Bound by the Boy I Ruined

​The fluorescent lights of the corridor hummed loudly, buzzing right along with the frantic panic in Kate Thomas's chest. She clutched the strap of her faded handbag so tightly her knuckles bled white. Tomorrow morning. She had until exactly 8:00 AM tomorrow morning, or the banks would seize her family's house, throwing them onto the streets. Worst of all, her mother was still hooked to a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit, fighting for her life. ​Unable to wait another second, Kate pushed open the heavy mahogany door, bursting directly into the lawyer's office. Her eyes were wide, her breathing ragged, and her face completely pale. The lawyer looked up from his messy stack of paperwork, deeply frowning at the sudden, frantic intrusion. ​"Please, sir, you have to help me," Kate pleaded, her voice trembling violently as she took a desperate step forward. "I know it's late, but I didn't know where else to go. If I don't get that money by tomorrow morning, my family loses everything. They'll kick us out." ​The lawyer sighed heavily, closing his laptop with a soft click. "Kate, we've already discussed this. The bank isn't a charity organization. Without collateral, there's absolutely nothing I can do." ​He pinched the bridge of his nose, unable to meet her tear-filled, desperate eyes. He couldn't lend her the massive sum himself, but the sheer desperation radiating off the young woman finally cracked his stiff, professional exterior. He opened his bottom desk drawer. ​"There is nothing I can do officially, Kate," he said quietly, his voice dropping low. "But... I do know someone who can." ​Kate froze, a tiny sliver of hope piercing through her absolute panic. "Who?" ​The lawyer pulled out a sleek, matte-black business card embossed with sharp gold lettering and slid it slowly across the dark mahogany desk. ​"A former client of mine. A billionaire," the lawyer warned, his tone turning incredibly serious. "He has more money than God, and I happen to know he is currently looking for... a very specific kind of arrangement. But you must be careful, Kate. The man is completely ruthless. If you make a deal with him, he will own you." ​Kate's trembling fingers reached out to pick up the card. But the moment her eyes landed on the gold-embossed name, the breath was violently knocked clean out of her lungs. Her blood ran ice-cold. It couldn't be. Out of all the ruthless, powerful men in the city, why did it have to be him? ​"He is currently staying in the penthouse suite at the Obsidian Hotel," the lawyer added, watching her reaction closely. "If you are truly this desperate, go there now. But be warned: once you sign his terms, there is no going back." ​Staring down at the card, the last bit of color drained from Kate's face. Her voice came out as a barely audible whisper. "...Xavier. No... anyone but him." ​ ​The rain poured down in heavy sheets as Kate stood outside the towering, glass facade of the Obsidian Hotel. Her cheap canvas shoes were completely soaked, and her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She stared down at the black and gold business card clenched tightly in her wet hand: Xavier Sterling. ​Back in high school, he was just "Weird Xavier"—the skinny, quiet boy who sat at the back of the class with oversized glasses and a severe stutter. Kate had been popular, beautiful, and surrounded by friends, and she had relentlessly clowed him for being a total nerd. She had laughed at his cheap clothes, mocked his projects, and completely crushed his pride just to fit in with the cool crowd. ​Now, he owned half the city's skyline, and she was a nobody who couldn't even afford her mother's hospital bill. ​Swallowing the bitter taste of her own pride, she walked past the elite security guards, took the private elevator straight to the penthouse suite, and knocked on the heavy double doors. ​"Enter," a deep, smooth voice called out from inside. The stutter she remembered was entirely gone. ​Kate pushed the door open. The penthouse was dimly lit, smelling of expensive leather, rich mahogany, and a sharp, masculine cologne. Standing by the massive floor-to-ceiling glass window was a man. He didn't wear glasses anymore. His broad shoulders filled out a tailored Italian suit perfectly, and his posture screamed absolute power. ​"You're late," Xavier said coldly, swirling a glass of whiskey without even turning around to look at her. "I assume the lawyer sent you to sign my contract?" ​Dripping wet onto his expensive, pristine carpet, Kate's voice shook as she spoke. "Xavier... it's me. Kate." ​Xavier froze for a fraction of a second. Then, he slowly turned around. A cold, dangerous smirk spread across his handsome face as his dark eyes slowly scanned her from head to toe. "Well, well, well. Look what the wind blew in. Kate." ​Lowering her head, Kate bit her lip hard to keep from crying. "I... I need your help, Xavier. I need a loan. Please." ​Xavier walked over slowly, taking his time, until he was standing directly over her like a predator cornering its prey. "A loan? From me? The 'pathetic nerd' who wasn't even worth breathing your air? Funny how the tables turn, isn't it?" ​Kate flinched as his sharp words sliced through the air. The shame in her chest was suffocating, hotter than the fire crackling in the corner of the luxury suite. Wrapping