Eleanor Vance POV

My father had called several times while I was talking to Mr. Julian. Now he was calling again. Before the phone stopped ringing, I took a deep breath and answered him. I didn't want to, but I had no choice.

"What do you want, Father?"

"Is this how a good daughter answers her father? You hurt my feelings, Eleanor."

His disgusting voice crawled into my ears. It made my face twist with hate. I narrowed my eyes. He was faking his sadness. It made me so angry. I sighed and called him the worst names I had ever heard.

He laughed. He actually enjoyed it. Then he asked me a question that made me confused.

"Where are you right now?"

I frowned. Why would he ask me that? Since when does my father care about where I am? It was almost funny.

"Why are you asking?"

"You are at the party, obviously! Well, since they are on their way to you, let me tell you some happy news, my daughter."

I looked around. I didn't understand what he was talking about. What happy news? And who was coming here?

I felt a rush of fear and panic. His crazy laughter on the phone made my blood run cold. Then he said the words that made my body freeze.

"To be quick, because I don't want to waste our time, I made a bet. Sadly, I lost. A few hours ago, I asked you to send me the money to pay it off. But you thought you were smart. You refused to send it. So, I had no choice but to put my dear daughter up as the payment for my loss."

His words hit me like a bolt of lightning. It felt like someone had thrown ice water over my whole body. The phone shook in my hand. It almost fell. I don't know how I stayed standing. I gripped the phone so hard that my knuckles turned white.

What on earth was this man saying?! What bet? What did he mean he bet me?! God... what was happening?!

"I don't understand. What do you mean you bet me?!"

My voice was shaking. My body felt like it was made of thin paper. I tried to stay calm. I tried to tell myself this was impossible.

"You stopped giving me money, didn't you? Since I can't get it from you, I can just use the girl who has the money as the bet instead."

He said it so simply. He sounded so calm. It was like he was betting a piece of furniture, not a human being with a soul.

"And because I know how much you love your stupid sister, I bet both of you together. I got a very good price for each of you."

He laughed again. He didn't care at all.

Did he really bet Ivy too?! Was he joking?! He told me he sold both of us. He said he got even more money because of our pretty faces.

He was talking like he was proud of it! Like he had won a great deal! Why was he talking about us like we were things to be bought and sold?!

My breath became fast and heavy. I couldn't stand anymore. My legs gave out. I fell to the ground. Tears started falling from my eyes. He didn't really do this, right? He has to be joking.

No father can sell his own daughters. No father can turn them into whores so easily!! No, no. This isn't real. It's impossible. My father wouldn't do this, no matter how bad he is. Right?

"Tell me you're joking! Please..."

I begged him. I was crying. My hands were shaking around the phone.

But his laughter on the other end told me the truth. He wasn't joking. He really didn't care about what would happen to his daughters. What kind of father was he?!

"How could you put me and my sister in a gambling bet, Father?!"

My mouth shook. My eyes were burning with hot tears. They ran down my cheeks. I was shocked. I was angry.

I couldn't take it anymore. I was sick of this man. He never stops destroying my life. Every chance he gets, he ruins everything for me and Ivy. It was like we were born just to suffer.

I collapsed into a ball on the floor. I gripped my dress. I felt so helpless. All he did was sound bored on the phone. He was tired of talking to me! He was acting like he sold animals, not his children!

"Don't give me a headache, girl! Good luck to you and your sister, my dear Eleanor!"

He said those words so casually. Then he hung up. He didn't want to hear another word. I looked around the empty air. I felt lost. My tears came faster and faster.

I gasped for air. I shook my head. I cried until my whole body was shaking with fear. I didn't know what to do! How could I escape this? How could I survive?

My mind was full of questions but no answers. How could I run from the fate my father wrote for me? And my little sister!! Ivy!

I jumped up in a panic when I remembered her. I searched for her name in my phone. My hands were shaking. My tears wouldn't stop. After a few seconds, Ivy answered.

"Listen to me, Ivy! We have no time! Pack all your clothes. Take all the money you have, and take my money too. Leave the house right now! Go to the Cotswolds countryside fast!"

I talked so fast she couldn't say anything. She was terrified. She could hear the crying in my voice.

"What is it, Eleanor!! What happened?!"

"No time, Ivy! Please... just do what I said and leave the house now!!"

