Ava Berry POV
Before the darkness completely took me, a thought surfaced. Elliott's cruel words. He was not wrong to treat me badly. I owed him. I knew I did.
Five years ago, my father and Elliott's family arranged our marriage. They commanded me to marry Elliott. I resisted at first. I did not even know him. I had never met him. But then, my grandmother fell gravely ill. She needed a bone marrow transplant. The surgery and recovery would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
My father used my grandmother's health against me. He refused to pay for her treatment unless I agreed to the marriage. He acted as if my grandmother, his own mother, was not his responsibility. He cried in front of me, claiming the family business was on the brink of collapse. He said he was helpless. I had no choice. I nodded, accepting my fate.
I did not yet know that a far heavier chain was being forged for me. One that had nothing to do with money, and everything to do with a secret I would be forced to guard with my own life.
That same evening, Elliott came to our house. It was the first time I saw him. Snow covered the ground, and the moon shone brightly in the courtyard. His face, soft in the moonlight, seemed to merge with its gentle glow. He spoke softly, almost begging me to refuse the marriage.
"I will give you anything," he said. "Name your price."
He told me he loved another woman. He did not want to marry me. He could not defy his family's wishes. He felt trapped. I saw a scared girl standing in the shadows behind him. Angella.
Elliott looked at me, his gaze intense. His eyes sparked something in me. I suddenly felt pity for him. I imagined his life if he married me instead of the woman he loved. It would be a cruel existence. I told him I would refuse the marriage. I would tell my father.
My condition was simple: fifty thousand dollars for my grandmother's medical bills. He agreed immediately.
The next day, I saw Elliott by chance. He was in a meeting with a high-ranking executive. He pleaded with the man, nearly on his knees. He begged him for something. He was working hard to raise the funds. Three days later, fifty thousand dollars appeared in my account. Every cent.
I kept my promise. I refused the marriage. But I had no idea that forces far larger than either of us were already moving. And they would not let me walk away.
