Betrayed By Blood, Bound By Love

The expansive estate, with its icy, unwelcoming exterior reflecting the barriers separating her from the father who had severed her long ago, towered above Daphne like an impassable barrier. The irony of that did not escape her as she stood at the gates, her heart thumping in her chest, gazing up at the magnificent structure. Daphne had been dismissed as an inconvenient afterthought in the same home where her father, Jackson Morgan, had decided to establish his empire. A peculiar mixture of pride and shame pervaded the air; her pride was smothered by necessity, but there was no going back now. She had no one else to turn to because her mother was ill. As she rang the doorbell, the sound reverberated louder than she had anticipated, and her throat constricted and her stomach roiled. She waited, each second feeling like an endurance test, but as the door opened, she saw Jackson's new wife, Lila's icy face. Her icy eyes evaluated Daphne as if she were a stranger, and her trained grin was no more than a glimmer of warmth. "Daphne, I assume?" Lila's eyes shone with contempt, yet her voice sounded cheesy. "Yes." Daphne swallowed her pride once more and pushed ahead, her voice scarcely rising above a whisper. "I need to speak with my father." Lila nodded dismissively and moved out of the way. "He’s in the sitting room." Daphne felt like an intruder in her own family's mansion as she passed, her footsteps heavy with the weight of years of alienation. Lila followed her stare without saying anything, but it was obvious that she was being judged. Every step Daphne took toward the sitting room made her heart race. The house seemed to mock her as she walked in, the stale air heavy with unsaid tensions, as she hadn't been here in more than five years. Jackson stared up at her from the high-backed chair beside the fire, his profile rigid and uncompromising, his sharp features barely softening. Only the icy, distant guy she had known for the majority of her life was visible in his gaze; there was no warmth. He didn't stand, didn't give her the solace she so badly needed. Instead, his quiet was an indictment as he watched her. With a bitter taste in her mouth, Daphne said, "I'm not here to ask for a reconciliation." "I need your assistance. Jackson, my mom is dying. I can't afford the treatment she needs. I have nowhere else to go, please.” It was there. Raw and urgent, her cry lingers in the air. She had never pictured herself in this situation again, pleading with the man who had deserted her and her mother years ago, but now she was here, compelled to compromise her honour for the benefit of the woman who had reared her. Jackson's lips curled into a thin, soulless line, and his eyes never left hers. "You didn't consider approaching me while things were going well, did you? You believe that I should mend everything now that everything has fallen apart. Normal.” Daphne struggled to remain calm as the sting of his words struck her more forcefully than she had anticipated. She wanted to yell at him and tell him how selfish he was and how unfair it was, but she couldn't. Her pride no longer mattered because her mother's life was in jeopardy. Daphne took a deep breath. “Jackson, please. It's either life or death. I need your help.” Before he spoke again, Jackson's gaze darted to one side for a moment. "Help? After all these years, you finally come to me? And you believe that I should give you money?" Daphne clutched the chair's edge as her throat constricted. “Yes, I do. I have no other option.” The sound of the fire crackling was the only sound throughout the lengthy silence. Then Jackson spoke again, his words like a punch to her chest, but in the same cold tone. "You must do something for me in exchange if you want your mother saved." A beat skipped in Daphne's heart. "What are you talking about?" Jackson reclined in his chair, his icy features flashing in the firelight. "Elliot Radcliffe will be your spouse." Daphne blinked as she felt bewildered. "What? I'm not sure I understand.” "The billionaire, Elliott Radcliffe. The only person with the means to save your mother's life is him. He will supply the money you require if you marry him. That's the deal, though.” The words lingered in the air, initially too absurd to comprehend. It seemed to Daphne that the earth had vanished out of thin air. "You want me to wed an unknown person?" The ridiculousness of the plan hit her like a slap, and she sounded astonished. "Just like that? No inquiries made?” Jackson shrugged, clearly unconcerned. “He can pay for your mother's necessary care. He's your only remaining choice. Your mother's expenses will be covered when you marry him. That's the matter.” Daphne turned to see Tiara standing in the doorway as the door behind her cracked open. Her step-sister was a tall, elegant woman composed of beauty and angles. Tiara entered the room, her eyes darting from Jackson to Daphne before landing on the latter with a cunning grin. "Daphne, are you still attempting to act like a martyr?" The malice was evident in Tiara's seductive voice. "How endearing." A cold, sharp sensation crawled over Daphne's skin as she felt the weight of her step-sister's stare. Daphne had always felt inferior to Tiara, and this time was no exception. The delight in Tiara's voice was almost audible to her. Fighting the urge to retreat from Tiara's harsh presence, Daphne straightened her posture. "Tiara, what do you want?" A smile formed on Tiara's lips, but it lacked warmth. "I simply found it amusing. The girl who always believed she could handle things alone was Daphne Morgan. And now here you are, pleading with the man who doesn't give a damn about you for a handout. You've reached your lowest point.” Daphne's voice remained steady despite her fists clenching at her sides. "Tiara, I'm not here to win your approval." Jackson observed the conversation with disinterest and did not step in. Tiara's grin widened as she leaned closer. "Oh, you're not, I know that. Did you come to him when things were going well? You come crawling back now that your small world is collapsing. How pitiful.” Despite the humiliation burning in her cheeks, Daphne refused to back down. "I'm taking the necessary action." Tiara laughed a little in jest. “What a farce. Look at you now; you've always been so proud. Reduced to a man you don't even know proposing marriage. However, who am I to judge you if you don't mind being a trophy wife to get what you want?” Daphne didn't let Tiara see her falter, even though the mockery hurt. She inhaled deeply while looking directly at Tiara. "This is not about me; it's about my mother's life." Tiara's eyebrows went up. “It is, of course. But, Daphne, let's be honest. Would you still be involved if you hadn't come here to get money?” Daphne's hands at her sides began to shake. She wanted to yell, to express all of her desires to Tiara. However, she lacked the energy to do it. She glanced back to Jackson instead, but he said nothing. At last, Jackson's voice was icy and uninterested. "Daphne, you have no other option. Either you marry Elliot Radcliffe or your mother dies.” Tiara gave Daphne a final sneer, but as she turned to go, she mumbled something that made Daphne shudder. As if speaking to herself, Tiara murmured, "Remember, Elliot Radcliffe is no prince charming," but loud enough for Daphne to hear. Like a warning, the words lingered in the atmosphere - the weight of what was happening made Daphne's gut constrict. Tiara was aware of something that Daphne was not. Daphne couldn't get rid of the thought that accepting her father's request would cost her far more than she had anticipated as she walked out of the room.