She understood it was serious. She ran to her room to grab her things while she was still on the phone. I tried to tell her everything was okay. I didn't want her to panic more than she already was.

I wiped my tears with my hand. I tried to find some strength. All I wanted was to run away. I wanted to go somewhere where no one could find me. Especially not the men who bought me.

I moved to leave. Then I saw a huge black car. Large men stepped out of it. The moment I saw them, I remembered what my father said. These were the men coming to take me.

Panic hit me. My heart raced so fast I thought I would fall. I leaned against the wall. I was terrified. Then I ran toward the hotel gate. I had to hide inside.

"If I go inside, they can't get past the security."

It was my only way to be safe! I ran to the security gate. I opened my bag to find my ID card. I looked through everything quickly. But it wasn't there!!

I pulled my hair back hard. My heart was pounding. My blood was hot with adrenaline. I looked through the bag again and again. It was gone!

"Where the hell is it?! I had it just a minute ago! Where did it go?!"

I looked around in fear. I saw the men. They were spreading out. They were waiting for me to show up so they could grab me!

Tears of fear filled my eyes. My hands were shaking as I searched my bag for the thousandth time. It was really gone. I closed my eyes. I was losing my mind. I tried to be calm and find a way out.

"How am I going to get out of this?!"

There was no time to think. Every second made them closer to me.

"There is only one way."

I ran as fast as I could. I didn't care about my high heels biting into my feet. I reached the men's bathroom right next to the main gate. It was the only place I could hide.

I rushed inside. My hair was a mess. My face was red from crying and panic. My breath sounded like a dying animal. My chest was moving up and down wildly.

I slammed the door shut behind me. I leaned against it. I was shaking. I closed my eyes and tried to find my balance. My heart was beating like a war drum in my ears.

I could only think about the men outside. Did they see me? Would they break the door down?

Suddenly, a deep voice broke the silence. It was cold like a sharp blade. It made the blood freeze in my veins.

"Won't you explain why you are in the men's room... Miss Vance?"

I froze. I felt the cold marble behind my back. I opened my eyes slowly. I saw Julian Blackwood. He was standing at one of the sinks. He was drying his hands slowly with a paper towel. His dark eyes were watching every bit of fear in my soul through the large mirror.

Eleanor Vance POV

I froze in the corner of that bathroom the moment Major General Julian Blackwood's voice filled the room. I turned around slowly. My legs felt like lead. When I finally faced him, I met his deep, dark eyes. I felt like he wasn't just looking at me. He was looking straight into my soul.

I quickly wiped away the tears on my eyelashes. My fingers were shaking. I tried to think of something to say. There was no logical reason for me to be here in this fancy place, looking like a mess.

He pulled a dark pack of cigarettes from his back pocket. He took one out with his index and middle fingers. His hands looked strong and serious. He slowly raised the cigarette to his lips. I waited for him to look away. I just wanted him to blink so I could breathe, but he didn't.

Even when he lit the lighter, he kept his eyes on me. The orange flame reflected in his dark pupils. He was intentionally keeping me trapped in his gaze. I felt like a bird in a cage, unable to fly away. He didn't say a single word.

My anxiety got worse. My eyes darted around. I could barely stand on my feet because of my father's threats. My breath became shallow and messy.

I was trapped. Outside this room, away from the protection of the Major General, were the debt collectors. They would find me sooner or later.

My eyes shimmered with new tears. I struggled not to cry in front of the man who was watching me like a silent painting. He blew out a cloud of smoke slowly. It swirled around him like a thick, dark mist.

"I am still waiting for an answer!"

Julian reminded me. He narrowed his eyes, studying my frozen face.

I looked at him, my mind spinning. I had no other choice. I had to tell him. Maybe he could help me. He was a Major General, after all.

I took a deep breath and tried to stay steady.

"Mr. Blackwood, please help me."

I whispered it. I was so helpless. I squeezed my hands into fists so hard that my knuckles turned white and the bones showed through my thin skin. I bit my lip in distress.

I looked up at his dark eyes again. The moment our eyes met, a shiver ran down my spine. It made it hard to breathe. He leaned his head back against the marble wall. He acted like he hadn't even heard my plea. I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached.

"I am being followed. There are men looking for me."

He looked at me with cold indifference. Then he stood up straight, showing his tall, powerful height.

"And?"

"Can you help me get out of here without them seeing me?"

