Christmas in Hell

Chapter 4

Ivy

I froze in place, my mind still reeling from his words.

First, he had approached me out of nowhere at a random restaurant, asking to share my table. Now, he was offering a contract marriage… in exchange for my mother’s safety?

The weight of his proposal settled heavily in my chest, pressing against my ribs like ice cubes.

It was too much… all of it.

The idea of entering a fake marriage, especially with a man I barely knew, felt insane. I wasn’t ready for this kind of drama, and definitely not the kind that came with someone as powerful as him.

But at the same time… my mother’s life was on the line.

This could be the only way to save her.

If I refused the offer, I'd lose the money and Valentino wouldn't hesitate to end her life if I wasted more time. Twenty-four hours… that’s all she had left. The thought alone made my stomach turn.

I had to act really fast before it was too late... and at this point, I had no better option.

If the only way to save my mother was by getting married to a total stranger I barely just met, then so be it... damn the consequences.

My eyes dropped to the stack of papers he’d placed on the center table. I crouched quietly, picked up the pen, and signed every page without a word. 

I didn’t blink. I didn’t hesitate.

Then I set the pen down and folded my arms tightly across my chest, like I was bracing myself for the worst. It felt like I’d just walked straight into a trap, one I had spent years trying to avoid.

“What now?” I asked softly, barely looking up.

He smiled faintly, gathering the papers and flipping through them to confirm I had signed.

Then he nodded. “Congratulations, Ivy. You’ve just made the best decision of your life.”

He reached into the drawer once again and pulled out a sleek black credit card… one that screamed luxury and extreme wealth.

“Here,” he said, holding it out to me. “There’s half a million dollars loaded on that. First things first, go settle your mother’s debt with the loanshark. Then come back. That’s when the real deal begins.”

My eyes widened in shock. 

Half a million? Was this really happening? I had never seen, let alone touched that much money in my entire life.

Before I could say a word, he handed me another card, placing it straight into my palm. “That’s my business card, and the address to my family estate. We’re hosting our annual Christmas banquet tonight. Get yourself a decent dress… something elegant and classy. You need to look appealing to meet my family.”

My hands trembled as I held the cards, barely able to believe my eyes. It still felt like a horrible dream. But before I could gather my scattered thoughts, the man had already left the room, the door clicking shut softly behind him.

Just then, my phone buzzed beside me. My heart raced the moment I saw Ashley’s name flash on the screen.

What does she possibly want now?

I exhaled slowly and answered, only for her mocking voice to pour into my ear like acid.

“Oh Ivy… did you really have to ruin your life like this?” she whispered, her voice echoing with fake concern. “The news is spreading so fast. Almighty Ivy… in bed with a billionaire she barely met yesterday. Isn’t that just concerning? How do you feel getting with someone I just dumped?”

My stomach burned, before she hit me with something far worse.

“Well,” she sneered, “That's none of my concern anyway. I guess I’ll just go straight to the point. Valentino called. He said if your pathetic father’s debt isn’t paid within two hours, your mother won’t even get a chance to say her last goodbye before they take her life.”

Panic coursed through my veins.

But she didn’t stop.

“I’m sorry, dear sister,” she laughed cruelly. “Looks like the old woman is about to get wasted, because I’m pretty sure you can't even afford a thousand bucks, let alone one hundred thousand. Oh, and by the way… Quentin and I are getting married tomorrow. You’re invited. Maybe I might be kind enough to let you scrub the bathroom floor for the VIP guests.”

She ended the call with a harsh, mocking laugh that echoed down my ears like thunder.

My throat burned at her words.

My mother. 

I dashed out of the apartment and raced down the hallway, my feet pounding hard on the floor as my heart raced with panic.

I flagged down the first taxi I saw and muffled out the address Valentino had texted me.

Within minutes, the driver pulled up in front of an old, deserted warehouse in the middle of nowhere.

My heart pounded in my chest as I clutched the bag containing the money… exactly one hundred thousand dollars, just as Valentino had demanded.

I didn’t hesitate. I dashed into the building as fast as I could.

And there she was… my mother, bound to a chair, a gun pressed against her throat. They were just about to pull the trigger when I bolted in.

I rushed forward quickly, my loud footsteps cutting through the silence. Every head in the room snapped towards me, and the moment Valentino laid his eyes on me, he let out a low, mocking laugh.

“Well, well… look who finally decided to show up,” he said smoothly, circling me like a predator. He dragged the barrel of the gun slowly across my neck, sending a chill down my spine. “Now, tell me you came with the complete sum of money… or I’ll put a hole in this old woman’s head without a second thought.”

I froze, drawing in a shaky breath as I struggled to meet his gaze. My fingers delved into my bag at once, and the moment I found the stack of cash, I held it out with trembling hands.

“Here,” I whispered, struggling to catch my breath. “The whole money is in there. Please… just let her go.”

For a moment, his arrogant smirk disappeared, replaced by a stunned expression. His eyes locked on the envelope like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

He snatched it from my hand and stared down at it, speechless. A flicker of disbelief crossed his face as he turned to the men behind him.

“She actually brought the money,” he muttered, still staring at the envelope like it was poison.

The men nodded, clearly impressed, and finally pulled their guns away from my mother's neck. Only then did I realize she was unconscious… she hadn’t even known how close she was to dying.

“I need to call the boss,” Valentino said quickly, pulling out his phone and dialing. “Boss, she’s here. She brought the money.”

He ended the call seconds later and looked back at me, his expression unreadable. Barely minutes after his call, a loud, heavy thud echoed through the room as the door creaked open.

Everyone’s attention snapped towards the sound… and my heart stopped the instant I saw her approaching.

“Ashley?”