Marry me and watch me burn

Chapter three- Let's get married

The streets blurred as I ran, I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t even care. My feet just moved, faster and faster, like maybe if I ran hard enough, if I ran fast enough, I’d outrun the truth I’d just seen on that glowing television screen.

Dad’s picture, his name.

The words “died due to company negligence.”

It didn’t feel real. It couldn’t be real. I pinched myself to confirm if I was in a dream, I couldn’t stop the tears from coming out, I tripped over a stone and fell, I struggled to get up, I could hear people say I’m mad, and I’ve probably lost my mind, but i really wished that was the case, I really hoped I was just seeing and hearing things, that the television screen wasn’t real, it was never there, but deep within me I knew it was true, my dad was gone.

He was gone.

I reached our apartment building, my hands were shaking so bad as I fumbled with the keys. I could hear Mia’s voice from where i stood before I even opened it, she was laughing softly, humming some silly tune from her playlist.

She didn’t know. The tears started streaming on my cheeks again, I didn’t know what to do, how do I break my little sister’s heart? What could I say that’d make this news less tragic?

When I stepped inside, she turned around, her smile was as bright as ever “Layla! You’re back early.......”

I didn’t even realize I was crying until she froze, I tried to hold in the tears but I couldn’t, her expression changed completely. I could feel every second go by before she whispered, “What’s wrong?”

I couldn’t say it, I just couldn’t form the words. So I just shook my head and stumbled forward.

Mia caught me before I hit the floor. “Layla! What happened?”

She held my hands tightly and shaked me repeatedly. I forced my mouth open, but nothing came out, the words just weren’t coming out, only broken sobs and the sound of my breath catching over and over again.

Finally, somehow, the words tore out.

“Dad… he’s gone.”

Mia looked confused. “Gone?”

I could see the exact second she understood and that broke me the most . Her expression changed, the light in her eyes fading as her lips parted in disbelief. “No… no, that’s not funny. That’s not..........”

“They said it on the news,” I whispered. “Cross Construction… negligence. They said… they said it was their fault.”

Her hands slipped away from my shoulders. She took a step back, covering her mouth. “No.”

The word came again, louder this time, rawer. “No!”

She crumpled to the floor, sobbing so hard I thought she’d stop breathing. And I just stood there, tears falling silently down my cheeks. Because how do you comfort someone when you’re broken too?

I didn’t even remember falling down beside her. But we ended up holding each other, two lost souls drowning in the kind of pain words can’t describe.

Hours passed, or maybe minutes. I couldn’t tell. Time didn’t exist that night, only grief did.

It was morning, everybody continued their normal routine. The neighbours played loud music too. Life went on.

But not us.

Calls started coming in before noon, the landlord first. Then the debt collectors.

“Miss James, your father owed.......”

“Miss James, if you don’t clear.......”

“Miss James, this is the final warning.......”

I wanted to throw the phone against the wall, but what good would that do?

Mia just sat on the couch, her eyes were blank and her grief was obvious. She was holding one of Dad’s old work shirts against her chest. I’d never seen her so still before, not since mom died. My little sister, the one who used to dance while cooking, sing while cleaning, smile through everything, was quiet, far too quiet.

When the landlord came that evening, he didn’t even pretend to be sorry.

“I’m sorry for your loss, truly. But you need to move out before the end of the week. I’ve already got new tenants lined up.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to ask him how he could talk about rent and deadlines when our father’s body wasn’t even buried yet. But instead, I just nodded.

“Understood,” I said, my voice barely audible.

That night, Mia cried until she fell asleep. I stayed awake, staring at the ceiling, listening to the sound of her broken breathing beside me.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Dad’s smile. The way he always said, “No matter what happens, we’ll be okay.”

He lied, we’re not okay, we never were, dad lied to me, dad why did you lie to me? Why did you leave us? The tears started again, I sobbed quietly to prevent Mia from waking up.

The funeral held two days later, It was small, quiet and unfairly ordinary for a man who had given everything.

I stood beside Mia, holding her hand as they lowered the coffin into the ground. Each thud of sand sounded like a nail was driven in my heart.

Then I saw him, Landon Cross.

He stood at a distance, wearing an all-black suit, his expression was unreadable. He didn’t belong here not among us, not at my father’s grave. The bodyguard was beside him, holding an umbrella over his head as if he were too holy to feel the rain.

