Chapter 1:The Day He Sold Me
The sound of breaking glass echoed through the mansion.
“Aaliya!”
Leah’s sharp voice rang from downstairs, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.
I slowly stared at the shattered flower vase beside my feet before rolling my eyes in annoyance.
“Oops,” I muttered lazily.
The door to my room burst open, revealing my stepmother with her usual hateful expression.
“You useless girl!” she yelled. “Do you know how expensive that vase was?”
I crossed my legs on the bed and smirked.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have placed it where I could reach.”
Her face darkened with anger.
Sometimes I wondered if she hated me because I reminded her that she would never truly replace my mother.
Speaking of my mother…
She died ten years ago in a so-called car accident.
And ever since that day, my life had become a living nightmare.
My father, Jones Martins, married Leah barely one month after my mother’s death. One month.
That was when I realized two things: My father never loved my mother… And this house was no longer my home.
At the age of ten, I was sent abroad like some unwanted burden while Leah and her daughter, Veronica, happily took my place in this family.
But now, I was back.
And this time, I wasn’t here to survive.
I was here to uncover the truth behind my mother’s death.
“Aaliya! Are you listening to me?” Leah snapped.
Her voice pulled me back to reality.
I stood up from the bed and grabbed my bag.
“I already have enough headaches,” I said coldly while brushing past her. “Don’t add yourself to the list.”
Before she could reply, I walked out of the room.
Honestly, staying in that mansion for too long made me feel suffocated.
Today was supposed to be my day off, but I preferred work over breathing the same air as that family.
The moment I arrived at the restaurant where I worked as a chef, I let out a relieved sigh.
Finally.
Peace.
Or so I thought.
My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.
Dad.
I frowned before answering the call.
“What?”
“Where are you?” his deep voice asked immediately. “Come back home now. It’s urgent.”
Then he hung up.
Just like that.
I stared at my phone in disbelief.
“That man seriously enjoys ruining my life.”
Muttering angrily under my breath, I stepped out of the restaurant and took another cab back home.
The moment I entered the mansion compound, my brows furrowed.
Several expensive cars were parked outside.
Something felt off.
I pushed the front door open and froze slightly.
The atmosphere inside was tense.
My father stood in the middle of the living room while several unfamiliar men sat around him.
The second his eyes landed on me, he dismissed everyone else with a gesture.
“Aaliya,” he called seriously.
That alone was enough to make me suspicious.
My father only used that tone when something terrible was about to happen.
“Where have you been?” he demanded angrily after the others left.
I laughed bitterly.
“So now you care about my whereabouts?”
“I’m not in the mood for your attitude,” he snapped. “I need your help.”
I folded my arms silently, waiting for him to continue.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
“I made a business deal with a powerful man,” he admitted. “If I fail to repay him, my company will go bankrupt.”
“And what does that have to do with me?” I asked coldly.
His next words made my stomach tighten.
“There was an agreement,” he said slowly. “If I can’t pay back the money… one of my daughters must marry him.”
Silence filled the room.
I blinked once.
Twice.
Then I laughed.
Not because it was funny— But because it was ridiculous.
“You’re joking.”
“I asked Veronica first,” he continued quickly, ignoring my shock. “But she refused. She said she would never marry a crippled and ugly man.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“And because I’m the unwanted daughter, you decided to offer me instead?”
“You don’t have to love him,” he said impatiently. “Just marry him, gain his trust, steal his money, and leave him ruined. He’s the CEO of Rodriguez Empires.”
Disgust rose inside me.
“You’re unbelievable,” I whispered.
I turned to leave, but his next words stopped me completely.
“If you want your mother’s will,” he said calmly, “then you’ll do exactly as I say.”
My heartbeat stopped.
Slowly, I turned around.
“What did you just say?”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“I have your mother’s will.”
Tears burned behind my eyes instantly.
For ten years…
Now go upstairs and change. Leah already prepared a dress for you.”
At that moment, I realized something terrifying.
My father wasn’t asking me.
He had already sold me.”
Not as his daughter… Not as family…
But as a price for his greed.
And the painful part?
The man who was supposed to protect me was the same man handing me over like I meant nothing.
My chest tightened as tears gathered in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
If marrying this stranger was the only way to uncover my mother’s secrets…
Then I would walk straight into hell myself.
