TITLE: BOUND💍BY CONTRACT

CHAPTER ONE: THE DAY EVERYTHING CHANGED

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Chapter One

Precellia's POV

The city looked beautiful from my bedroom window.

From up here, I could see people hurrying through the streets below, each of them with somewhere to go and someone waiting for them. Their lives seemed so... normal.

I envied that.

I rested my forehead against the cool glass, watching the morning sun spread across the buildings. This window had become my favorite place over the past five years. It was the closest thing I had to freedom.

I rarely left my room unless I had to.

I had no friends. No visitors. No one who came looking for me except Mary.

There was a time when I couldn't stop talking. I laughed loudly, filled every room with my voice, and somehow found joy in the smallest things.

Now...

Silence had become my closest companion.

A gentle knock sounded at the door before it slowly opened.

"Miss Precellia?"

I turned away from the window.

Mary stepped inside carrying her usual warm smile, though I could see the concern hidden beneath it. She had been by my side for years, long enough to witness how much I had changed.

"Your father has asked you to have breakfast in the dining room today."

I blinked.

"The dining room?"

She nodded.

"Yes, Miss."

For a moment, I simply stared at her.

Father wanted me downstairs?

Why?

Had he finally forgiven me?

Or...

Had I done something wrong again?

Countless possibilities flooded my mind, each one worse than the last.

"Miss?"

Mary's gentle voice pulled me back.

I realized I had been standing there without moving.

"Are you coming?"

I forced myself to nod.

"Yes."

---

The walk to the dining room felt much longer than I remembered.

Every step made my heart beat a little faster.

It had been five years since I had last shared a meal with my parents. Five years since I had been told it would be better if I ate in my room instead.

Five years of avoiding this place.

As Mary opened the dining room doors, a familiar chill settled over me.

Father and Mother were already seated.

Neither of them looked up immediately.

I lowered my gaze.

"Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother."

As expected...

Silence.

I wasn't surprised anymore.

I quietly took my seat.

The maids served breakfast before leaving the room, and the doors closed behind them with a soft click.

The silence that followed felt almost unbearable.

Only the faint sound of cutlery echoed through the room.

I picked at the food on my plate without really tasting it.

My eyes wandered across the table before stopping on an empty chair.

It had remained untouched for years.

No one ever sat there.

No one ever dared to.

Just looking at it made something inside my chest ache.

I quickly looked away.

Why had Father asked me to come here today?

Surely this wasn't just about breakfast.

"Precellia."

Father's voice cut through the silence.

I immediately looked up.

His face was unreadable.

"You'll be marrying the Bronks family's second son in two days."

For a second...

I forgot how to breathe.

"What?"

Father slid a wedding invitation across the table toward me.

"The preparations have already been completed. Your wedding dress was made using your recent measurements."

My trembling fingers reached for the invitation.

This couldn't be happening.

I looked at Mother, desperate for some kind of explanation.

Anything.

But she never met my eyes.

She simply stood from her seat.

For a brief moment, I thought she might say something.

Instead, she quietly walked out of the dining room.

The door closed behind her.

I stared after her, my chest tightening.

Even now...

She couldn't bear to look at me.

"Father..."

I finally found my voice.

"I don't understand."

"There's nothing for you to understand."

His tone remained calm.

"Our company has suffered enough. A marriage between you and the Bronks family will secure a permanent partnership with Luminous."

"But I don't even know him—"

"You don't need to."

His words landed like stones.

"This marriage has already been decided."

I felt panic rising inside me.

"But Father, please—"

"Enough!"

His voice thundered through the room, making me flinch.

He rose to his feet, glaring at me with years of resentment burning in his eyes.

"This is the least you can do after what you did to Elvis."

The room seemed to spin.

"You took my only son away from me."

His words pierced deeper than any knife ever could.

Without another glance, he turned and walked away.

The sound of the closing door echoed through the silent dining room.

I remained frozen in my chair.

The invitation blurred before my eyes as tears spilled onto my cheeks.

My chest hurt.

No matter how many years passed...

Nothing ever changed.

They still believed everything was my fault.

I closed my eyes, pressing a trembling hand against my chest as quiet sobs escaped my lips.

"Elvis..."

The name came out as nothing more than a broken whisper.

"I'm sorry."