LOGINShare
The Offer
publish date:
2026-07-25 16:36:26The paper felt cold against Marisol’s fingertips.
She opened the manila folder with shaking hands, expecting to find bank accounts, secret property deeds, or maybe a hidden life insurance policy. Anything that could save them. But as she pulled out the single sheet of white paper inside, her heart sank. There was no money. There were no secret contracts. There was only a single line written in her father’s heavy, dark ink. "Don't let him make you pay for what I did." Marisol stared at the words until they blurred before her eyes. What I did. What had her father done? She had no idea what it meant, but the words terrified her. It was far worse than the scary numbers the lawyer had shown her. This wasn't just about missing payments or bad business choices. This was about a dark secret something deep and personal that her father had carried to his grave. "What does it mean, Mars?" Camila asked, her voice small and frightened as she looked over Marisol’s shoulder. "I don't know," Marisol whispered, her jaw tightening. But looking at that paper, Marisol realized something else. She thought about the twelve families who lived on their estate the workers who picked the grapes, tended the soil, and depended on the Duarte harvest to feed their children. If Adrian took the land, those families would lose everything too. She couldn't let that happen. She had to swallow her pride. An hour later, Marisol was in her car, driving down the long, winding road that led to the Ramirez estate. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. She hated herself for what she was doing, but she had no choice. She had to try to negotiate. The Ramirez house was massive, built of cold grey stone and surrounded by tall iron gates. A maid showed Marisol into Adrian’s private study. The room was beautiful but intimidating. The walls were lined with large glass frames, and inside them were old land deeds. Marisol walked closer, her breath catching in her throat as she read the names on the old papers. Duarte.Duarte.Duarte. Many of these properties had belonged to her grandfather and great grandfather. The Ramirez family hadn't just started taking their land; they had been chipping away at the Duarte empire for decades, piece by piece. "They are beautiful, aren't they?" Marisol spun around. Adrian was standing in the doorway. He had taken off his suit jacket, and his white shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He looked relaxed, completely comfortable in his position of power. "You're a thief," Marisol said, the words slipping out before she could stop them. Adrian just smiled, walking past her to sit behind his large oak desk. "I am a businessman, Marisol. There is a difference. Now, tell me why you are here. Your week isn't up." Marisol walked over to the desk, refusing to sit down. She wanted this to be over quickly. "I came to make a deal. I will pay you back every single dollar my father owed you. But I need you to let me pay it in installments. I will give you a percentage of the vineyard's profits every month until the debt is completely gone." Adrian listened to her quietly, his dark eyes fixed on her face. He didn't interrupt. But the moment she finished speaking, he shook his head. "No," he said without a single second of hesitation. "Adrian, please," Marisol said, her voice cracking as her pride crumbled completely. "It's the only way you'll get the money." "I don't need the money, Marisol," Adrian said softly. He stood up from his chair and walked around the desk, stopping just inches away from her. The air between them felt thick and heavy. "But I do have a problem, and strangely enough, you might be the answer to it." Marisol frowned, taking a half-step back. "What are you talking about?" "My family has been putting a lot of pressure on me lately," Adrian said, his voice completely calm. "They want me to get married and settle down. They want an alliance." He looked at her, his dark eyes scanning her face, totally cold and empty of any romance. "I don't love you, Marisol. And you certainly don't love me," Adrian continued, his voice dropping to a low, chilling murmur. "This won't be a real romance. You will live in my house, you will attend family dinners, and you will do exactly as I say. You will basically be a maid in a wedding dress. But if you marry me... I will tear up your father's notes. The debt will be completely gone, and your vineyard will be safe."
