Chapter 1

Elena’s POV

“The only thing we should fear is fear itself.”

Those were my late father’s words, etched into my memory like an unshakable echo.

I was standing at the sink, hands submerged in soapy water as I washed the endless pile of dishes, when my stepsister Vanessa sauntered in. Her heels clicked against the tiled floor, her smirk sharp enough to cut glass. She leaned close, her voice a venomous whisper against my ear.

“This had better be your last marriage, Elena… or you’ll have me to deal with.”

My heart skipped. Marriage? The word rattled through me like a curse. Not again.

I dropped the plate in my hand, water splashing over my apron as dread clawed up my chest. With trembling fingers, I wiped them dry and hurried out of the kitchen, rushing straight to the living room.

There she was Claudia, my stepmother lounging on the velvet sofa with a glass of wine in one hand, her phone pressed elegantly to her ear. Her laughter was syrupy sweet, dripping with the kind of poison I had learned to fear.

And in that instant, I knew whatever deal she was making on the other end of that call, it had everything to do with me.

As soon as she ended the call, I dropped to my knees beside her chair, my hands clutching at her gown as tears blurred my vision.

“Please… Mom,” I whispered, my voice trembling, desperate.

Her eyes darkened, her smile vanishing into something cruel. She leaned forward, her wine glass tilting dangerously close to spilling, and hissed through gritted teeth,

“I am not your mother. And if you dare call me that again, Elena, I’ll make sure you join your late father in the grave.”

Her words sliced through me, colder than any blade. I froze, my tears drying into silent fear, as the weight of her threat pressed down on my chest like a stone.

“Your miserable father left us drowning in debt, and someone has to pay for it,” Claudia continued, her voice dripping with venom as she swirled the wine in her glass.

My chest tightened, but anger burned hotter than my fear. I pushed myself up from the floor, my fists clenched at my sides.

“I’ve been the one paying!” I snapped, my voice cracking as years of swallowed pain rushed out. “Every marriage, every humiliation you’ve thrown me to the wolves, not Vanessa. And it’s never enough for you, is it?”

Her lips curled into a mocking smile, as if my outburst amused her more than it angered her.

“Why am I the only one paying for my father’s debt?” I demanded, my voice shaking with fury as I glared at her. “Wasn’t he your husband too? Or does your loyalty end the moment it costs you something?”

Claudia’s eyes narrowed, her painted lips curving into a cruel smirk. She leaned back in her seat, utterly unfazed by my defiance.

“Well, well,” Claudia drawled, her eyes glinting with cold amusement. “I see you’ve finally learned how to talk back to the very person who feeds you and clothes you.” She set her wine glass down with a soft clink, her smile turning razor-sharp.

“But don’t worry, Elena,” she continued smoothly, almost as if she were comforting me. “This will be your final marriage.”

A chill shot down my spine, her words echoing like a death sentence.

“No… no, please!” I cried, my voice breaking as tears streamed down my cheeks. “Life has already been hell with the men you’ve forced me to marry. I can’t go through that again I don’t want to face another nightmare!”

My knees weakened, but I clung to the edge of her chair, begging for mercy that I knew would never come.

“I already promised to clear the debt,” I choked out, my voice trembling as I wiped at my tears. “But not this way… not by being sold off again like I’m nothing.”

My words hung in the air, fragile and powerless against her cruel smile.

“Don’t be an ungrateful little slut,” Claudia spat, her eyes narrowing with venom. “I’m giving you the easiest way to pay for your father’s debt, and you dare complain? You should be grateful, Elena. Most girls would kill for a husband, even a poor one.”

Her words seared through me, every syllable a dagger to my chest.

“Who… who am I getting married to?” I asked at last, my voice barely more than a whisper. My chest felt heavy, each word dragged out of me like it weighed a thousand pounds. I looked at Claudia with pleading eyes, though I already knew mercy was something she would never give.

“Adrian Blackwood,” she said at last, her tone dripping with mockery. “A poor nobody. No family name, no wealth, no future. Just the kind of man fit for you.” You should be happy he married you with your debt.

From behind her, Vanessa burst into laughter, clapping her manicured hands together. “Oh, this is delicious! Elena, married to a beggar. You’ll finally be exactly where you belong beneath everyone else.”

Her laughter echoed through the room like cruel music, while I stood frozen, the name Adrian kept burning into my mind.

“Adrian Blackwood.”

The name rolled off Claudia’s tongue like poison, and it lodged itself in my chest. Adrian Blackwood… a poor nobody. My mind spun, trying to imagine the faceless man I was about to be tied to. Was he cruel like the others? Weak? Or worse indifferent?

While I was still drowning in my thoughts, a sharp knock echoed at the front door, jolting me back to reality. The sound carried through the room, heavy and commanding, as if fate itself had come knocking.

Claudia’s lips curled into a smile as her gaze flicked toward me. She didn’t need to say much more her voice, cold and final, sliced through the silence.

“Your future has arrived.”