Forced marriage with the Alpha Billionaire

The hospital room smelled like antiseptic and goodbye. My father's hand was cold in mine. Tubes ran up his thin arm. His eyes used to be sharp. Now they were dull, like he was already gone. "Sign it, Alexa," he whispered. "Just sign the paper. That's all I'm asking." On the small table beside his bed was a thick contract. Black ink. Gold seal at the corner. Groom: Nathaniel Blackwood. My stomach dropped. Nathaniel Blackwood. That name alone hit me like a bullet. He was the heir to the Blackwood empire. Ruthless. Untouched. The man every business rival feared and every woman in the city dreamed about. I shook my head, tears burning my eyes. "Dad, I can't marry him. He's... he's a monster." Dad's grip tightened around my hand. Desperate. "He's our only chance, sweetheart. The debt... the company... his family will wipe it clean. Just say yes." A nurse knocked softly and wheeled in a pen on a small tray. My hand shook as I stared at the signature line. One stroke of ink. One life sentence. "Dad, please-" "You're already engaged," he cut in, voice breaking. "The families signed last week. All that's left is your vow at the courthouse tomorrow." The pen felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Tomorrow, I would walk into a marriage with a stranger. A billionaire who didn't love me. And I would have no choice but to say "I do."