CAUGHT BETWEEN THE MIKEALSONS

CHAPTER ONE LIYAH’S POV “You have until tomorrow morning to give us your daughter.” I looked at my mom, terror filling my eyes, then at the man sitting across from us. His face was hard and angry. “Mom… what is he talking about?” I asked, my voice shaking. She opened her mouth, but not a single word came out. The man slammed a thick envelope on the table. “Your family owes a lot of money.” “I know about the debt.” “No,” he said sternly. “You don’t know everything.” He slid the envelope towards me. “Your mother made an agreement.” I stared at the envelope. “What agreement?” My mother suddenly grabbed my hand. “Please, Liyah. Don’t open it.” Her eyes filled with tears. I pulled my hand away and opened the envelope. I read through the document, and my heart stopped. I looked at my mother in disbelief, tears rolling down my cheeks. “Why?” Three Weeks Earlier… I hated that I could see my mom in pain and there was nothing I could do about it. I had gotten used to the sound of my mother arguing on the phone. It had been happening for months. Sometimes it was in the morning, sometimes late at night. Most times, I pretended not to hear because I knew it was about money. Things had not been easy for us for a long time. There were days when my mother would sit quietly for hours, trying to figure out what to do next. There were also nights when I could hear her talking to people on the phone, asking them to give her more time. I knew we were in debt. What I didn’t know was how bad it had become. That night, I woke up because I heard my mother’s voice. I looked at the time on my phone. It was past midnight. I got out of bed to get some water, but as I walked past my mother’s room, I heard her crying. I stopped. “Please,” she said. “Just give me a little more time.” I couldn’t hear the person on the other side of the call. “I know what I owe. I’m not running away.” There was silence for a few seconds. Then her voice became shaky. “Please don’t come here again.” I moved closer to the door. “I said I’ll pay you.” Another silence followed. Then she said something that made me stop. “My daughter has nothing to do with this.” I stood there, confused. Why was she bringing me into it? I quickly went back to my room before she could come out and see me. I barely slept that night. The next morning, I found my mother in the kitchen. She looked tired. “Good morning, Mom.” She turned around and smiled. “Good morning, dear.” I sat down at the table and watched her for a while. “Mom?” “Hmm?” “Who were you talking to last night?” Her hands stopped moving. “Who?” “The person you were talking to.” She sighed. “Liyah, please. Don’t worry about it.” “But you were crying.” “I’m fine.” She turned back to what she was doing. I knew she wasn’t fine. “But Mom…” “Please, Liyah.” I stopped talking. Things had been like this for months. Whenever I asked about the debt, she always told me she would handle it. I knew she was trying, but I could see that she was getting tired. Later that afternoon, I went to meet Daniel. Seeing him was always the best part of my day. He was waiting for me when I arrived, and the moment he saw me, he smiled. “You look worried.” I tried to smile. “I’m okay.” He shook his head. “You always say that when you’re not okay.” I laughed a little. “My mom was on the phone again last night.” His expression changed. “About the debt?” I nodded. “I think things are getting worse.” Daniel took my hand. “Have you talked to her?” “She won’t tell me anything.” I looked down. “I just wish there was something I could do.” Daniel squeezed my hand. “We’ll figure something out.” I looked at him. “We?” “Yes. We.” That was Daniel. Even when things were difficult, he never made me feel like I was alone. We talked for a while before the conversation changed to our future. Paris. It had always been our dream. We wanted to leave everything behind and start a new life together. Sometimes we talked about it like it was already happening. A small apartment. A simple life. Just the two of us. “I still want to go,” I told him. Daniel smiled. “Then we will.” “But what if things don’t work out?” “They will.” I looked at him. “You always make everything sound so easy.” He laughed. “Because I’m not giving up.” I smiled. For a few hours, I forgot about the debt and everything happening at home. I wished I could stay there forever. But when I returned home that evening, I noticed something immediately. There was a black car parked outside our house. I had never seen it before. I slowed down as I walked towards the door. Before I could open it, I heard voices inside. My mother’s voice was one of them. “I told you, I need more time.” A man’s voice answered. “You have already been given enough time.” I froze. I didn’t know who the man was, but something about his voice made me nervous. I quietly opened the door. My mother was sitting in the living room. Across from her was a man I had never seen before. He was dressed in an expensive suit and looked completely comfortable sitting in our small living room. The moment he saw me, he stopped talking. My mother looked at me. “Liyah.” I looked between them. “Who is he?” The man stood up. He looked at me for a few seconds before looking back at my mother. “So this is your daughter?” My mother stood up quickly. “Don’t involve her.” I looked at my mother. “Involve me in what?” She didn’t answer. I looked at the man. “Why are you here?” He picked up the envelope on the table. “Your mother knows why I’m here.” My heart started beating faster. I looked at my mother. “Mom?” She looked scared. “Go to your room, Liyah.” “No. I want to know what’s happening.” The man gave a small smile. “You already know your family is in debt.” I swallowed. “Yes.” “But I don’t think you know how bad things have become.” I looked at my mother. She lowered her eyes. The man placed the envelope back on the table. “Your mother has been given enough chances.” My mother stepped forward. “Please.” He ignored her. “There is only one way left to settle this.” I looked at him, confused. “What way?” He didn’t answer me. Instead, he looked at my mother. My mother immediately looked away. Something about that made me uncomfortable. The man picked up his things and headed towards the door. Before leaving, he stopped and looked at me. “Your mother will tell you everything.” Then he walked out. I waited until the door closed before turning back to my mother. “Mom, what was he talking about?” She didn’t answer. “Mom?” She slowly sat down and held her head in her hands. “Liyah, I don’t know how to tell you this.” My heart raced. “Tell me what?” She looked at me, but before she could say anything, someone knocked on the door. We both froze. My mother looked towards the door, and all the color suddenly left her face. Another knock came. I looked at her. “Who is that?” She grabbed my hand. “Don’t open the door.” I stared at her, even more confused. “Why?” She didn’t answer. She just kept staring at the door. And at that moment, I knew that whatever was happening was much bigger than I had imagined.