ARRANGED WITH A BILLIONAIRE CEO

TRUST US

ELISE

The soft knock on my door was Ruby. It was always Ruby. The sound was a familiar timer, telling me my peace was over. "Mr. Milton requests your presence for dinner, Miss Elise." I just nodded, a practiced movement. My sketchbook, filled with a hundred different imaginary designs, went back into its drawer. I knew the truth: there was no real escape from this house, not even on paper. Family dinners weren't about family here; they were a performance, a duty I couldn't get out of.

I walked into the dining room. It felt less like a room and more like a stage. Everything was sharp and polished, a monument to wealth and control. I mumbled, "Good evening, Dad," and got his usual practiced smile in return. "Good evening, dear. How are you?" I gave a short nod and sat down. The staff were already serving dinner, moving like silent ghosts. Their perfect, quiet movements were just another part of the chillingly perfect order of this house.

The meal was quiet. Too quiet. It was the kind of silence that feels like the calm before a storm. I saw my parents exchanging little glances, little coded signals that made my stomach clench with dread. I just focused on my plate, trying to become invisible, hoping if I was quiet enough, the evening would just pass.

When the last dish was cleared, my dad cleared his throat. The sound was like a gavel striking. "Elise, we have something important to share." His voice was a command, not an invitation. I just nodded, looking at my mom. She was watching me, her expression unreadable. I knew she was looking for any sign of emotion on my face, any little c***k in my composure.

"Tomorrow evening, we've invited the Aldridge family for dinner. We expect you to join us." It didn't sound too bad at first. I knew the Aldridges. They were Dad's business allies. But this was the first time my presence was specifically requested. I knew in my gut something was off. This wasn't just a dinner. It was a setup.

Then he dropped the bomb. "His son, Austin, will also be present. And just so you know, we are arranging your marriage to Austin."

My eyes went wide. For a second, just one second, my shock broke through the wall I’d built. A marriage? To Austin Aldridge? The man was a legend, a total myth in the city. Everyone whispered about him—ruthless, brilliant. He was everything I wasn't. And before I could even take a breath to protest, my mom's voice, sickeningly sweet, cut in. "I know this is sudden, darling, but you're at the perfect age to marry. Austin is a wonderful young man—calm, handsome. We only want what's best for you." Her hand covered mine. It was supposed to be a comforting gesture, but it felt like a trap closing. Her smile was soft and completely unsettling.

That smile. It's the same one that’s haunted me my whole life. A fake kindness covering a will of steel. I knew I should act grateful, but I couldn't. I just stared at her, my eyes pleading with her to see the panic inside me. A desperate, silent "NO" screamed in my head. I hoped she would see the terror, that she would understand I wasn’t ready for something this huge.

But her hand slowly pulled away, her smile now directed at my dad. "Our daughter has grown so much, hasn't she?" "She has," he said, and I swear there was a chilling pride in his voice. "And I know she will be a great wife, just as she has been a great daughter."

The words sounded like praise, but they felt like a threat. A great daughter meant a quiet, obedient one. To them, I wasn't a person. I was their project, their perfect asset. And now they were selling me off. I looked at him, and the word formed on my lips. "I…" I stopped. The part of me that wanted to fight battled with years of fear. What would happen if I actually said no? Would they even hear me?

I took a shaky breath. "I don't think I'm ready for something this big, Dad," I said, my voice slow and careful. The smiles disappeared from both their faces, replaced by cold indifference. "We know, dear," Mom said, her voice now flat. "But this way, you're never going to be ready. We are doing what's good for you. And besides, you'll eventually get used to it." The words hit me like a physical blow. They weren't listening. They weren't even pretending to.

I looked at my father again, a final, desperate try. "But—" He cut me off with a sharp shake of his head. His face became a mask of stone. "Listen, Elise. I want you to know this is our decision, and it's not changing. Ever. You will be on time for dinner tomorrow. Seven p.m. sharp." With that, he stood up and walked out without a second glance.

My mom gave me one last unsettling smile, like a final, poisonous little pat on the head. "You'll be fine, darling. Trust us. It's not as bad as you think it is." Then she followed him, leaving me alone at the massive, empty table.

"Trust is a luxury I can't afford, Mom," I whispered into the silence. My future, my life, had been taken away just like that. I eventually made my way back to my room, but it no longer felt like a safe place. It felt like a cage. I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind a storm of "What if." What if I wasn't a great wife? What if I finally broke? The walls of my prison had just gotten a lot higher. And tomorrow, I'd have to face the man who was now the keeper of the key.