Mia saw him too. She held my hands tighter. “ Isn’t that the chairman of cross empire, what is he doing here?” she whispered.

I didn’t answer, I didn’t trust myself to speak.

When the ceremony ended and people began to leave, Landon stepped forward.

“Layla James.”

My chest ached with anger. “You have some nerve showing up here.”

He didn’t flinch. “I came to pay my respects. Your father.......”

“Don’t.” My voice cracked. “Don’t you dare say his name.”

He sighed, his expression still maddeningly calm. “I understand your anger, but I didn’t come here to fight. I came to make you an offer.”

I laughed bitterly. “An offer? At my father’s funeral?”

He looked straight into my eyes. “A marriage contract. Just a year. You’ll be compensated. All your debts will be cleared, your family’s future would be secured.”

It was like my mind blanked out for a second. The wind became more violent, the rain hit harder, and I just stared at him, trying to process the audacity of what he’d just said.

“Is this some kind of sick joke?”

“It’s business,” he said simply. “You need financial security. I need stability for my company’s public image. It’s mutually beneficial.”

Before he could finish, my hand reached for his cheek, landing him a good slap.

The sound echoed through the air.

He didn’t move, he didn’t react.

So I slapped him again, harder

Mia gasped behind me. Her eyes widened with shock. Monica who’d come to support me reached for my arm, but I shook her off.

“You think you can fix this? Buy me? Buy us?” I shouted. “My father died because of your company, and you’re standing here asking me to marry you? What kind of monster are you?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but I didn’t let him.

“I don’t want your pity, and I don’t want your blood money. Stay away from us.”

Then I turned and walked away. I didn’t look back. But I could feel his eyes on me, he probably hasn’t ever been rejected before, but I didn’t care, I didn’t give a damn.

That night, everything fell apart.

The calls didn’t stop. The landlord banged on the door again. Mia cried silently in her bed, but I didn’t have the strength to cry anymore.

I worked nonstop for the next week, cleaning, waiting tables, carrying boxes, anything that would keep us fed for another day. My hands blistered, my feet ached, my back throbbed. But I didn’t stop.

Every time exhaustion hit, I thought of Dad. Every time someone mentioned Cross Empire, I became livid

I cursed the name. I cursed Landon. I cursed every brick of that empire that had taken him from us.

One night, I was watching the news, as I scrubbed the floor of a near-empty café,

“Cross Empire releases official statement regarding the death of an employee, Mr. Daniel James…”

The newscaster continued:

“Cross Empire expresses condolences to the family. The company, however, maintains that the incident was an unforeseeable accident, and not a result of corporate negligence.”

There it was. No apology. No responsibility. Just a statement.

I stared at the screen, my eyes widened in disbelief. What is this? What did I just hear? The mop fell from my hands, my hands were trembling, I could feel a part of me snapping. Somebody has to pay for this.

My father was gone, and the people responsible were sitting in glass towers, sipping champagne, pretending his life didn’t matter, they exalted themselves above others and they saw humans as ants beneath their feet.

I wiped my tears, I was done crying, I was done sitting around, taking it all in. That was the moment I made the decision. I was done waiting for justice that would never come.

If Cross Empire wanted to play God, then I’d become the storm that brought them to their knees.

By the time I reached the building, I wasn’t even sure how I’d gotten there or where I was going, I just kept moving.

Cross Empire Tower stood high above me, tall, shining, cruelly beautiful. I made up my mind that I was going to be the reason this building falls to the ground. The guards shouted as I ran past the lobby doors.

“Ma’am! You can’t go in there!”

“Stop her!”

But I didn’t stop.

I pushed through, I kept running, my body was tired but my mind wasn’t. I dodged hands that tried to grab me. My chest was heavy and my tears had long dried up.

The elevator was open. I ran inside and pressed the button to the top floor.

When the doors opened, I didn’t hesitate.

I ran into the office, ignoring the startled gasps of the secretaries and the guards chasing after me.

And there he was.

Landon Cross.

Behind his massive desk, calm and collected, exactly like before, with the stupid grin on his face.

He looked up slowly, his brows lifting slightly as if he’d been expecting me.

“Miss James,” he said quietly.

I didn’t let him say another word.

I slammed my palms against his desk, trying to catch my breath. “Let’s get married.”