Sold for a Signature
1254 Words
Alina’s POV
I was just waking up when my parents called me down to the dining room, and the moment I walked in, I could see the legal documents spread across the table while my father paced back and forth with a tense expression.
"Alina, sit down, we need to discuss your future right now," my father said, pointing to the empty chair at the head of the table while my mother poured herself a cup of coffee with shaking hands.
"I overheard you and Mom in the study last night," I said, remaining standing because my legs were too stiff with anger to bend, and I wanted them to look me in the eye.
"I know about the Ashford contract,I am telling you right now that I refuse to do this, because you cannot just give me away to a stranger to patch up your bad business decisions."
My father stopped pacing and glared at me, his eyes cold and hard. "You don't have a choice in this matter, Alina, this goes far deeper than just a simple bailout, it is time you learned the truth about how this family operates."
"What truth?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Years ago, before you were even born, Lucien's grandfather and I signed a formal marriage agreement between the Everhart and Ashford families to secure a massive joint venture," Richard explained, tapping his fingers hard against the papers on the table.
"The contract states that if Lucien marries an Everhart daughter, our lcompany gets a permanent injection of capital, but if we back out now, the penalty clauses will kick in and billions of dollars will be completely lost overnight."
Before I could answer, Brielle stormed into the dining room with her phone in her hand, her eyes red and puffy as if she had been crying all morning.
"I cannot believe you are even considering this, Dad!" Brielle shouted, throwing herself into a chair and slamming her hands on the table. "Julian saw the rumors online about an Ashford marriage, and he is furious, so I deserve a man who truly loves me and wants to be with me, not some corporate puppet marriage that will ruin my public image!"
"Calm down, my sweet girl," Eleanor said quickly, rushing over to stroke Brielle's hair and soothe her.
"Nobody is forcing you into anything, because we already agreed that your relationship with Julian is far too important for our social standing, so you don't have to worry about this contract at all."
"But what about me?" I asked, looking between my mother and father while my heart hammered against my ribs. "You are just going to protect Brielle and sacrifice me instead, even though I have spent my entire life doing exactly what you asked?"
"Brielle has a bright future in the spotlight, Alina, whereas you have a cooking degree and no prospects," Richard said coldly, stepping closer to me until he was looking down his nose at me. "Lucien Ashford needs a quiet, unassuming wife to secure his position as CEO after his grandfather's recent passing, and you fit the bill perfectly because you won't be out partying or embarrassing the family name."
"I said no, Dad," I repeated, my voice trembling but firm. "I have savings, and I have been working on opening my own restaurant for the past year, so I will pack my bags and leave this house today."
Richard let out a cruel, mocking laugh that made my stomach drop. "You think you are so independent, Alina, but you forget whose name is on your bank accounts, so I suggest you check your phone right now."
My hands shook as I pulled my phone out of my pocket, and when I logged into my mobile banking app, my breath caught in my throat because every single account showed a balance of zero, and a notification text informed me that my access had been frozen by the primary account holder.
"You can't do this," I whispered, looking up at him in absolute horror. "That is my money from my freelance catering jobs."
"I can do whatever I want to protect this empire, and that is not all," Richard said, leaning over the table with a dark smile. "I know all about the lease you secretly signed for that small commercial property downtown for your restaurant concept, and if you do not sign this marriage contract by noon, I will call the landlord, buy out the building, and have your equipment thrown onto the street before the end of the day."
"Richard, please, let's not be too harsh," Eleanor muttered, though she didn't look at me as she reached for her coffee. "Alina, just be reasonable, because you will be living in a massive mansion with a billionaire husband, which is much more than a girl with your appearance could ever hope to achieve on her own."
I looked at my mother's indifferent face, then at Brielle, who was already back to texting on her phone without a single care in the world, and finally at my father, who was holding out a heavy gold pen toward me with an expectant look.
I had no money, no home, and the one dream I had worked for my entire life was about to be destroyed with a single phone call, leaving me completely trapped with nowhere else to turn.
"Fine," I said, the word tasting like ash in my mouth as I grabbed the pen from his hand. "I will sign it, but don't you ever dare call yourselves my parents again."
I pressed the pen to the paper and dragged it across the signature line, signing away my freedom to a man I had never met, before turning on my heel and walking out of the room while my father immediately grabbed the document to check the ink.
Across the city, in the sleek, high-rise executive suite of Ashford International, the heavy glass doors opened as an assistant walked in with a leather-bound folder.
Lucien Ashford sat behind his massive desk, his dark suit perfectly tailored and his expression completely unreadable as he stared at the city skyline through the large windows.
"Sir, the Everhart family just sent over the finalized marriage contract, and the signature has been verified by our legal team," the assistant said, setting the folder down gently on the desk.
Lucien didn't turn around immediately, but his voice was smooth and precise when he finally spoke. "Good, so we can finally put this ridiculous grandfather clause to rest, and Brielle Everhart will understand that this is strictly a business arrangement with no room for personal drama."
The assistant cleared his throat nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "An issue came up with the arrangement, Mr. Ashford, because the bride is not the younger sister, Brielle."
Lucien turned his chair around slowly, his sharp eyes narrowing as he looked at the assistant. "What do you mean it is not Brielle?"
"The Everharts substituted their eldest daughter, Alina Everhart," the assistant explained, opening the folder to reveal a photograph and a biography sheet. "She just graduated from a culinary program, and she does not have any public profile or media presence, which is quite different from the woman we expected to see on the contract.”
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