The Contract Wife of Two Kings

Destiny King had spent most of her life paying for mistakes she never made. As the eldest daughter of Orlando King, she had learned early that duty came before happiness, and she had lived by that code. She had led her father's business while protecting Paula, her younger sister. While other girls dreamed about love, Destiny studied balance sheets. When others attended parties, she attended meetings with bankers, investors, and men who smiled politely while calculating how much her family's downfall would benefit them. The King's family had once been untouchable. They had controlled shipping routes, construction companies, luxury real estate, and enough political connections to influence entire cities. They were the financial gurus of the East Coast. Now they were drowning. Debt sat around their necks like chains. Every month another business fails. Every month another creditor came knocking. And every month Orlando King repeated the same thing. "You are the future of this family." Destiny hated hearing it. Not because she disagreed. Because she knew he was right. That was why she had agreed to marry Lorenzo DeLuca. Not because she loved him. Not because she even liked him. Lorenzo DeLuca was many things. Powerful, brilliant and dangerous. The kind of man you do not want to joke with or be entangled with. He was handsome in the sort of way, and that made people forget how cruel he could be. He wasn't a man people loved. He was a man people feared. Paula sat across her father, swinging her legs not out of disrespect but out of anxiety and desperation. “Dad, you know Dess is not good for someone like Lorenzo.” Paula did not say this out of reason and concern but out of jealousy. “Why would you say that? We need this to work out. If Lorenzo wants a family tie, then I think Dess should consider it, or we will be ruined.” Orlando King only hoped that he had made the right call and that his daughter would agree. Paula stood up immediately; her father did. “Wait a minute! You mean you have not told Dess, and you have fixed a date with Lorenzo? “Hmm,” Orlando King sighed. “And you think your sister has not heard by now?” “Let me save you the burden and marry Lorenzo,” Paula said. Orlando turned but not in shock. He knew his daughters too well. “Paula!” he exclaimed. “It should be me,” Paula insisted. “It is also a smart move. You will have two stakeholders running points. Destiny on the Kings Dynasty and me on the Lorenzo Business.” “I hear you, Paula, but I have chosen your sister Dess.” Orlando moved towards the stairs only to see Destiny coming towards him. Orlando looked at her with guilty eyes. His demeanour confessed that he was not happy at his peasant situation. “Dad, don’t look at me that way,” Destiny said, approaching her father. “Dess, I am so sorry.” Destiny shook her head. “It is the only way, and I have spoken to Lorenzo. I agree with the dates. The timing is right for the wedding.” “It is not the only way!” Paula shouted. “What are you saying, sis?” “Dess, let me take your place.” “No! Paula. Lorenzo is not a man to be toyed with.” Destiny held her sister’s hand. “I can’t protect you from him.” Paula looked straight into her sister's eyes. “You are the one who will be needing protection if you do this.” “Don’t worry about me, Paula, I am a big girl. You just help me with the parties.” Destiny knew her engagement with Lorenzo would never be romantic. It was a merger disguised as a wedding. The Kings needed money. The DeLucas needed influence. It was simple, efficient, yet necessary. At least that was what Destiny kept telling herself. Two days later, the limousine stopped outside one of Manhattan's most exclusive rooftop clubs that belonged to a luxurious hotel. The building glittered against the night sky. Music echoed from above. It was her bachelorette party. The final celebration before she became Mrs. Lorenzo DeLuca. Destiny stared through the window. For some reason, she felt uneasy. "You're acting like you're attending your own funeral." Paula's voice pulled her back. Her younger sister sat beside her, wearing a dazzling silver dress and a smile that seemed slightly too bright. Destiny forced a laugh. "Maybe I am." Paula rolled her eyes. "Please. Most women would kill to marry Lorenzo." "Most women don't know Lorenzo." A shadow flickered across Paula's face. Gone so quickly, Destiny almost missed it. "Maybe you're the problem," Paula replied lightly. Destiny frowned. "What does that mean?" "Nothing." The answer came too quickly. The limousine door opened. Music exploded around them. Lights flashed. Guests cheered. And Destiny pushed her concerns aside. For one night, she wanted to forget about debts, business negotiations, and mafia politics. For one night, she wanted to pretend she was normal. The illusion lasted exactly two hours. By midnight, Destiny felt strange. Very strange. The room tilted. Music sounded distant. Her limbs felt heavier by the second. She blinked repeatedly. Something wasn't right. Across the room, Paula was watching her and smiling. A cold chill crawled down Destiny's spine. She stood abruptly. The movement nearly sent her crashing into a table. "What