CHAPTER 1
1053 Words
Gabriella Edian hated hospitals.
The smell of disinfectant, the pale walls and the endless silence, felt wrong.
She believed life was supposed to be messy and colorful, not trapped beneath fluorescent lights and whispered conversations.
She adjusted the long strap of her small bag as she hurried down the sidewalk, eager to leave the clinic.
The exhausting task of painting the walls of the clinic's charity ward, which she volunteered to do, had left her physically and mentally drained.
Now, all she craved was the quiet comfort of the tiny apartment she shared with her father, a space that was below Beverly Hills standards, but offered the safety she needed.
A smile tugged at her lips.
Her father was probably waiting for her to return.
Chris Edian, her father, had too many flaws. He always forgets appointments, loses track of time and borrows money he could not pay back.
He also had an unfortunate habit of making promises he couldn't keep.
But one thing was sure, he loved her.
So much that Gabby had never doubted it once.
No matter how difficult life became, her father always found a way to make her happy.
That thought remained with her as she climbed the stairs to their apartment building.
When she finally reached their floor, she froze.
The door was slightly opened.
Her smile faded immediately.
"Papa?" She called, in a calm and fragile tone, almost in a whisper, but there was no response.
She pushed the door wider, but there was still no response.
A strange feeling settled in her chest.
"Dad?" She called out again and then stepped inside.
The apartment was even more quiet inside, the living room was empty, the kitchen and even his bedroom were empty too.
Her pulse quickened.
That was when she noticed the envelope lying on the dining table with her name boldly written across it.
A chill went down her spine.
She picked it up slowly and realized that the familiar handwriting belonged to her father.
With trembling fingers, she opened the letter.
"My sweet Gabby, if you are reading this, then I've already left.
I am so sorry. I know I've made so many mistakes, more than any father should.
I kept hoping I could fix everything myself, but I've run out of time now.
The people I owe are not ordinary people, they are dangerous and they are done waiting. By now, someone from Reyes Enterprises may have contacted you.
Please don't hate me for what I'm about to ask. I need you to sign the contract.
Just for now, until I can come back and make things right. Trust me one last time.
I love you, Gabby, always.
Dad."
Gabby stared at the letter, then read it again and again until her vision started to blur.
"No, no, this cannot be happening!" She screamed silently, trying to hold back her tears.
The Reyes family.
She knew that name just like everyone else.
A dynasty that practically owned half of the city and now her father owed them a sum huge enough to disappear over.
A sharp knock sounded at the door.
Gabby nearly jumped.
Another knock followed immediately.
She quickly wiped her eyes before approaching the door.
The moment she opened the door, she froze.
Two men stood outside, both of them wore expensive black suits.
"Miss Gabriella Edian?"
Her chest sank.
"Yes." She managed to reply.
The older man offered a polite nod.
"My name is Williams Anderson and I represent Reyes Enterprises."
"We would like to speak with you."
A few minutes later, Gabby sat at the back of a luxury car that obviously cost more than everything she owned.
The city lights blurred past the windows, she could barely notice them.
Her father's letter remained clenched in her hands.
The men had been polite, but their message was clear.
Chris Edian had vanished, no one knew where he was and the debt remained.
Eventually, the car halted in front of the towering glass building of Reyes Enterprises.
Gabby swallowed hard.
She was escorted through marble-floored hallways and private elevators until she reached a large, high-level conference room.
The heavy doors swept open, drawing the intense, assessing gazes of the executives, attorneys, and advisors seated on the long table that occupied the center of the room.
But only one person caught her attention.
The man seated at the far end.
Manuel Reyes.
With his dark hair, sharp features, a perfectly tailored suit and a cold expression.
Even when seated, he commanded the room.
He looked up as she entered.
Their eyes met for a brief moment, and then he looked away, as though she was completely unimportant.
The dismissal stung more than it should have.
Gabby lifted her chin and looked away too. She didn't particularly like him either.
A chair was pulled out for her to sit, and the contract papers were placed in front of her.
The pages seemed endless, containing legal terms, conditions and obligations.
A marriage agreement.
It felt surreal.
This wasn't supposed to happen to people, not in real life, not to her. She thought.
"I won't force you." Manuel's voice interrupted her thoughts.
She looked up.
He was watching her now but his expression remained unreadable.
"It's fine if you refuse," he continued.
For a second, hope flickered.
Then one of the lawyers spoke.
"Unfortunately, your father's debt will still require resolution."
The hope vanished.
Gabby stared down at the contract. Her father was gone, she was alone and no matter what she chose, her life would never remain the same again.
She thought about their tiny apartment, her paintings, her dreams and the future she had imagined.
Then she thought about the letter. "Trust me one last time."
The words hurt most of all because she wasn't sure she could, this time.
Silence filled the room as everyone waited.
Finally, Gabby reached for the pen, with trembling hands.
Somewhere across the table, Manuel's gaze remained fixed on her.
Gabby lowered the pen to the paper and signed her name.
The moment the ink touched the contract, she felt it in her bones.
The realization that her old life had just ended hit her.
And neither she nor Manuel Reyes had any idea how much that single signature was about to change their lives.
- Writer