her arms around her shivering body, she looked away from him, staring at the pristine marble floors and the sheer luxury surrounding them. ​"I'm sorry, Xavier," she whispered, a warm tear finally escaping and cutting a path through the rainwater on her pale cheek. "I am so, so sorry for how I treated you back then. I was stupid, and I was incredibly cruel." ​She looked up at him, her eyes wide with a mix of awe and disbelief. "But... how? How did you do all of this? When we graduated, everyone said you disappeared. Your family had nothing. How did you build an empire like this in just a few years?" ​Xavier's smirk slowly vanished, replaced by a cold, hardened expression. He took a slow sip of his whiskey, his eyes darkening as if he were looking right through her, straight back into the painful past. ​"How?" he repeated, his voice dropping to a dangerous, quiet register that made the hairs on Kate's arms stand up. He walked over to his massive mahogany desk, slamming the crystal glass down so hard the liquor splashed over the rim. "I did it by surviving the hell people like you put me in, Kate." ​He stepped closer to her, his towering shadow completely engulfing her small frame. ​"When you and your popular friends clowed me, when you laughed at my stutter and threw my books in the dirt, I went home and believed I was absolutely nothing. After graduation, my father went completely bankrupt. We were kicked out of our apartment. I spent months sleeping on the concrete floors of uncompleted buildings, watching my parents starve." ​Xavier leaned down, his face mere inches from hers, his jaw clenched tight with lingering anger. ​"Every single door was slammed in my face. I worked three backbreaking digital jobs at once, staring at a broken laptop screen until my eyes bled, going days without a single meal just to learn how the markets worked. I didn't sleep for two years, Kate. Every time I wanted to give up, every time the hunger was too much, do you know what kept me going?" ​Kate swallowed hard, her throat completely dry as terror locked her muscles. "What?" ​"The memory of your laughter," Xavier whispered coldly, his dark eyes burning directly into hers. "Every tear I shed back then became a brick in this empire. I swore to myself that I would rise so high that the people who crushed me would have to look up until their necks broke just to see my shadow. And look at us now." ​He reached out, his long, firm fingers gently grasping her chin, forcing her to look directly into his piercing eyes. "The popular girl is on her knees, begging the pathetic nerd for mercy." ​Choking back a sob, completely broken by his words, Kate squeezed her eyes shut. "I never knew... I never knew you went through all of that, Xavier. If I could take it all back, I would. Please, my mother is dying. Punish me however you want, but don't let her pay for my past mistakes." ​Slowly letting go of her chin, Xavier turned his back to her, his expression darkening as he stared out at the rainy city skyline. "Oh, I'm not going to let her die, Kate. I'm a businessman, and I see a golden opportunity. I will pay off your family's debt and clear the hospital bills tonight." ​A sharp gasp of relief caught in Kate's throat. "You... you will?" ​"My father's dying wish was to see me married," Xavier said, his voice dropping to a raw, quiet whisper. "He wanted me to settle down before he closed his eyes forever. But I know the truth about your gender, Kate." ​He turned around slowly, his eyes flashing with a deep, buried insecurity. "Every woman I've met since I made my first billion has been an actress. You all look at the zeroes in my bank account and see a prize. None of you care about the broken boy who had to sleep on concrete to build it. You only love the wealth, never what's inside. I have a deep trauma with fake people, Kate. And you used to be the fakest of them all." ​Lowering her eyes, Kate felt the heavy sting of his truth. "Xavier, I'm not that person anymore..." ​"We'll see," Xavier said, sliding a thick, heavy contract across the desk as a sinister, beautiful smile returned to his lips. "Sign this. You will be my contract wife for the next 365 days. You will move into this penthouse, attend every gala on my arm, and pretend to adore me." ​Kate stared at the white paper, her hands trembling. "And what happens during that year?" ​Leaning forward, his massive shadow engulfing her completely, Xavier delivered his final terms. "During that year, I will be watching you. I will study your habits, your every smile, your every move, and your every breath. I am still searching for a real woman, Kate. If you are playing a game with me, I will find out. And if you break a single rule, I will ruin what is left of your miserable life. Now... pick up the pen." ​The clock on the wall ticked loudly in the heavy silence. 11:45 PM. The bank's deadline was creeping closer by the minute. ​With trembling fingers, Kate reached out and picked up the heavy gold fountain pen. She didn't even read the rest of the clauses; she couldn't afford to. Pressing the sharp nib to the paper, she signed her name on the bottom line: Kate Thomas. ​She had just officially sold her soul to the devil she once laughed at. ​Xavier watched the dark ink dry, a deep, unreadable satisfaction settling into his gaze as he looked at his new bride. "Welcome to hell, darling."