A Deal Written in Blood
1232 Words
Selene sat stiffly in the grand study of the Blackwell estate, her fingers tightly gripping the armrest of her chair. The room felt suffocating despite its size, the walls lined with expensive paintings and shelves filled with books.
The Vale family received an invitation from the Blackwells to visit and meet the whole clan. Everyone knows the reason for this invitation since it was already discussed in the council room under the Vale's residence. As for Selene, she never wanted to come, but she had no other choice but to submit to her grandfather's will.
Two long tables were facing each other.
On the other side, were her parents and grandfather.
On the other side were the Blackwells.
Standing near the floor-to-ceiling window was the man she despised the most.
Zane Alexander Blackwell.
Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. He looked calm and unbothered, as though the meeting concerned a business contract rather than two people's lives.
Selene, however, felt as though the ground beneath her was crumbling.
Before anyone could utter a word, she suddenly spoke.
"I refuse."
Her voice echoed through the whole room.
Silence followed.
Her father sighed heavily.
"Selene—"
"No." She stood abruptly.
"I won't marry him."
Her mother exchanged a nervous glance with Mr. Blackwell while Zane remained expressionless.
Watching the reactions of the people surrounding her only fueled Selene's anger even more.
"How can you be talking about my future as if I'm like a property do be traded?"
"Watch your tone," her father warned.
Her grandfather closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Trying his best to control his temper.
"My tone?" she laughed bitterly. "You're forcing me into a marriage with a man I can't stand!"
The Blackwell patriarch finally spoke.
"This arrangement was made long before either of you was born."
Selene looked at them in disbelief. She had already heard those same words in the council room before.
Zane's father requested the secretary to bring out the important papers. She immediately nodded and placed the folder in front of Selene and the Vale family.
"Twenty-eight years ago... I believe you remembered this," he said while staring directly at Selene's father.
Selene's father stood up, "The Vale and Blackwell families were on the verge of destruction."
"At the time, both families were engaged in a war against rival organizations. Enemies surrounded us. Betrayals came from every direction."
While her father was telling those things, Selene opened the folder in front of her.
She saw the same attachments that were presented to her in the council room. This made her almost lose interest in the documents she was holding.
"Check the last part," her father demanded.
She rolled her eyes and opened the folder again, just as her father instructed her.
One picture caught Selene's attention.
Two young men stood side by side.
One was her father.
The other was Zane's father.
Both were covered in blood.
Both smiling.
"We saved each other's lives," her father continued. "During an attack, your father-in-law took a bullet meant for me."
Selene's stomach twisted.
Father-in-law.
The word felt wrong.
Unnatural.
"In return," Mr. Blackwell said quietly, "our families swore an oath."
An old document was slid across the table.
Selene looked down.
The paper was stained with age.
At the bottom were signatures.
And fingerprints pressed in dark red ink.
Blood.
"A blood pact," her mother whispered.
"The firstborn son of the Blackwell family would marry the firstborn daughter of the Vale family."
Her heartbeat pounded too loudly after hearing those words from them.
Selene held the contract in front of everyone in the room.
She pointed her finger toward it and exclaimed, "This is insane! You are all insane!"
"It is tradition."
She tapped the table harshly. "It is my life!"
Zane smirked and finally stared straight into her eyes.
For the first time, Zane finally spoke.
"Tradition doesn't care what we want."
Selene turned sharply toward him. Their eyes met.
"So, you're okay with this?"
His jaw tightened.
"No," he coldly replied.
The answer surprised her.
A flicker of something passed through his dark eyes.
Frustration.
Resentment.
Selene scoffed in disbelief.
"Then tell them no."
"You think I haven't tried?"
The room fell silent.
"I objected several times," he added.
At least for a brief moment, they finally shared the same emotion. They both disagree with this kind of setup.
"Then keep fighting it."
"I already know how this ends."
His voice was cold.
Certain.
Zane already accepted the fate that Selene was still trying to escape.
Because of his reaction, Selene hated him even more.
She hated his calmness in this situation.
She hated how unaffected he was.
"No," she repeated. "I still won't do it."
Her father slammed his hand against the table.
The sharp sound startled everyone.
"You will."
Selene froze.
It was rare for her father to lose his temper.
"Now, now... Let's not force her too much. She will soon understand how important this agreement is, just like Zane here," Mr. Blackwell spoke.
Zane gave him a cold smirk and looked away.
Then Mr. Blackwell stared at Selene intently.
"Our dear Selene, in case you didn't know. This agreement protects both families. You never know what happens if both of you disregard this arrangement," he added.
"What does that even mean?"
No one answered immediately.
The hesitation made her nervous.
Very nervous.
"There are enemies who have been waiting decades for our families to fall."
Selene frowned.
"What enemies?"
Again, silence.
A dangerous silence.
One that told her she wasn't being given the full truth.
"There are things you don't need to know yet," her father said.
Selene stared at them with confusion. Things were not even cleared.
Her mother reached for her hand.
"Selene, please understand. This marriage is bigger than what you expect."
Tears burned behind her eyes.
That was exactly the problem.
Nobody cared about her feelings.
Nobody cared about what she wanted.
They never asked.
They ordered her to do something against her own will.
Yet, even though she argued about it many times, she knew that it would still be their decision at the end.
Slowly, she stood.
"If this marriage happens," she said quietly, "it won't be because I chose it."
Selene went outside the room, and no one dared to stop her.
In the midst of her overflowing emotions, she suddenly received a phone call.
She stared at her phone and saw that it was Ace.
Ace Keifer Lockwood.
She felt her chest tighten. Her entire future had just been stolen.
And the worst part?
The one person she wished she could run to—
Ace Keifer Lockwood—
was also part of the Blackwell family.
She rejected his call because she didn't want him to be included in her frustrations.
Behind the closed study doors, the elders remained seated.
A heavy silence filled the room.
Then Zane spoke.
"How long before she learns the truth?"
Mr. Blackwell looked grim.
"Not yet."
Zane's gaze darkened.
"She deserves to know why she's really being forced into this marriage."
His father shook his head.
"If she finds out now, she'll become a target."
A dangerous glint flashed in Zane's eyes.
Because, unlike Selene, he already knew.
The marriage was never about tradition.
It was survival.
And somewhere in the shadows, the people responsible for a m******e twenty-eight years ago had finally returned.
- Writer
