Haunted By The Casanova: The Billionaire Won't Set Me Free!

Olivia: "She’s gone!" A loud scream erupted inside the house, shocking me from my sleep. "What?! What do you mean?!" A mixture of fear and panic caused my voice to break as my heartbeat pounded in my ears. A powerful fury burned from her green eyes while her chest moved rapidly. She stood by the doorway. "SHE’S f*****g GONE! YOUR SISTER" she roared. The air turned thick. My head spun. Gone? My sister? On her wedding day? I flung the blanket aside and sprinted to her room. The door slammed against the wall as I threw it open. Empty. The bed was untouched. The closet door hung ajar, her wedding dress still inside. Panic surged through me as I stumbled to the balcony. And then—I saw it. A rope. No. Not a rope. Bedsheets. Tied together. Dangling over the edge. A violent shiver raked down my spine. Step… Step… Step… Footsteps. Fast. Rushed. Getting closer. Mother. I barely had time to turn before— SNAP! Her fingers clamped around my wrist, sharp as iron claws. "Ah—!" Pain seared through my arm. Her grip tightened, nails digging into my skin. This wasn’t just anger. This was rage. Her voice was low, venomous. "You’re taking her place!" My heart stopped. What? She leaned in, her breath scalding against my skin. "You. Will. Marry. Him." My body turned to ice. My breath hitched. "No," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Not me. Please—" "No objections!" she snapped, yanking me forward. "You have no choice. You will do this. Now." I couldn’t breathe. The surrounding walls pressed upon me until they became too heavy for me to bear. And just like that—everything changed. *** "Do you, Olivia Lancaster, take Nicholas Sinclair to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold…” The priest's voice faded into a blur. I couldn’t hear him anymore—only the roaring panic in my head. My vision swirled, my throat clamped shut, and my chest trembled like it might shatter. I turned my head slowly, instinctively, toward my father. He sat in his wheelchair, powerless. His eyes were red, glistening, and then—I saw it. One tear. Just one, tracing down the side of his face. If he weren’t sick, I knew he would’ve stopped this. He would’ve never let it come to this. Then I saw my mother. Her eyes locked onto mine—wide, cold, and merciless. Like glass daggers stabbing straight through me. A silent threat. A warning. A command I couldn’t disobey. My stomach clenched. My heart was a thunderstorm, raging inside my ribs. Her lips moved without sound, but I heard the words in my bones. “Say it, Olivia. Say it.” But I couldn’t. My lips wouldn’t move. My voice was trapped beneath the weight of everything. I turned to the man I was supposed to marry. His expression? Blank. Emotionless. He didn’t want this either. We both knew: this wasn’t a wedding. It was a transaction. A deal signed in desperation, not love. It should’ve been my sister. This was never meant to be mine. She was the one who racked up the debt—huge, crushing debt that drowned our family. She ran away but instead of facing it, leaving me to clean her mess. Father’s company had collapsed. The stroke left him a shell of the man he once was—helpless, broken. He couldn’t repay the debt. And the only way out… was this. Marrying the cold, unreadable man standing in front of me. I never knew what deals were made behind closed doors, but I knew one thing: Nicholas and his family would wipe our debt clean—because it was his father that we owed everything to. And me? I ended up giving everything up. My degree. My future. My freedom. Just so that our family could not break down. Yet the worst irony? And there was somebody else. A person I loved. A man who swore he would come back to me. Nevertheless, he never did. No letters. No calls. Not even a goodbye. Just… silence. Still, I waited. I waited for him with a loyalty that broke me piece by piece. But now, here I was… About to vow myself to a stranger. My hands trembled violently. My ears rang with the roar of my own pulse. I opened my mouth— And with it, my world shattered. “I do.” The priest gave a solemn nod. “You may now kiss the bride.” A knot formed in my throat. I turned to Nicholas—my husband in name only. He leaned in slowly, like a man about to seal a deal he despised. Then, just as our lips were about to touch, he whispered. “Don’t you dare touch me.” Thump. My heart stopped. I forgot how to breathe. I stood frozen as those words pierced me like a dagger. A loveless wedding. A husband who loathed me. A life that wasn’t mine anymore. The ceremony moved forward. But I remained behind—in the bridal suite, locked in a silence that screamed. I stared at my reflection, untouched and hollow. My hands trembled in my lap. My chest ached like it was being crushed under stone. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t accept this. I didn’t want to. Then— Creak. The door opened. I turned quickly, heart racing. Mother. She stood there in the doorway, her face as fixed as ever. I thought I saw something in her eyes—just for an instant. Then I was sure I was deluding myself. Was it pity? Warmth? Tears clouded my eyes. It felt like I was chained in place—standing there in the dress. I wanted to run into her arms. To sob. To beg her to let me go. But before a single word left my lips, she cut through the silence: “Don’t be weak.” My breath caught. Her gaze turned to ice. “This is your responsibility. You’re the eldest. The debts, the shame—everything falls on you.” Then, with venom, she hissed: “Because your useless father got sick.” Stab. Her words tore through me like a blade to the chest. My heart shattered. Did she just—did she really just say that? “Mother?” My voice was barely a whisper. “What are you saying?” She didn’t blink. She didn’t flinch. “You’re so cruel,” I choked out. “Cruel?” she snapped. "Your father dragged me into this miserable life! If he weren’t so f*****g sick and useless, maybe my daughter wouldn’t have to be part of this cursed marriage!" Her voice trembled with fury, but her eyes were icy cold— "And that’s why you must fix it. You will clean up his mess. You will pay the price." “But… Mother… y-you know I got a full scholarship to Harvard Medical School. This was my dream,” my voice cracked. “If I stay with this man, he’ll never let me continue. He’ll destroy it all…” My chest burned. My voice shattered. I couldn’t lose my dream. I couldn’t lose me. But she only scoffed. “Do as I say. Who the hell cares about your scholarship?! You don’t deserve to be a doctor. You were born to serve. To obey. To be someone’s maid—nothing more!” My stomach dropped. I staggered. “This marriage will last five years. Until then, you’ll do whatever your husband demands. Do you hear me? Whatever. He. Wants.” “Why won’t you protect me?” I cried. “You’re my mother. You gave birth to me. I’m your daughter too—not just Sophia…” My voice trembled, cracking at the edges. I bit my lip hard, fighting back the sob threatening to break free. I reached for her hand, desperate, shaking. She yanked it away. “Gave birth to you?” she sneered, her tone dripping in sarcasm. My heart stilled. My brows furrowed. What… did that mean? “It’s like I’m not even your daughter,” I whispered. “Why are you the one pushing me into this hell? Why do you want me to throw away my dream?” Tears spilled down my cheeks, unstoppable now. “Wipe those tears. Accept your fate.” Her voice rang like a final sentence from a judge. And just like that… I broke. Utterly. A burning spread through my chest—a poison I couldn’t fight. A silent scream lodged in my throat. Why me? Why was I the one paying for everything? Where was my sister—the one who caused this? Why was I sacrificed? And why… why did my mother look almost pleased? There was no grief in her eyes. No regret. No guilt. Only cold, bitter satisfaction. To be continued...