Chapter 1: Sold by Blood
The night my father sold me, he couldn’t even look me in the eye.
Rain slammed against the windows like it was trying to break into the room—like it wanted to drag the truth out into the open. But inside, everything was worse.
He stood there.
Silent.
Guilty.
Weak.
And I realized something that hurt more than anything—
I meant nothing to him.
My fingers tightened around the edge of the table as my heartbeat pounded violently in my chest.
“Sign it.”
That voice.
Calm. Cold. Certain.
I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
Damir.
The man people feared more than death itself.
Slowly, I raised my head.
Black suit. Sharp features. Eyes so dark they felt like a void ready to swallow everything whole.
He wasn’t just dangerous.
He was inevitable.
“This isn’t real…” My voice came out broken. “Tell me this is some kind of joke.”
No one laughed.
No one moved.
“Dad…?” I turned to him, desperation clawing at my throat. “Say something.”
Nothing.
Not even a glance.
And in that moment—
something inside me cracked.
“You’re selling me?” I whispered, disbelief turning into something bitter. “Your own daughter?”
Still nothing.
A hollow sound escaped my lips—something between a laugh and a sob.
“Say it!” My voice rose, shaking. “At least be honest!”
But honesty never came.
Instead—
a step.
Damir moved closer.
One step.
That was all it took for the air to disappear from my lungs.
“Your father owes me,” he said smoothly, as if discussing the weather. “And I always collect my debts.”
“I’m not part of his debt,” I snapped, anger burning through my fear.
His gaze locked onto mine.
Cold.
Unyielding.
“You are now.”
The paper slid across the table.
Simple.
Harmless-looking.
Deadly.
My eyes dropped to it.
And everything inside me froze.
“Marriage… contract?”
The words barely left my lips.
“No…” I shook my head, stepping back. “No, I won’t do this.”
For the first time—
his lips curved.
Not warmth.
Not kindness.
Something darker.
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Everyone has a choice!”
“Not when the alternative is death.”
The room went silent.
Completely.
My breath caught.
“What… did you say?”
He leaned in, his voice dropping just enough to feel like a blade against my skin.
“If you refuse,” he said quietly, “your father dies tomorrow.”
My world shattered.
I turned to my father, panic exploding inside me.
“He’s lying… right? Tell me he’s lying!”
Silence.
Again.
Always silence.
Tears burned my eyes.
“How could you…?” My voice trembled. “I’m your daughter…”
Finally—
he spoke.
“I’m sorry.”
Two words.
That was all it took to destroy me.
Not the contract.
Not Damir.
Him.
Something inside my chest collapsed completely.
“You want me to marry him… to save you?” I whispered.
No answer.
Just shame.
Cowardice.
Regret that came too late.
A broken laugh slipped from my lips.
“No…” I shook my head slowly. “I won’t ruin my life for this.”
I turned.
One step toward the door.
Toward freedom.
But—
“Think carefully.”
His voice stopped me.
Sharp.
Final.
Deadly.
“Because if you walk away,” Damir continued, “he won’t live to see another sunrise.”
My heart slammed violently.
Freedom…
or blood.
I clenched my fists, my entire body trembling as I stared at the door—
then at my father.
Broken.
Pathetic.
Still… my father.
“You don’t deserve this,” I whispered.
And I hated myself for meaning it.
Slowly—
I turned back.
Damir was already watching me.
Like he knew.
Like this was never a question.
Like I was always going to lose.
I picked up the pen.
It felt heavier than anything I had ever held.
“If I sign…” my voice barely existed, “his debt is gone?”
“Completely.”
“You’ll leave him alone?”
“Yes.”
A pause.
A long… suffocating pause.
Then—
my hand moved.
Ink met paper.
And just like that—
I sold myself to save a man who couldn’t even fight for me.
My name stared back at me.
Permanent.
Final.
Unbreakable.
The moment I finished, I felt it—
something inside me die.
Damir stepped closer.
Too close.
I could feel him behind me.
Like a shadow I would never escape.
“Good choice,” he murmured.
I didn’t turn around.
Because if I did—
I would fall apart.
“When is the wedding?” I asked, my voice empty.
“Tomorrow.”
My head snapped up.
“What?!”
“I don’t waste time.”
Panic rose again, sharp and suffocating.
“This is insane—”
“This,” he cut in coldly, “is your reality now.”
Silence filled the room once more.
Heavy.
Unforgiving.
Tomorrow…
I would become his wife.
Not by love.
Not by choice.
But by force.
And deep down—
I knew the truth.
This marriage…
wasn’t going to save me.
It was going to destroy me.