I begged him. I looked at the door. I was trembling. I could hear loud noises in the hotel hallways.

My heart dropped into my stomach. Many footsteps were coming our way. They sounded like war drums getting closer and closer. The sound of my racing heart was the only thing I could hear in the quiet room.

Doesn't he understand? Can't he see the terror in my eyes?

Finally, he decided to speak. He crossed his strong arms over his chest. He moved his tongue inside his mouth in a mysterious way.

"And what do I get in return?"

When his deep, masculine voice hit me, it felt heavy. My fingertips went numb. My brain stopped working. I blinked over and over. In return?! How could he ask for something from a girl who was about to drown?

"What could I possibly give you in return for your help?"

He kept looking between my eyes. His focus was so intense it stole my will. Without any hesitation, he spoke firmly.

"Be my wife for eight months. Then we will get a divorce."

My eyes went wide with shock. I felt the cold air dry out my throat. My mouth fell open. I couldn't believe it. What the hell did the Major General just say? Was he joking?

I ran my hand over my face. I gave a bitter, angry laugh.

"What??"

"My offer is on the table. I am waiting for your answer before those men walk in."

I gave a desperate, shaky smile.

"Don't joke, Mr. Blackwood. Joking doesn't suit you."

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip slowly. The movement made me swallow hard.

"Do I look like I am joking, little one?"

My smile disappeared. His serious face and confident eyes told me he meant every word. Marriage?! I stared at the marble floor. The light from the fancy chandeliers reflected on the ground. I couldn't speak. I hadn't even known him for an hour!

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what you heard. I will protect you from those men following you. In return, you will be my wife for a while. Then you will be free."

He said it simply, like he was giving a military order. He took confident steps toward me. He got so close that I had to hold my breath. I stepped back until my back hit the wall.

He kept coming until his shiny black shoes touched mine. He leaned his face down toward me. I felt the heat of his breath. It smelled like tobacco. It danced over my skin.

He moved his index finger under my chin slowly. His skin felt rough and warm. His cheek brushed against mine for a split second. It made my blood boil in my veins. Then he leaned toward my ear and whispered.

"Time is running out, Miss Vance. They will be inside at any moment."

I looked at him boldly, even though I was shaking.

"And who would you be to protect me from them?"

I saw a ghost of a smirk on his lips. Then he dropped the final blow near my ear.

"My woman."

I froze. That word hit me like an arrow through my chest. I felt my heart jump into my throat.

"Your woman?!"

He stepped back quietly. He rubbed the tip of his nose with his finger.

"That is if you agree, of course."

Suddenly, he blew a cloud of smoke right into my face. I looked away and coughed. The strong tobacco choked my lungs.

I was about to answer him. But then, the door burst open. A group of huge, brutal men rushed into the room. They ruined the quiet of The Savoy with their violence.

Eleanor Vance POV

My eyes froze on the bodies sprawled in front of me.

The men my father had sent.

Their faces were carved with expressions so brutal, so vicious, that mercy had no place in them at all.

My hand trembled where it rested against President Julian Blackwood's chest.

I could feel his heartbeat, steady and powerful beneath my palm.

I had placed my hand there earlier to push him away.

Instead of pulling back now, I clung to him harder, my fingers tightening in the fabric of his suit jacket.

After watching the intruders with sharp focus, like a hawk tracking its prey, his gaze returned to me.

More precisely, to my hand gripping him.

I did not know what to do anymore.

I was stuck in the middle.

Trapped between his overwhelming solidity and their predatory stares.

Looks wrapped in deceit and filth.

Smiles that devoured me in disgusting silence.

If I accepted his offer of marriage, I would be tearing myself out of my own life.

Handing over my freedom to the Blackwood family willingly.

Becoming nothing more than owned property.

No choice.

No will.

As if I had never been anything but a prize already decided in their dirty deals.

And if I refused, if I surrendered to the fate my father had stitched together with money and prostitution, then I would be nothing but a doll tossed into their hands.

A whore sold and bought to satisfy their filthy desires.

Either way, my life would be stolen.

Crushed under a destiny I never chose.

I wiped my face harshly, forcing back my tears, then lifted my eyes to meet his.

They were already on me.

I had been lost in thought, drowning in the trap I was stuck in, while his calm eyes moved over my features in eerie silence.

It made my scalp prickle.

