CHAPTER FOUR: THE PRICE OF SALVATION
1789 Words
The evening air pressed down on the apartment, thick and suffocating. Even the traffic sounds from outside felt distant, buried under the weight crushing the small space.
Amelia stood by the window, staring at the city lights below. Cars moved through the streets like streams of gold and red, their headlights cutting through the darkness. She usually found comfort in watching the city at night. Tonight, it did nothing to calm the unease twisting in her stomach.
Something was wrong.
Her father hadn’t been himself since he came back from Hawthorne Estate.
The moment he walked through the door, Amelia noticed it. He barely spoke. He didn’t turn on the television. He didn’t ask about her day. He just sat down and sank into a silence that grew heavier every minute.
Her mother wasn’t helping either.
She kept moving around the apartment, straightening things that didn’t need straightening and finding excuses to stay busy. Every smile she forced looked strained, like it hurt to hold it.
It was obvious they were hiding something.
And whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
“Dad,” Amelia said softly, finally turning away from the window.
Her father looked up.
“You’ve been quiet ever since you came back. What happened at Mr. Hawthorne’s place?”
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
He sat on the edge of the sofa, hands clasped tight. The lines on his face looked deeper than they had that morning. His shoulders sagged under a burden Amelia couldn’t understand yet.
Nearby, her mother lingered, twisting her fingers together.
The silence stretched until Amelia’s chest tightened.
Then her father spoke, voice low and tired. “He gave me an option.”
Amelia frowned. “What kind of option?”
“A way out of the debt.”
Relief rushed through her so fast she almost laughed. “Oh. Thank God. So we’re okay then?”
But the look on her father’s face stopped her immediately.
There was no relief in his expression. No gratitude. No happiness. Just exhaustion and defeat.
Her smile disappeared. “Dad?”
He lowered his gaze. “It’s not that simple.”
The uneasy feeling in Amelia’s stomach came back hard.
“What do you mean?”
Her mother took a hesitant step forward. “His grandfather... he doesn’t want the money anymore.”
Amelia blinked, confused. “If he doesn’t want the money, what does he want?”
Her father’s jaw tightened. When he answered, his voice was barely a whisper. “He wants you.”
Everything inside Amelia stopped.
The room. The air. Even her thoughts.
“Me?”
Her father nodded once. That single movement felt heavier than any words.
A nervous laugh escaped her lips. “Okay, that’s not funny.”
No one smiled. No one corrected her. No one told her she misunderstood.
The realization hit slow at first, then all at once.
Her pulse hammered in her ears. “What do you mean he wants me?”
Her father finally met her gaze. His eyes were red-rimmed, mouth pressed into a thin line like he was holding himself together. “He’s proposing a marriage arrangement. With his grandson.”
The words struck her like a physical blow.
For several seconds, she stood frozen. Unable to move. Unable to think.
“...A marriage?”
“With his grandson,” her father repeated quietly, as if saying it again would make it sound reasonable.
It didn’t.
Her mouth went dry. A marriage. To the Hawthorne heir. To Ethan Hawthorne.
The name alone carried enough power to make people pay attention. Everyone knew who he was. The cold, calculating businessman. The man whose reputation followed him everywhere. The man she had argued with at Hawthorne Enterprises.
She remembered the encounter clearly. The way he had looked at her. Calm. Unreadable. Like he was studying her. Like she was a puzzle he couldn’t solve.
“No.” The word left her lips before she could stop it. She shook her head. “No. This doesn’t make any sense. Why would he want me?”
“To erase the debt,” her father answered. His voice sounded worn out. “If you agree, everything disappears.”
Amelia stared at him. The debt. The pressure. The threats hanging over their family. Gone. All of it.
For a moment, the idea hung between them.
Then reality crashed down.
She stepped back. “So that’s it? I marry a stranger and suddenly we’re free?” Her voice rose. “That’s insane.”
Her mother moved toward her. “Amelia, listen—”
“No.” Amelia pulled away. “Listen to yourself. You’re talking about my life.” Her voice trembled despite her efforts. “A man I barely know wants to trade marriage for money.”
Her father flinched. “It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it like?” The question came out sharper than she intended.
Neither parent answered. And somehow, that hurt more.
Amelia ran a hand through her hair. Her thoughts spun. Money. Power. Influence. The Hawthornes lived in a world completely different from hers. A world she never wanted any part of.
Now she was being asked to marry into it. Not because she loved someone. Not because she wanted to. Because of debt. Because of a business arrangement. Because someone else made a mistake.