the..." Her words slurred. Destiny could not understand what was happening to her. Panic began building in her chest. She reached for her phone. The screen blurred. People moved around her like ghosts. Someone touched her shoulder. "You okay?" She couldn't identify the face. Couldn't focus. Couldn't think. The world spun. Darkness crept into the corners of her vision. Then everything vanished. Meanwhile, below the rooftop of the Hotel, in a hall o another floor, another party was reaching its peak. Unlike Destiny's celebration, this one belonged to monsters. Mafia bosses, arms dealers, and corrupt politicians. Men whose names appeared in newspapers only when people died. The annual Morretti Gala. An event so exclusive that even wealthy celebrities begged for invitations. At the centre of it all stood Nicco Morretti. The king of the East Coast. The man responsible for enough fear to silence entire cities. At thirty-four, Nicco ruled an empire worth billions. These included ports, casinos, shipping companies, hotels, and nightclubs. Entire neighborhoods. People whispered his name like a prayer. Or a warning. Tonight, however, he was bored. Dangerously bored. His closest friends were losing money at poker. Women approached him every few minutes. Business associates competed for his attention. None of it interested him. Then his friend Victor raised a glass. "You've lost your edge." Nicco glanced at him. "What?" Victor grinned. "You haven't looked interested in anything all night." "That's because nothing here is interesting." The table laughed. Another friend leaned forward. "Maybe you're getting old." Nicco nearly choked on his drink. "Old?" "Ancient." "You're dead." More laughter erupted. Victor pointed toward the crowded ballroom. "Fine." He stood. "Prove us wrong." Nicco narrowed his eyes. "How?" Victor smirked. "Find the most beautiful woman in this hall." Several men immediately began cheering. Nicco sighed. "You idiots, are you serious?" "Completely," Victor said. "Pathetic." He laughed. "Afraid you'll lose?" That earned Victor a dangerous look. The table instantly became quiet. Then Nicco smiled. A slow, predatory smile. The kind that usually ends badly for someone. "Fine." The room erupted. Victor raised his glass. "Challenge accepted." Nicco stood and adjusted his suit. He had no idea that before sunrise, a single woman would alter the course of his life. He searched the hall, moving smoothly through the crowded hall. He was greeted by almost every family and every lady he passed. Some were out of respect for who he is, others were only flirting with him. Then he found a lady moving graciously to the restroom, looking dazed. “Hello, that is for men,” Nicco said, trying to alert the lady. “Oh, I am so sorry. I was told to come downstairs. I need to wash my face. Destiny could see a heavily built man through his tight shirt, but she could swear she couldn’t recognise his face. “I swear this is my party and I don’t know you.” “Are you sure?” Nicco asked in surprise. “Yes! And why do you say that?” She tried shouting through the music, but her head hurt. Nicco smiled, “Because I could have sworn this is my party.” “You know what, you don’t look so well; let me let my friends know I will be out in a few so that I can show you my room. You can wash up and have some painkillers.” Destiny shook her head. “That would be nice, thank you.” She held her forehead. Every sound that comes out of her aches her head and blurs her vision. Nicco walked her through the crowd and waved to Victor and his friends. They all understood what it meant. Victor clapped, giving him a thumbs up. Nicco led Destiny through the corridors. “My room is 409, just down the hallway. Here is my key card. Aspirin is on the table. I will have to go back to the party.” Nicco patted her on the back and left. Destiny saw someone who looked like Paula, but she was not sure, as her vision was becoming more blurry. “Can you show me room 409?” she pleaded. She looked at the door she was shown; it looked like 406 was written on it, but she was not sure, and since she felt everyone had been kind to her, the lady might be correct, as she was feeling sick. She wanted to slot the key card, but the door was already open. Destiny rushed to the bathroom. “How did you get here?” Destiny asked as she looked at the man who looked exactly like the one who gave her access to his room. “This is my room,” he replied. Destiny was in shock. She felt she was dreaming. She looked at the shirtless man with a snake-like tattoo on his back. “I thought you were a gentleman,” Destiny tried to focus on the man. "Gosh! You are so irritating if you think I am that cheap," she said as she dragged herself out of the room. She moved a few steps and remembered she needed the painkillers. As she turned, right in front of her was room 409. “Oh f**k me. The rooms are moving too!” “I will just enter quietly and get the painkillers before he even notices,” she thought to herself. She slotted in the key card, the door opened, and she entered quietly. The painkillers were right on the table. Everything was now spinning too fast. She quickly grabbed two tablets and swallowed without water.