers curled together.

"And I know your injuries weren't caused by falling down the stairs."

I looked up sharply.

"You investigated me?"

"I verified the truth."

His tone wasn't defensive. It was matter-of-fact.

"I don't make important decisions based on lies."

He looked at me with unreadable expression. I immediately back down to avoid his intense gaze.

I squeezed my jeans in frustration. He opened a folder on his desk and slid it toward me.

"I've already arranged for your father's debt to be settled with his creditors."

I stared at him.

"Why?"

"Because I don't negotiate with men who abuse their children."

Emotion caught in my throat. No one had ever stood up for me before. "But," he continued, "that doesn't mean your problems are over."

He folded his hands on the desk.

"Your father knows people who won't be pleased that his arrangement failed. Whether you stay with him or leave, you could still be in danger."

A shiver ran through me.

"So...what are you saying?"

I lifted my gaze slowly. Lucian held it.

"I'm offering you protection."

The room fell silent.

"A..and in return?" I asked feeling nervous.

A faint, unreadable smile crossed his face.

"In return..."

He leaned forward slightly.

"...I need your help with something that could change both of our lives."

Before I could ask what he meant, there was a sharp knock at the office door.

Adrian stepped inside, his expression unusually tense.

"Sir..."

Lucian's eyes narrowed.

"What is it?"

Adrian looked at me briefly before turning back to him. "Mr. Carter is here."

My heart stopped.

"And he's demanding to take his daughter home."