“This can’t be happening.”
Her father stood. “Amelia, please. Just think about it.”
“I am thinking about it!” Her voice cracked. The frustration she’d held back finally spilled over. “And the more I think about it, the worse it sounds.”
The room went quiet again.
Her mother approached carefully and placed a hand on her arm. The gesture was gentle. Almost pleading. “Sweetheart... we don’t have another option.”
Amelia looked at her sharply. “There is always another option.”
But even as she said it, doubt crept in. Because her mother didn’t argue. Didn’t insist. Didn’t reassure her. She just lowered her eyes.
That silence told Amelia everything she needed to know.
A lump formed in her throat. She turned away before they could see the tears threatening to spill. Her hands gripped the edge of the table until the wood dug into her palms. She welcomed the pain. At least it gave her something else to focus on.
Her life was being negotiated like a contract. Discussed like a transaction. As if her future could be exchanged for a signature.
“I won’t do it.” Her voice came out steadier than she felt.
Behind her, her father exhaled heavily. “If you refuse...” His voice faltered. “We lose everything.”
Amelia squeezed her eyes shut. The words hit harder than she expected.
When she spoke again, her voice broke. “So I’m supposed to sell myself to save you?”
“Amelia—”
“Tell me that’s not what this is.”
Her father looked wrecked. “That’s not what this is.”
“Then what is it, Dad?” Tears slipped free. She didn’t bother wiping them away. “What is it?”
No answer came. Only the painful silence of people who didn’t know how to make an impossible situation better.
In that moment, Amelia felt something crack inside her. Not completely. But enough. Enough to know nothing would ever be the same again.
---
*Later That Night...*
Sleep refused to come.
Amelia sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the wall across from her. The conversation replayed in her mind on loop.
A marriage. A debt. A bargain.
Every time she thought she wrapped her head around it, the reality became more unbelievable.
She had met Ethan Hawthorne once. One brief encounter. And now people were talking about their wedding. It sounded absurd. Impossible. Yet somehow it was real.
Her phone buzzed beside her.
Lily: Hey, are you okay? You sounded off earlier.
Amelia stared at the message. Her fingers hovered over the screen. What was she supposed to say? How could she explain something she barely understood herself?
Eventually, she typed. Amelia: I don’t think my life is mine anymore.
She pressed send.
Almost immediately, typing bubbles appeared. Lily: What happened?
Amelia stared at the message, then locked her phone. Because she didn’t know where to begin. How did you tell your best friend your father’s debt might become your wedding?
She placed the phone down and buried her face in her hands. For the first time that night, she let herself cry.
---
*Across the City, Hawthorne Estate...*
Ethan stood in front of his grandfather’s desk. His expression stayed calm. Controlled. But beneath the surface, anger simmered.
“You want me to marry who?”
His grandfather leaned back comfortably. “The daughter of the man who owes me a fortune.”
Ethan let out a slow breath. “This isn’t a business deal.”
“It is.” The answer came immediately. No hesitation. No apology.
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “You’re trying to control my life.”
“I’m securing your future.” His grandfather’s tone stayed calm. Measured. Like they were discussing stock investments instead of marriage.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “And if I refuse?”
A faint smile touched his grandfather’s lips. It never reached his eyes. “Then your future remains... uncertain.”
The warning was clear.
Neither man spoke for several moments. The silence between them felt sharp enough to cut.
Eventually, Ethan turned toward the window. The city stretched endlessly beyond the glass. “I want to see her.”
His grandfather raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
Ethan’s gaze darkened. “Because I want to know what kind of woman is worth this much trouble.”
A small smile appeared on the older man’s face. “That’s fine. I’ll arrange a meeting tomorrow.”
Ethan remained silent.
His grandfather continued. “The marriage license will be completed the day after. She’ll move into your private mansion immediately. Both of you will begin this new chapter of your lives there.”
Then his grandfather paused. His gaze sharpened. “And I don’t want to see that girl around you anymore.”
Ethan knew exactly who he meant. Sophia.
A flicker of irritation crossed his face. His grandfather noticed.
“Good. You are dismissed.”
Just like that. The conversation ended.
Ethan turned and walked out. His expression stayed unreadable. But beneath the surface, fury burned.
The moment the door closed behind him, his grandfather picked up the phone. He called for his personal assistant. When the man entered, he spoke one sentence. “Tell her father exactly what I just told my grandson.”
- Writer