Latest chapter
Owned by the debt Blurred Lines
The reporter lowered his microphone, staring at Adrian in silence.The reporters stood frozen. The guests held their breath. Camera lights flashed bright across the grand room, but Adrian did not look at any of them. He only looked at Marisol. His fingers stayed locked with hers, warm and solid."That will be all," Adrian said smoothly to the quiet room.He did not wait for the reporter to ask another question. He guided Marisol away from the terrace doors and back into the center of the warm ballroom. The crowd parted for them, people whispering behind their hands as they passed.Marisol’s heart was hammering against her ribs. Her mind was spinning.My marriage to Marisol is completely real.The words repeated in her head, over and over. Adrian had said it with such power. He had looked straight into the camera and said it like a promise. It had sounded so honest, so real, that for a tiny second, Marisol had almost believed him.And that scared her more than anything else.Where did
Owned by the debt The Public Mask
Marisol woke up early the next morning before the sun had even cleared the horizon.She lay perfectly still under her white cotton duvet, staring up at the grand plaster ceiling of her bedroom. Her lips still felt slightly warm and swollen from the night before. Every time she closed her eyes, the memory of Adrian’s dark bedroom hit her like a physical shock the heavy scent of whiskey and cedar, the tight grip of his hands on her waist, and the wild, rough press of his mouth against hers.It was a mistake, she told herself firmly, squeezing her eyes shut. He said it himself. It was just anger. It was just stress.That was the story she chose to believe. It was the only way she could keep her head clear. They were two people trapped in an impossible situation, forced into a fake marriage while fighting over old family secrets. It was completely natural for all that dark tension to explode into a moment of pure madness.She decided right then that she would act as if it had never happen
Owned by the debt Sparks in the Dark
The morning air outside the mansion was cool, but the ground was already warm under the bright sun. Adrian did not wait for the guards to pull open the heavy wooden doors. He pushed them open himself and walked out into the driveway. His leather shoes hit the stone ground with loud, fast clicks. Each step he took showed how angry he was.Marisol walked right behind him. Her heart was beating fast against her ribs, and her hands were clamped into tight fists at her sides. She could feel the anger coming off Adrian in hot waves, but she was just as angry.Nico was waiting near his bright red sports car. He had his arms crossed over his chest, leaning back against the shiny metal. The moment his eyes landed on Marisol, his small, fake smile grew wider. He pushed himself off the car and took a step toward her, completely ignoring the two large security guards standing near the iron gates."Marisol!" Nico called out. His voice was smooth and friendly, but it sounded fake in the quiet morni
Owned by the debt The Hidden Blueprint
Marisol closed her bedroom door with a quiet, trembling click. Her heart was beating fast, and her breath came in short, ragged hitches.The image of her own face staring back at her from those old photographs was burned into her mind. She walked back and forth across the carpet, her hands balled into tight fists inside her robe pockets. She was furious, humiliated, and deeply shaken. Adrian had spoken to her like a master scolding a child, threatening her with vague promises of punishment.He expects me to be scared, she thought, her eyes narrowing in the dark room. He thinks I will just sit in the corner, hiding from his dark secrets.She did not sleep a single minute that night. As the morning sun began to light up her room in shades of gray and gold, her fear slowly turned into a cold, sharp determination. She was not a pawn in a game she didn't understand. If Adrian Ramirez had been watching her for five years, she was going to force him to tell her why.At seven in the morning,
Owned by the debt The Room of Maps
The heavy iron handles of the double doors felt like ice against Marisol’s fingers. She stood in the pitch black hallway, her heart pounding hard against her ribs. Turn around, her brain warned her. Go to the kitchen, get your water, and go back to bed. But the memory of Adrian’s blushing face, his cousin’s strange warnings, and the sheer emptiness of the rest of the house pulled her forward. She couldn't live here like a ghost, surrounded by secrets she wasn't allowed to understand. She reached into the pocket of her silk robe and pulled out a small, thin metal hairpin. When she was twelve years old, she and Camila used to sneak into their father’s locked wine cellar to steal sweet fruit juices. Picking simple tumbler locks was an old childhood skill she had forgotten she possessed a silly trick she had never expected to use as an adult. Marisol knelt down in front of the keyhole. She inserted the metal pin, feeling for the small pins inside the lock. Click. The sound was
Owned by the debt The Shape of His Walls
Adrian slowly raised his eyes from his desk, looking at Marisol. The strange, embarrassed flush on his cheekbones was still fading, but his expression turned serious as her words sank in."Camila?" he asked softly."Yes, Camila," Marisol said, crossing her arms tight over her chest. "She is my sister, Adrian. She is only nineteen years old. She is sitting in our father's house all by herself, surrounded by empty rooms and bad memories. I won't leave her there alone while I live in this giant museum."She expected him to push back. She expected him to bring up privacy, or the rules of the contract, or how his grandmother Beatriz would react to having another Duarte living under their roof. She stood tall, preparing herself for a fight.Instead, Adrian just nodded."She can have the room next to yours," he said simply. His voice was low, devoid of any anger or resistance. "I will have the staff clean it tomorrow morning. She can bring whatever she needs from your old home."Marisol blin
You May Also Like
My Best Friend's Father
Thorns636.3K viewsOn My Professor's Bed
Xee write881.6K viewsThe Breaking Point of Love
Cloudsearcher4.5M viewsMaster Odell’s Secret Ex-wife
Eggsoup1.2M viewsThe MC President’s Wanted Woman
Allisonslau198614 viewsThe Rightful Heir Is My Baby’s Father
Internal 52 viewsSeducing The Nerdy Billionaire
Leeleebari78 viewsA Chubby Girls Need Love Too Collection
Thatty Madov44 views
