Sold to the davil

I was halfway down the hallway when I heard my parents shouting at each other again. It wasn't new. Since Dad's company folded, the yelling had been a part of the house. But this time, something in the tone of their arguments made me stop. "You promised me, Edward!" my mother's angry voice echoed in the room. "You swore we would not lose everything. And now you have the nerve to inform me that you've sold out our daughter like a bargaining chip?" My chest heaved against my heartbeat. Me. They were talking about me. "Shut up," Dad snarled. I clung to the wall, holding my breath. "Quiet? Keep my voice down?" Mom spat. "How can you expect me to keep quiet when you've wrecked us? Do you know what people are already saying about us? And now this?" I pushed the door open a bit more. My father sat on the edge of the couch, his head in his hands. My mother loomed over him, arms folded tightly, her face pale with rage. "What's it about?" I said, walking into the room. They both halted. My mom's eyes darted to my dad's. His face was a picture of guilt. "Elena," he said softly. "Don't call me that. What happened?" My voice shook. My mom stormed out of the room, muttering to herself. My dad rubbed his temples. "Sweetheart, please. Sit down." "I'm not going to sit down until you tell me," I snapped. "What's the deal? With whom?" Dad glanced at me, then away. "It's… Adrian Blackwell." The name alone was enough to twist my stomach into knots. Everyone in the city knew him. The cold billionaire. The man people whispered about at parties but never dared cross. "What about him?" I asked cautiously. My mother's laughter was bitter. "Your father made a deal with him. To save his pride, to settle his debts. And the cost, Elena, is you." I blinked, the words not wanting to enter my head. "Me?" Dad leapt up. "Hear me out. I had no option. They were going to repossess the house, the little money we had left. I did everything. I begged the banks. No one would help. But Adrian… he offered a solution." "What kind of solution?" My throat was dry. He swallowed. "He… wants you as his fiancée." The world went round. I shook my head. "That's not a solution. That's insane. You promised me—" "I promised to keep this family safe," he interjected, his voice breaking. "And that is the only way." "You sold me out," I whispered. My mother finally glanced at me. "Don't be dramatic. It's not marriage. It's a deal. You'll be his fiancée for a few months. Play your part. You'll be taken care of. And we… we won't be on the streets." I stared at her in horror. "You make it sound so simple. Do you have any idea how you sound? You expect me to pretend to be engaged to Adrian Blackwell? The man everyone calls a monster?" Her lips pinched. "Better a monster who can pay the bills than poverty." I felt sick. My father reached out a hand. "Elena, please try to understand. It's not permanent. Just until I can get us stable again." I took a step back. "Do you even listen to what you're saying? You expect me to leap to the mercy of a stranger because you couldn't take care of your business?" He flinched. "I did it for you." "No, you did it for yourself," I barked. The room was silent. My mom seemed to want to disagree, but for once, stayed quiet. I grabbed my bag off the chair. "I'm going to him. I want to hear it from his mouth." "Elena—" Dad began. "Don't try to stop me." My voice was trembling, but I went out anyway. The drive downtown dragged on. City lights poured past the cab window I'd stopped at. My hands continued to shake. I didn't know what I was going to say to Adrian Blackwell. I only knew that I had to meet with him. The driver saw me out of the corner of his eye in the rearview mirror. "Big building, you bet? You meeting someone special?" I gulped. "Something like that.". "Good luck," he growled, parking outside the massive glass tower that bore Adrian's name. The moment I got up, my knees were shaking. The building loomed above me, icy and inhospitable. Inside, the lobby had marble floors and whispered men in suits. I approached the reception desk, my voice shaking. "I'm here to see Adrian Blackwell." The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Do you have an appointment?" No," I admitted. "But he's expecting me." Her eyes narrowed to slits, but she called the phone nonetheless. She hung up, nodded, and said, "Top floor." My heart pounded as I entered the elevator. When the doors opened, there was a silent corridor before me. A man in a black suit escorted me on. "This way, Miss Hayes.". I followed him until he opened a door at the end of the hall. The room was dim, the curtains drawn. Behind a massive desk sat a man, his face hidden in the shadows. His presence filled the space, heavy and unnerving. I froze. “Elena Hayes,” he said, his voice low and even. “I was wondering when you’d show up.” My stomach pitched. This was it. The man my father had sold me to. "Why?" I forced out, though my voice fought to be heard. "Why me?" He leaned in, and the light caught his face. I gulped. The rumor had not been exaggerating. The fresh, keloid scar running down the side of his cheek spoke for itself, a testament to the fire everybody talked about. His eyes were chill and unblinking as he looked at me, as if I were something he was going to solve. "You're here," he said, a faint smile curving on his lips. "Good. Spares me the trouble of making you come to me." I tightened the strap of my bag. "I didn't agree to anything. My father—" "Your father's no longer part of this," he cut in. "You're mine, Miss Hayes. And from now on, you're going to play the part I need you to." I gulped, my heart thudding against my ribcage. "What part?" I breathed. Adrian leaned back, the shadows reclaiming his face once again. "My fiancée." And with that, my world exploded.