A DEBT I NEVER OWED
602 Words
Alice
The air inside was worse.
Cold.
Heavy.
Like even the walls were listening.
My heels stumbled against the polished floor as they pushed me forward into a large hall.
And then I saw him.
Everything inside me stopped.
He sat at the far end like the room belonged to him.
Dark suit.
Relaxed posture.
A kind of silence around him that felt dangerous.
Not loud dangerous.
Controlled dangerous.
The kind of man who didn’t need to raise his voice for people to obey.
My breath caught.
That had to be him.
The Don.
Slowly, his eyes lifted to mine.
And something inside me tightened painfully.
Because the moment our eyes met..
I felt it.
Danger.
Real danger.
“So,” he said calmly. “This is what he left behind."
My lips parted. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. My brother didn’t leave anything behind. I don’t even know where he is”
“Liar,” someone behind me snapped.
I flinched.
But he raised one hand slightly.
Instant silence.
That terrified me more than anything.
He stood.
And the room changed.
Not because he moved.
But because everything suddenly felt smaller.
He walked toward me slowly.
Each step felt like pressure closing around my chest.
“You are his sister,” he said.
“Yes,” I said quickly. “But I don’t know anything about what he did. I swear. Please...just let me go. I’ll find him, I’ll make him come back”
“He’s gone.”
The word hit me like a punch.
“…Gone?” I whispered.
He stopped in front of me.
Close.
Too close.
I had to tilt my head up just to look at him.
“He ran,” he said. “After stealing from me.”
My voice shook. “That’s not possible…”
“It is.”
My legs felt weak.
“I didn’t do anything,” I said quickly. “I didn’t know anything about this,please, I’m not part of it”
A pause.
Then his eyes shifted slightly.
Like he was studying me.
Not angry.
Interested.
“You’re collateral now,” he said.
My heart stopped.
“…Collateral?”
He turned slightly.
“Prepare the contract.”
My stomach dropped.
“No,” I whispered. “No, I’m not signing anything”
A guard stepped forward holding papers.
My hands started shaking violently.
“What is that?” I backed away. “Please, I didn’t do anything”
His voice cut through everything.
“You don’t have a choice.”
My breathing turned shallow.
The words that shattered everything I knew about my life
My voice came out broken. “No… you can’t do this. This is kidnapping,this is insane!”
He stepped closer.
His shadow swallowed me.
“In my world,” he said quietly, “nothing happens without my permission
Tears burned my eyes.
“I don’t even know you,” I whispered.
A flicker crossed his expression.
Gone too fast to understand.
“You will,” he said.
The contract was placed in front of me.
Ink.
Paper.
Chains disguised as law.
My hands shook so badly I could barely hold the pen when it was forced into them.
This wasn’t real.
This couldn’t be real.
But the guard leaned closer.
“Sign it.”
And the Don’s voice followed, calm and final.
“Or we decide for you.”
Tears slipped down my face.
My hand trembled over the paper.
And in that moment
I understood something horrifying.
My life wasn’t being taken.
It had already been sold.
I just hadn’t realized it yet.
- Writer
