Chapter six- A debt with teeth
1419 Words
Elena didn’t reply to Greg’s message.
She couldn’t.
Her fingers felt numb as she slipped the phone back into her pocket, forcing herself to focus on the steady rise and fall of her father’s chest. The machines hummed softly beside the bed, a fragile, mechanical reassurance that he was still alive—still here.
That was all that mattered.
For now.
The hospital room was too white, too quiet. Every beep felt like a reminder of how close she had come to losing him. Elena sat on the edge of the chair, afraid that if she stood up, the strength holding her together would finally give way.
“Lena…” her father whispered weakly, his eyelids fluttering open.
She leaned forward immediately, brushing tears from her cheeks and forcing a smile onto her lips. “I’m here, Dad. The surgery went well. You’re going to be okay.”
His eyes searched her face slowly, as if trying to read the parts she wasn’t saying out loud. “You look tired.”
A small laugh escaped her, broken but honest. “I’ve been tired my whole life.”
His fingers tightened weakly around hers, the touch barely there but heavy with meaning. “You shouldn’t have to carry everything alone.”
Her throat closed instantly.
She wanted to tell him everything. About the contract. About Greg. About the marriage that wasn’t a marriage at all. About how she had traded herself piece by piece just to keep him alive.
But before she could speak, the door opened.
A nurse stepped inside gently, her expression apologetic. “Visiting hours are almost over. We need to let him rest.”
Elena nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in her throat. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to her father’s forehead. “I’ll be back tomorrow,” she whispered. “I promise.”
His fingers loosened reluctantly as she stepped away.
Outside the room, the hallway felt colder.
Alex stood there.
Waiting.
Elena stopped short when she saw him, her body stiffening instinctively.
“Thank you for letting me see him,” she said quietly, her gaze fixed on the floor instead of his face.
“I wasn’t asking for permission,” Alex replied. “He’s like a father to me too.”
She looked up sharply then, her eyes hard. “You lost the right to say things like that.”
The words hit him like a slap.
Alex inhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. “I know,” he said hoarsely. “And I know I don’t deserve forgiveness. But I paid the remaining bill because I wanted to help. Not to trap you.”
Her lips trembled despite herself. “You shouldn’t have.”
“I know,” he repeated quietly. “But you’ve always been the one saving everyone. I just wanted—once—to be the one who saved you.”
Her chest tightened painfully.
She shook her head slowly. “You didn’t save me, Alex. You complicated things.”
The truth hurt more than anger ever could.
Before he could respond, her phone vibrated again.
Her heart dropped.
She didn’t need to look.
Greg.
This time, it wasn’t a message.
It was a call.
Elena stepped a few feet away, her hands shaking as she answered. “Yes?”
“Come outside,” Greg said calmly. Too calmly. “Now.”
Her stomach twisted. “I’m at the hospital.”
“I know,” he replied. “I’m parked outside.”
Her pulse spiked violently.
She ended the call without another word.
Alex watched her closely. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she lied, forcing her voice steady. “I need some air.”
She turned and walked away before he could stop her, before he could ask more questions she didn’t have the strength to answer.
Greg’s car was impossible to miss.
Sleek. Black. Expensive.
It looked out of place among the ordinary vehicles in the parking lot—like a predator waiting patiently among prey.
As Elena approached, the back door opened automatically.
“Get in,” Greg said.
She hesitated, her hand hovering over the door.
Then she remembered the message.
Did you forget who paid first?
Her jaw tightened.
She got in.
The door shut with a heavy, final sound that echoed in her chest. The car pulled away smoothly, silently.
Greg didn’t look at her. His gaze was fixed forward, one hand resting casually on his knee, his posture relaxed—like this was just another meeting on his schedule.
“You let him pay,” Greg said after a long silence.
It wasn’t a question.
Elena’s chest tightened. “I didn’t ask him to.”
“But you allowed it.”
“He offered,” she snapped, her control slipping. “My father’s life was at stake. I didn’t have the luxury of pride.”
Greg turned slowly, his eyes locking onto hers.
Dark.
Cold.
Dangerous.
“You’re mine now, Elena,” he said quietly. “You don’t let other men interfere.”
Her breath caught. “I’m not your property.”
“No,” he agreed calmly. “You’re my wife.”
The word felt like a chain snapping shut around her throat.
“In name only,” she reminded him.
His lips curved into a cold, knowing smile. “Exactly. And names carry weight.”
Silence filled the car, thick and suffocating.
“Alex paying that bill creates confusion,” Greg continued evenly. “Confusion invites disrespect.”
“So what?” she demanded. “You’ll punish him?”
Greg turned back to the road. “No.”
Her heart skipped. “Then what?”
“I’ll remind you,” he said, “where your loyalty lies.”
The car pulled into the underground garage of the penthouse.
The moment Elena stepped out, unease crawled up her spine. The air here always felt heavier, like the walls themselves were watching her.
Inside the apartment, Greg removed his tie slowly, deliberately—like a man preparing for war.
“You don’t owe Alex,” he said. “I’ll settle that debt.”
Her eyes widened. “How?”
He turned to face her fully.
“By placing another one on you.”
Her breath caught painfully. “What do you mean?”
Greg walked toward her, stopping just inches away. She could smell his cologne—cold, sharp, overwhelming. He didn’t touch her, but the space between them felt charged, dangerous.
“From now on,” he said softly, “you report to me. No secrets. No independent decisions. Every move you make reflects on me.”
“That wasn’t part of the contract,” she whispered.
He leaned closer, his voice dropping dangerously low. “It is now.”
Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
“You can hate me,” Greg continued calmly. “But don’t forget—without me, your father wouldn’t be alive.”
The words sliced straight through her.
Elena clenched her fists. “You’re using him to control me.”
“Yes,” Greg admitted without hesitation.
The honesty terrified her more than lies ever could.
Before she could respond, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, his expression hardening. “Good,” he said into the phone. “Proceed.”
He ended the call and looked at her again.
“Get some rest,” he said calmly. “Tomorrow, we attend our first public event as husband and wife.”
Her blood ran cold.
“What kind of event?” she asked.
“A press dinner,” Greg replied. “Where the world officially meets Mrs. Greg Kingsley.”
Her knees nearly buckled.
“And Elena?” he added, turning away.
“Yes?”
“Smile.”
She stood alone in the middle of the penthouse, the weight of the walls pressing in on her.
Her phone vibrated silently in her hand.
A new message.
Unknown number.
Be careful of Greg Kingsley.
Her breath hitched.
Another message followed immediately.
Men like him don’t protect you. They own you.
Elena stared at the screen, her heart racing violently.
For the first time since signing the contract, true fear settled deep in her bones.
She wasn’t trapped between two men anymore.
She was trapped inside one man’s world.
And escaping him might cost her everything.
Do you think Greg is protecting Elena… or slowly destroying her?
And who do you think sent the warning?
- Writer
