Chapter 2

Choices and Consequences

Serena's POV

​Antiseptic and stale food hit me the moment I stepped inside.

My palms burned, stained red from the weight of the bags filled with Grandma's favorites: honey peanuts and sesame crackers.

​Room 317

​I pushed the door open with a smile. "Grandma, I'm here."

​She turned slowly, her cloudy eyes searching my face. "I… can I help you?"

​The polite, distant tone broke my heart. Alzheimer's had stolen the woman who raised me, leaving only fragments.

​"It's me, Serena. Your Seri."

​Her brows knitted. "I don't think I know you."

​I set the snacks down, my voice thick. "It's okay. I'm your granddaughter. I used to steal your peanuts when you weren't looking."

​Her eyes flickered. "Seri…?" At my nod, her frail, trembling hand brushed my cheek. She let out a weak chuckle.

​As I laid out the crackers, the television in the corner caught my eye. A familiar name flashed across the screen: Damien Crowe.

He was glued to Lila Hale's side amidst a sea of camera flashes.

​"Damien Crowe publicly vows support for rising actress Lila Hale," the caption screamed.

​A dull ache settled in my chest. I remembered begging for his support once, only to be met with a cold dismissal; he had "no interest" in a woman who dared to be an actress. Apparently, the rules had changed for Lila.

​"You look sad," Grandma said, her focus shifting from the screen to my face.

​I stiffened. "I'm fine."

​"That's what your mother used to say when she carried too much." The words pierced me.

​"Grandma," I whispered, "what do you do when people you call family hurt you?"

​"You survive," she said, her instincts sharper than her memory. "And you don't always have to bend to their choices."

​"They're trying to decide my life," I admitted, my breath shaking. "I don't know how to stop them."

​She pulled me into a fragile embrace. "You're stronger than you think. Just like your mother."

​I helped her settle back into bed, lingering until she drifted off. But the coldness of the hospital corridor followed me all the way home.

​Laughter spilled from the dining room as I entered. My father sat at the head of the table, slicing steak with unbothered ease. My stepmother and Lila sat beside him, looking smug and satisfied.

​"Serena." My father's voice stopped me on the stairs. He didn't look up. "I know you went to the hospital. I hope it made you think about what happens to her if you turn this down."

​The room tilted. My stepmother's smile turned sly; Lila's stare was icy.

​"Her care costs money," he added lightly, setting his cutlery down. "Medication, specialists, private treatment. If you refuse the Crowe marriage, I stop paying. It's ten thousand dollars a month."

​"Dad… that's Mom's mother."

​"Not my problem," he snapped.

​"You exaggerate everything," my stepmother scoffed. "This marriage fixes everything."

​Lila watched with folded arms, her voice soft but venomous. "You should accept it, Serena. Dragging this out looks pathetic."

​"How can you be so cruel?" I demanded. "She raised me. She considered you a son!"

​"That," my father said evenly, "is why you should stop being emotional and start being useful. This marriage saves the company. It keeps her alive. Refuse, and you lose her."

​I thought of Grandma's trembling hand. There was no choice.

​"Fine," I whispered. "I'll do it."

​My father smiled. "Good. I'll call the Crowes tomorrow."

​As I turned to leave, Lila leaned close enough to sting. "I hope he treats you well. Damien belongs to me."

​I retreated to my room and collapsed against the door, a hollow sob racking my chest. My grandmother's survival for my freedom. One transaction, and my future was gone.

​Ethan's POV

The room was packed with high officials from different firms, all shouting complaints about the failing audit.

"We don't see value in this acquisition," a director said, tapping his pen.

"Are you serious?" I snapped. "I presented numbers, forecasts, and projections. This deal doubles our market share in six months."

Claire, my secretary, sat quietly in the corner, jotting down words for later reviewing, her posture stayed neutral, professional, and detached.

"Unless you all didn't look into it," That thought made me more furious, this is my company and wont take any disrespect from anyone.

"We did sir," another board member said, "but it requires approval from."

​"From whom?" I snapped, slamming my hand onto the table. I was the final word on everything here; whose approval could they possibly still need? "

​"Your father announced that everything goes through him now," a member blurted out, breaking the uneasy silence of the rest of the board.

My father... How am I the last to know?" I waited, but the room remained silent.

​I stood and walked out without another word, my knuckles white as I balled my fists. I could feel Claire's worried gaze on my back, this time I didn't wait for my driver to come pick me up, I drove straight to my father's estate.

The study had a distinct aroma of leather and old paper. Sunlight cut through the blinds. He sat behind his desk, newspaper in hand.

"Ethan," he said without looking up. "Why the unexpected visit?"

"Enough," I growled. "Stop controlling the board, you're undermining me."

He leaned back. "I placed you there, I gave you the company and since you refuse to listen, you'll have to find another place to lead."

Anger burned, I built this empire. Every deal and every risk was all mine.

"Refuse the marriage," he continued, "and you lose everything you built."

I paced the room not knowing what else to do,

"It's just a marriage, I could divorce later," I thought to myself.

​"I'm in," I announced, though the words tasted like ash. "But the company has to be under my full control, no interference."

​He didn't blink. "Agreed. However, that also comes with a non-negotiable term."

​I felt my muscles lock. What was he fishing for this time?

​"Seven years," he said, the number hanging heavy in the air. "You'll stay married for seven years."

​"Seven?" I snapped, the audacity of it stinging.

"Be grateful it isn't ten," he replied calmly. "Within that time, you'll have to give me a grandchild, you're my only child, and I plan thoroughly."

I had no other choice but to agree to that as well.

I called Claire to reschedule my meetings and drove straight home.

During the journey, I can't help but imagine who she was.

Is she a gold digger, naive, or arrogant?

The city lights blurred, but one truth stayed sharp.

I would not let a stranger control me.

No matter what game she and my father were playing.