Chapter 3

Lila’s POV

Nobody hated their life as much as I did right now.

It was three in the morning, and the darkness of my house felt like a heavy blanket, suffocating me.

I couldn't stay in my room anymore. I'd met with Mr Knight for the very first time and we'd finalized everything. I'd agreed to the arrangement….and he gave me a ring. To probably remind me that he now owned me.

Every time I looked at that huge, cold diamond ring on my nightstand, my stomach twisted into a knot. I belonged to someone else now. Or, at least, I would by next Tuesday. A man I didn't know, a man who looked at me like I was property he just bought, was going to own my life.

I paced the dim hallway, my bare feet silent on the cold wood floor. I was drowning in it.

I stopped outside my parents' bedroom. The door was cracked open just an inch, a sliver of warm yellow light spilling out into the dark hallway. I pushed it open completely and stepped inside.

My dad was sitting in a chair right next to the bed. He hadn't changed out of his clothes. He was just sitting there, holding my mother's weak, sleeping hand in both of his. The sound of her shallow, rhythmic breathing filled the quiet room.

"Dad?" I whispered.

He jumped slightly, turning his head toward me. His eyes were red and heavy with exhaustion. "Lila. What are you doing up, sweetheart?"

"I couldn't sleep," I said, walking over and sinking onto the edge of the mattress near my mom's feet. I looked at her pale face, so thin and fragile, and felt a sob rising in my throat. I swallowed it down. "I'm so totally terrified of what's going to happen to me."

My dad's face crumbled. He let go of my mom's hand and pulled me into a tight, desperate hug. "I am so sorry, Lila. Look at me. You don't have to do this. I'll call him. I'll tear up the contract. We'll find another way, I swear."

"We won't find another way, Dad, and you know it," I said, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes. My voice was shaking, but I forced a tough sound into it. "Lucien Knight is the only miracle we have. He's already moving her to the private hospital tomorrow. He's bringing in the best doctors in the country. If I walk away, she dies. I can't live with that. I won't."

"But how much will it cost?" he choked out, wiping a tear from my cheek. "You're selling your freedom. Your whole future. You should be thinking about college, about falling in love, not sacrificing yourself for my failures."

"It's not your failure," I lied softly, wanting to ease the crushing guilt eating him alive. "It's just the hand we got."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, just listening to my mom breathe.

"Remember that summer we went to the lake?" my dad asked suddenly, a small, sad smile breaking through his sadness. "You were only seven. You were so terrified of the water, you cried for two hours on the dock."

I let out a weak, watery laugh. "Because you told me there were lake monsters, Dad."

"I did," he admitted, his smile widening just a little. "But then your mom grabbed your hand, walked you right into the water, and told you that you were fiercer than any monster. Five minutes later, we couldn't get you out of the lake."

"She always knew exactly what to say," I whispered, looking back at her sleeping form.

My dad reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He took my hand and pressed a small, cool object into my palm. I looked down. It was a small silver pendant with a raw emerald in the center.

"This was your mother's," he said softly. "Her grandmother gave it to her. I want you to have it. Take it with you when you leave."

"Dad, I can't take this, it's Mom's favorite—"

"Take it, Lila," he insisted, closing my fingers over the necklace. "Wear it under your shirt if you have to. But promise me something. Don't let that man change who you are. Remember your true identity. You are fierce, just like your mother said. And if he ever crosses a line, if he ever tries to hurt you or make you feel like you are nothing... you come home. I don't care about the money. I don't care about the debt. You come straight back to us. Understand?"

I nodded, the tears finally falling as I clutched the pendant against my chest. "I promise."

★

The next morning arrived far too quickly.

I stood in my mom's room, my suitcase packed and sitting by the front door. She was awake now, sitting up in bed, looking a little brighter than she had yesterday, probably because the new medications Lucien's team ordered were already being prepared.

I sat on the edge of her bed, holding her hand. It felt so light, like a little bird's wing.

"You're going to a big, beautiful house," my mom said, her voice a little raspy but filled with genuine warmth. She didn't know the dark details of the contract. My dad and I agreed to tell her it was a wealthy deal to help our family, keeping the ugly truth from her. "My beautiful girl, moving up in the world."

"I just want you to get better, Mom," I said, my chest hurting so badly it physically hurt to speak. "That’s all that matters to me."

"I am so incredibly proud of you, Lila," she whispered, leaning forward to kiss my forehead. "You have always been the strong one in this family. Never forget how much I love you."

"I love you too, Mom. So much." I squeezed her hand one last time before forcing myself to stand up. If I stayed here any longer, I was going to lose my mind.

I walked down the hallway, grabbed my suitcase, and stepped out onto the front porch.

Waiting at the curb was a sleek, black car with dark windows. It looked scary, like a hearse waiting to take me away to my new life.

A driver in a sharp black suit was standing by the trunk, but as I looked at the backseat through the glass, I realized it was completely empty.

I felt a sudden rush of anger. He couldn't even bother to show up? He really saw me as just a package to be picked up.

My dad walked me down the driveway, carrying my bag and handing it to the quiet driver, who nodded and put it in the trunk. The driver opened the back door for me, his expression completely blank.

I turned to my dad. His eyes were wet again, his hands shaking as he pulled me into one final, tight embrace. "I love you, Lila. Please be okay."

"I love you, Dad," I whispered.

I broke away, stepped into the plush, leather car, and the driver shut the door, cutting off the neighborhood sounds. The silence inside the car was deafening.

As the car pulled away, I looked out the window. My dad was standing there on the dead lawn, looking so small and alone, raising a single, shaking hand to wave goodbye.

This was it. This truly was it for me.

I pressed my forehead against the cool glass and started sobbing, the tears blurring the image of my childhood home until it vanished completely.

My story as the cold billionaire CEO’s wife was officially on, wasn't it?