The Billionaire's Curse

The Marriage Bargain Amara's POV "Please don't force me to do this, Mama." Mama didn't look at me even though my voice trembled. Her lips were tight, her gaze fixed on the ground. Papa stood next to her, his face as stern as stone and his arms folded. Papa responded, "You're doing this for us." I blinked quickly. I had freezing hands. My heart was pounding like a drum. I had never met the guy they wanted me to marry. A wealthy guy. A guy who already has six wives. "But I'm not in love with him," I said. Papa said, "Love doesn't feed us, Amara." "His funds do." I had just turned twenty-two. I want happiness. Love, not money, was the reason I wanted to marry. However, Mama was ill. Papa owed money. And with a single signature, this millionaire guy could make everything right. The door opened. A tall guy entered wearing a black suit. His grin was faint, and his eyes were black. The guy said, "Mr. Dalton is ready." Mama grabbed my hand. Hers trembled. "Amara, just say yes. Only once. For us. I gave her a glance. I turned to face Papa. I then turned to face the guy who was standing at the door. I gave a nod. I sacrificed my life on that day. Although the wedding was large, I felt insignificant. I wanted to weep, but everyone smiled. My heart felt gloomy, even though my outfit was white. He remained silent. Once, only my name: Amara. I examined his hand. He had seven rings on. Someone had whispered, one for each woman. However, I was number six. So why seven? The rings seemed to be weighty. The world didn't applaud when I said, "I do." It let out a moan. It had been a castle. Too large. Too silent. The other wives were not visible to me. I didn't inquire. I was too afraid. I was given a room by him. I got clothes from him. I got gold from him. He did not, however, show me love. I heard footsteps one night. I opened my door. In the hallway, a woman was standing. She had red eyes. Her mouth quivered. She whispered, "Run." "Prior to it being too late." Then she was gone. I didn’t sleep that night. Months passed. I tried to be a good wife. I cooked. I grinned. I gave him a son. Then a daughter. He looked at them once. Then he looked away. I was lonely. I missed Mama. I missed who I used to be. One day, while folding clothes, I found a letter under my pillow. It said: **“No wife of mine shall ever be with another man. If she does, madness will take her. And death will follow in three moons.” ** I dropped the paper. My hands shook. I ran to my bathroom. I looked in the mirror. What did I just read? Who wrote that? Was it a joke? No. The paper was old. The ink faded. But one thing was clear. It was written in his handwriting. I heard a noise behind me. A deep voice said, “So, you finally found it.” I turned around—my heart stopped. It was him. His eyes were cold. He smiled. But it wasn’t a kind smile. It was the kind that makes your bones freeze. I kept my hands tight on my dress as the car drove slowly past tall iron gates. My parents sat beside me, quiet like statues. They hadn’t looked me in the eyes since we left home. The mansion stood like a dark shadow. It was bigger than anything I had ever seen—long windows, thick stone walls, and sharp edges that made it look like a castle from a nightmare. My stomach felt heavy, but I couldn't speak. A man opened the car door, and my father quickly stepped out. He turned and waited for me. I wanted to run, to scream, but my legs moved on their own. Inside the house, everything smelled of wax and silence. No music. No laughter. Just the sound of my shoes on cold floors and my own heartbeat in my ears. Lord Adrian Dalton stood at the top of the stairs. He wore black from head to toe, like the sky before a storm. His eyes didn’t blink when they landed on me. I had never seen someone so still, so calm… and yet, so scary. My mother pushed me forward. I looked up at him. He didn’t smile. He only said, “You’re late.” I bowed my head. My voice shook. “I’m sorry.” The wedding was brief. No flowers, no visitors. Just a silent room, a frigid guy, and a document I had to sign. That was it. I was now someone’s wife. His wife. That night, I didn’t sleep. I sat on the side of the bed in a room too huge, too silent, and too chilly. Adrian never came in. I didn’t know where he slept. Maybe he had forgotten about me already. Maybe I wanted him to. Days passed to weeks. I didn’t see him often. He departed early and returned late. The mansion was packed with shuttered doors, silent staff, and bizarre regulations I didn’t understand. But I obeyed. I always obeyed. One day, I spotted an old picture hiding behind a dusty curtain in the hallway. Six ladies stood alongside Adrian. Each one had a different face, but the same sad eyes. Six wives before me. I was the seventh. I went to the kitchen. I got tea from the kitchen, a kind lady with weary eyes. Although she didn't say much, her eyes spoke for her. "What happened to the other wives?" I whispered to her. Her hands went cold. Her face went white. After a brief glance around, she said, "Don't ask. Simply said, never consider abandoning him. Never. Her eyes pleaded with me to stop asking more questions. I sobbed as I hurried back to my room. I felt as confined as a bird in a cage. My parents had sold me to a secretive man. I was by myself. But I persevered. I began to listen behind doors and observe the hallways. This house seemed to have a whisper in every corner. I discovered a door at the end of the hallway half-open one evening. I entered. It had a depressing and dusty scent. There was a silver box on a desk. I slowly opened it. Letters. A lot of letters. They all had identical penmanship. One name repeatedly sprang out: **Selena.** His initial spouse. My chest constricted as I read a few words. She had cherished him. Initially. But something had changed. Something dark. There was one letter where she wrote, *"If I leave him, I will die. If I remain, I shall decay." * A noise behind me made me drop the paper. I quickly turned around. No one was there. But the air felt heavy. I wasn't alone. I closed the box and backed out, heart racing. I attempted to question Adrian about Selena the following morning. His eyes grew icy. "Never again mention her name in this house," he said. And walked away. That night, I had a strange dream. A woman in a white dress stood in front of my bed. Her eyes were vacant and her face was pallid. * "Run... before it's too late," she muttered. I screamed when I woke up. There was a serious problem. I heard two maids conversing a week later. They were unaware of my presence behind the door. "The new wife has no idea, does she?" someone whispered. "No," the other replied. She is unaware of the curse. My blood froze. A curse? I waited until they left and snuck into the library. I searched for hours, looking for anything that might explain what I heard. Then I found it—tucked between two books. A folded note. It read: **"No wife shall belong to another man. If she tries, madness shall take her. Death shall follow in three moons." ** My fingers shook. My heart pounded. Three moons… three months… Was that what happened to the others? Was I now part of something I couldn’t escape? I stood frozen. And then I heard a soft whisper behind me. “Too late, Amara. He’s already chosen your end.”