A Deal with the Devil.(chapt.4)

ALESSIA’s POV.

The rush of blood in my ears made my mother's muffled sobs barely audible. My trembling hands gripped the contract she was moments from signing while my knuckles turned white against its sharp edges.

The turmoil inside me raged on while my voice emerged with unwavering firmness. “ I want to meet with Nikolai, before I make a decision. ”

Arturo reclined in his chair while his fingers drummed absentmindedly on the smooth mahogany desk surface. His gaze held a detached amusement viewing me as merely a pawn on his board. "Your time limit stands at twenty-four hours," he declared with a lazy drawl.

An abrupt breath escaped my lungs.

The bastard.

My mother’s hand shook next to me while she gripped her silk robe desperately trying to use it as a shield against the harsh reality before her. This was not what she deserved. She bore no responsibility for the situation yet found herself in the crossfire.

I forced a swallow, glared at my father before making my exit.

My journey to Nikolai’s estate dissolved into a vague memory while my thoughts spiraled around the maddening fact of my powerlessness. The situation lacks real control.

My father had definitively communicated the impossibility of any escape route. He would take my mother instead if I didn’t hand myself over.

The distant estate stretched before me as its imposing magnificence twisted my stomach into knots. My previous visit to this place hadn't prepared me for the new sensations it now elicited. My entry into enemy territory transformed into an impending surrender.

The gates opened before me as though my arrival was anticipated. His gaurds all cast suspicious looks at me but no one stopped me.

My feet ascended the prolonged staircase while my heartbeat settled into a perilously slow tempo. To maintain control over my emotions I had to suppress my anger until I secured the remaining leverage available to me.

Before my hand reached the door to knock it swung open.

“You.”I hissed.

Nikolai Volkov positioned himself against the doorway boundary while his typical aggravating grin remained fixed. “Did you not chase me from your office a few hours ago? He mused his emerald-green eyes gleaming with amusement. “And now you show up at my doorstep. Alessia have you reached desperation already? ”

My teeth pressed together in a tense lock.“Shut up, Nikolai.”

A peculiar laugh escaped his lips as he moved sideways, his hand motioning me to cross the threshold. “By all means, come in.“

I paid him no attention as I marched indoors where my heels produced sharp clicks on the immaculate marble surface.

I turned to face him, arms crossed. “  I know of  my father's debt of three hundred million to you. ”

His smirk didn’t waver. The situation became more complicated and intensified instead of resolving. “Good.You should also know I demand full payment or a human collateral till full payment has been made.”

Disgust twisted my stomach into unnatural coils. "Your collateral is me," I said sharply. But with some changes. ”

“Changes? ”He mumbled.

“No heir” I spat out. “The original contract stated I would bear your child but this new agreement means I will not. My efforts will focus on repaying you through cash transactions. Each individual penny comprising the total amount. ”

A flicker of something—surprise? Amusement? A fleeting shadow crossed his face before he leaned back and rubbed his jaw. “Interesting. ”

“Have we reached an agreement or not? ” I snapped.

He examined me through an interminable painful moment before eventually giving a nod. “Fine. Let’s do it your way.”

Instead of feeling relief, I felt a pit form in my stomach.

Nikolai walked in the direction of the coffee table where he proceeded to lift the  stack of papers. “Let’s make this official Mrs. Volkov. ”

My eyes skimmed over the contract while my hand reached for the pen. My hands remained stable while my mind filled with a turbulent mix of rage and helplessness. My hand moved to inscribe my signature at the document's end, thus binding me to him for now.

Nikolai took the pen next his movements slow deliberate. He signed with ease then leaned back against the couch.

My eyes delivered an intense and hostile stare toward him.“I still hate you.”

He smirked. “If I got a dollar everytime you made that clear I’d be a trillionaire by now. Coffee … wifey?”

I made  a sharp turn on my heel before storming out without granting him the satisfaction of witnessing the depths of my hatred.

Many hours passed before I found myself seated in my bedroom with the contract laid out before me.

Sofia positioned herself opposite my seat while her brows knitted together in concentration as she turned each page. Her fingers threaded through her dark curls as she muttered, "I still can’t believe you actually did it."

A humorless laugh escaped my lips. “I did not have any choice. ”

She said nothing her eyes scanning the document.

She became rigid without warning.

Her grip on the papers became vise-like while her breathing halted mid-gasp.

“What? ” I asked my stomach clenching.

She didn’t answer. She turned several pages backward while her expression became more ominous.

“Sofia. I already had a day as bad as it can be, first lost my court case against that offspring of Lucifer, my company is in shambles, I signed a Darm contract binding me to satan’s junior till I can raise three hundred million dollars. I am sure I can handle anything.”

Her eyes met mine with inscrutable look that only made me more worried. “Alessia… you need to read this. ”

My brow furrowed as my hand extended toward the contract. My eyes scanned the intricate fine print which represented details I had previously been too enraged and shattered to notice.

The blood drained from my face.

“Wha-what is this?” I asked, my hands shaking due to the rage coursing through my veins.

Sofia swallowed hard. “The agreement you signed is more than  a mere marriage contract.” She drew a trembling breath into her lungs. “You signed over Romanov Industries to Nikolai till all debts have been paid back.”