THE DEVIL'S BARGAIN
821 Words
Ava
Ava Sinclair was never a sit-on-the-couch-and-let-someone-else-choose-for-you kind of person.
So why in the universe was she getting married to someone she barely knew, trapped in a deal with the stench of secrets and gamesmanship?
She stormed into Lancaster Enterprises on a whim, without apology, and without a bloody plan.
If Damien Lancaster thought he could play games with her future, he had another thing coming.
The receptionist barely had time to react before Ava marched toward his office, throwing the door open without knocking.
Damien looked up from his desk, completely unfazed, as if he had been expecting her.
“I take it you’ve finally decided to listen,” he said smoothly.
Ava slammed the document Lena had given her onto his desk. “Tell me everything. Now.”
Damien rocked back in his chair, his eyes tightening over her. "And what if I don't?"
Panic racing through her, Ava stood her ground. "Then I'll find out for myself. And my father will regret whatever he put together with you."
A flash of darkness flashed across Damien's eyes. He stood up from the behind the desk, crossing the space between them.
"You believe this is about your father?"
His voice was low, calculated. "You believe this is about business?"
Ava swallowed hard, but didn't budge. "What else could it be?"
Damien inhaled, measuring whether to state it. And then, finally, he did.
"This is not simply a matter of a merger, Ava. Your father is not making deals—he's making alliances."
Ava's stomach twisted. "With whom?"
Damien tilted his head. "You already know."
The mafia.
Ava gasped. "So this engagement is about a trade then?"
Damien's gaze never wavered. "Your father traded you to save himself."
She was sick.
Ava had always known that her father was ruthless, but this?
"This doesn't tell me why you went along," she spat with accusation.
Damien's smile was bland, but his eyes were devoid of humor. "Because I do not lose, Ava. Your father thought he was making a deal for himself. He was wrong."
Ava's heart thudded. "And what do you stand to win?"
Damien stepped nearer, his proximity suffocating. "You."
Ava's breath trapped in her lungs.
Not as a business transaction.
As something entirely different.
Before she could respond, Damien reached out, tracing the line of her jaw with his fingers in a way that made her shiver.
"You're here for answers," he breathed. "But the question is—are you ready for the truth?"
---
Lena & Xander – Uneasy Alliances
Lena wasn't shocked when Xander turned up uninvited.
He was lingering outside her apartment door like he had every right to be there, like it was just a matter of when she'd answer the door for him.
She crossed her arms. "Stalking is illegal, you know."
Xander smiled. "So's breaking into corporate properties. But you and Ava don't care about that either, I notice."
Lena's jaw was tense. "What do you want, Xander?"
His expression turned serious. "To prevent you from getting yourselves killed."
Lena rolled her eyes. “We’re handling it.”
Xander scoffed. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”
Lena narrowed her eyes. “Then explain it to me.”
For a moment, Xander hesitated. Then, he stepped inside without waiting for an invitation.
“Your father and Ava’s father were partners once,” he said. “Before Lancaster took over, before the Sinclair family started making desperate deals.”
Lena stilled. “Partners?”
Xander nodded. “Until someone betrayed them.”
Lena swallowed. "And you think that someone was my father?"
Xander didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took out his phone and held up a picture.
A photo.
One that revealed her father shaking hands with a man she had only seen on the news.
A mafia kingpin.
Lena's fists curled into her palms. "Why are you telling me this?"
Xander's voice was flat, cold, definite. "Because we're running out of time."
---
Ava & Damien – The First Test
Ava had no idea what she had expected after confronting Damien.
Maybe more cryptic warnings. Maybe an agreement.
What she wasn't expecting was a test.
Damien leaned against his desk, regarding her intensely. "You want the truth? Then prove it."
Ava raised an eyebrow. "And how's that, pray tell?"
Damien's sneer returned. "Have dinner with me tonight."
Ava blinked. "That's your test?"
He laughed. "Not exactly. The others at that dinner will tell you everything you need to know. But they'll only speak if they believe you're one of my people."
Ava's heart raced. "And if not?"
Damien's eyes grew darker than coal. "Then they'll kill you."
There was silence between them.
Ava knew this was a trap—but leaving meant resigning.
So she did what she always did.
She played the game.
She brought her chin upwards. "Eight o'clock. Pick me up."
Damien's smirk increased. "Good girl."
---
- Writer