Suddenly, he pulled his body away from mine.

His feet no longer touching mine.

A sharp emptiness hit me.

Cold.

Was he leaving me behind?

Leaving me to them?

I grabbed his jacket desperately, my fist twisting the fabric until my knuckles went white.

"Wait... don't leave me."

The words came out as a whisper, full of raw pleading.

My eyes held everything except comfort.

The men in front of me made me dizzy.

My breathing tightened under their gazes.

Their eyes tore into me like starving beasts.

He shifted, placing his broad back in front of me.

Hiding me behind his shoulders.

A solid wall blocking the burning stares aimed my way.

In a calm, steady voice, he whispered with quiet confidence,

"I won't."

Even though his words loosened the tight knot in my chest and eased my stiff muscles, I did not let go.

I gripped him even harder.

In that moment, he was the only one protecting me.

I made my choice.

Better to give myself to him than be dragged into that filthy world where my will would be erased and I would be reduced to a body sold for their pleasure.

"I agree. Just get me out of here. Please."

Julian turned, looking straight into my eyes.

His stare was steady.

Deep.

He leaned closer, slowly, until the warmth of his breath, heavy with the scent of tobacco, brushed my face.

A cold, confident smirk curved his lips before he spoke in a low voice, heavy with control and force.

"I was going to take you out whether you agreed or not. But now that you said it yourself... you are mine. Until your very last breath."

His words burned.

Like fire tearing through my chest without mercy.

Something sharp twisted inside me.

A strange sting.

As if I had submitted to a power I could no longer escape.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

My breath caught.

The air around me felt different.

Heavier.

Deeper.

Saturated with his presence as it closed around me with no way out.

I stepped back without thinking.

His hand shot out instantly, closing around my wrist with unshakable strength.

Stopping me from escaping even half a step.

His rough grip left a mark on my soft skin.

"Don't try to pull away now."

His voice was calm, but strong.

His eyes bound me tighter than his hand ever could.

In that moment, I knew it.

From that second on, I belonged to him.

Whether I wanted it or not.

His gaze traced every inch of my face, steady and unblinking, his hand still wrapped around my wrist, fingers large and unyielding.

Then he turned again, placing his back in front of me as he faced them, his eyes sharp.

"What do you want?"

His voice rang through the space, cold and commanding, his gaze sweeping over the faces present with terrifying calm.

He took a deep drag from his cigarette, then exhaled the smoke slowly in front of them.

As if giving them extra seconds to understand his absolute dominance.

I peeked out carefully from behind him, moving slowly until I reached the side of his right arm, watching the situation with fear.

One of them cleared his throat.

A man with hard features, clearly their leader, spoke in a strained voice.

"We came to take her."

He pointed at me.

I immediately ducked back behind Mr. Blackwood, pressing myself into him.

Okay... that was terrifying.

"Who is she?"

Mr. Blackwood asked calmly, his eyes moving between the tense faces and the room around us.

I frowned in disbelief.

Hello?

I am right here.

There is no other woman here, Julian.

The man frowned.

"Eleanor Vance. The girl behind you."

Julian let out a short, sharp laugh.

Cold.

Mocking.

Like a gunshot.

It vanished just as quickly, replaced by a hard line of seriousness.

"You mean Eleanor. My wife."

My breath stopped.

My wife?!

How dare he call me that?

I was not his wife yet.

"Your wife?"

The man echoed in shock.

I could not blame him.

"So, what exactly do you want from my wife?"

"We don't care if she's married or not. We're taking her either way."

My heart pounded violently.

His words shook me to my core.

My fingers trembled against Mr. Blackwood's back as the man added,

"Then come and take her."

He said it calmly.

Too calmly.

My grip loosened.

Pain crushed my chest.

I stepped back until my spine hit the wall.

My breath shook.

But Julian only leaned against the wall beside him.

Relaxed.

Smoking.

Waiting.

Heavy footsteps echoed.

The man advanced, confident.

Victorious.

The moment he passed Julian, everything changed.

Julian moved.

A steel grip closed around the man's neck.

A sharp strike.

Bone cracked.

The body dropped.

Still.

I gasped, hands flying to my mouth, staring at the unmoving form on the floor.

He had not abandoned me.

He had been hunting.

Julian crouched, checking the pulse.

No emotion.

No hesitation.

Then he said, flat and cold,

"He's dead."