Bound by debt

Chapter 1 The dress wasn't even hers. Elena Rossi tugged at the hem of the borrowed emerald silk as she stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom. The dress looked beautiful, expensive even, but it just didn't feel like her. She ran her fingers over the smooth fabric and sighed. Her stepmother had lent it to her after Elena's own dress had been rejected as too plain for the evening. "You're wearing this tonight," her stepmother had said earlier, and Elena hadn't argued. Arguing in that house rarely changed anything. She looked at herself one last time before leaving her room. The emerald silk fit her well enough, though a few places had been held together with tiny safety pins she'd carefully hidden beneath the folds of the dress. She hoped nobody would notice. She wasn't used to wearing things this expensive; she was more comfortable in simple dresses and shoes she could actually walk in without worrying about ruining them. But tonight was different. Tonight she was expected to look like she belonged. Elena picked up her small purse and checked herself in the mirror again. "Just get through the night," she whispered. That was all she had to do. Get through the night. Downstairs, voices carried from the living room. Bianca stood in front of the large mirror checking her makeup, dressed in a fitted black dress that looked like it had been made especially for her. She looked excited — of course she did. Tonight was exactly the kind of night Bianca loved: expensive clothes, important people, cameras, and names that appeared in magazines. Bianca loved being seen. Elena walked into the room, and Bianca glanced at her through the mirror. "Finally," she said. Elena said nothing; she'd learned that sometimes silence was easier than arguing with Bianca. Bianca turned around and looked her over. "At least the dress looks good." "Thank you," Elena said. Bianca shrugged. "Don't ruin it." Elena looked down at the dress. "I'll try." Bianca rolled her eyes and returned to her makeup. Her father was sitting on the sofa, reading something on his phone. He looked up when Elena entered, and his eyes moved over her dress. "You're taking Bianca tonight." Elena stopped. "I know." "And you'll behave." There it was — that familiar warning. Elena swallowed. "Of course." Her father returned his attention to his phone as if the conversation was already finished. Bianca smiled as she fixed an earring. "I'm going to introduce you to some people tonight," she said, "so please don't disappear." Elena almost laughed. "I'm not the one who disappears." Bianca ignored her. Her stepmother stepped closer and adjusted the shoulder of Elena's dress. "Try not to worry too much," she said quietly. "You'll be fine." It wasn't much, but it was kinder than anything Elena's father had said all evening. "Thank you," Elena murmured. Her stepmother gave her a small smile before turning back to Bianca. Elena looked toward her father. For one second, she wondered if he would say something else — anything. Maybe tell her she looked nice. Maybe ask if she was comfortable. Maybe simply smile at her. He didn't. He never did. "You should be grateful for the invitation," he said instead. Elena's fingers tightened around the small purse in her hand. "I am." "You don't sound like it." She forced a smile. "I'm grateful." Her father nodded, satisfied. "Good." Elena looked away. There was no point explaining that being invited into a room didn't mean she wanted to be there. She didn't hate people; she just didn't enjoy pretending to be someone she wasn't. The room went quiet for a moment. Then the front door opened. Marco stepped inside, and his eyes immediately found Elena. He took in the dress, her stiff shoulders, and the expression she was trying to hide. He knew. He always knew. "Ready?" he asked. Elena nodded. "Almost." Marco looked at her dress. "Nice." Elena smiled slightly. "Really?" "Really." Bianca grabbed her purse. "Finally." Marco's eyes moved between the two sisters. "Try not to kill each other before we get there." Bianca rolled her eyes, while Elena almost smiled. Their father stood. "Marco." Marco looked at him. "Yes?" "Take care of them." Something about the way he said it made Elena's stomach tighten. Marco simply nodded. "We will." They left. The moment the front door closed behind them, Elena breathed out. Marco glanced at her. "That bad?" She shook her head. "No." He raised an eyebrow. "You've been saying no like that since you were twelve. It always means yes." Elena laughed softly. "I hate that you know me so well." "Someone has to." She looked at him and smiled, and for a few seconds the tension in her shoulders disappeared. That was what Marco did. He didn't need her to explain everything; sometimes he just knew. They walked toward the car, and Marco opened the passenger door for Elena. "Careful with the dress." She looked at him. "You sound like Bianca." "Don't insult me." Elena laughed, and Marco smiled before closing the door. Bianca climbed into the back seat, already checking her phone. Marco got into the driver's seat and started the engine. For the first few minutes, the car was quiet, Bianca too busy texting to notice the look Marco gave Elena through the mirror. Elena looked out the window. The city passed in streaks of light. She watched people walking along the sidewalks, couples standing outside restaurants, cars moving slowly through the evening traffic. Everyone seemed to be going somewhere. She wished she could go somewhere too — somewhere nobody expected anything from her. She didn't say anything, and neither did Marco, not yet. He knew better than to start a serious conversation while Bianca was listening. After a few minutes, he lowered the music. "You nervous?" Elena looked at him through the mirror. "No." Marco smiled. "That wasn't convincing." "I'm not nervous." "Then why are you holding your purse like you're preparing to fight someone with it?" Elena looked down. She hadn't even noticed how tightly she was holding it, so she loosened her fingers. Bianca laughed from the back seat. "She's always dramatic." Elena turned around. "I'm sitting right here." "I know." Marco shook his head. "Both of you." Elena smiled despite herself. For a moment, everything felt normal — just the three of them in a car. No cameras. No important names. No expectations. Just family. Then the event came into view, and the smile disappeared from Elena's face. Black cars filled the street, valets moved quickly between them, and photographers waited near the entrance. The tall glass building was covered in bright lights, and people in expensive clothes moved toward the entrance, laughing and talking as cameras flashed. Marco slowed the car. "Looks like half the city decided to come." Bianca smiled. "Not half. The right half." Elena rolled her eyes, and Marco laughed under his breath. "I'll find somewhere to park." Bianca immediately opened the door. "Don't make me wait." Marco looked at her. "You're welcome." She ignored him and walked toward the entrance. Elena watched her go. Marco glanced at her. "You okay?" Elena nodded. "Yeah." "That's not what I asked." She looked at him. For a moment, she wanted to tell him everything — that she hated these events, that she felt uncomfortable in the dress, that she was tired of pretending everything was fine. Instead, she smiled. "I'll be fine." Marco studied her face, then sighed. "Text me when you want to leave." "I will." "I mean it, Elena. I don't care if it's eleven or two in the morning. Call me." Her throat tightened. "Thank you." He reached over and squeezed her hand. "Always." Elena got out of the car. She adjusted the borrowed emerald dress and looked toward the towering glass building ahead. For a moment, she stood there. She could hear music coming from inside. People were laughing. Cameras were flashing. She took a slow breath, then started walking. Her heels clicked against the pavement as she approached the entrance. She didn't know that she was walking toward a night she would remember for a very long time. She didn't feel ready for the night ahead, but there was no turning back now. She lifted her chin and walked toward the entrance.