Chapter 3

• Eena didn’t know how she found her voice, but the words came out sharp and steady, like someone else had pushed them out of her mouth. “I’m ready to do it,” she said. “I’ll marry Carlos Castillo.”
• Her father froze. For a moment, it was as if all the air in the living room stopped moving. Octavio Morales stood there, his shoulders were sagging a little, yet something flickered in his eyes. Something that looked similar to relief or gratitude. He didn’t rush to hug her, or smile. He simply inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, and nodded his head.
• “Alright,” he said. His voice was low. “Alright, Eena.”
• But she saw the way the corner of his mouth twitched, the way his shoulders eased. He was happy. Maybe he didn’t want to show it; maybe he wanted to pretend that he understood how heavy this choice was for her. But he didn’t fool her. Not even for a second.
• Before she could think of what to say next, Catalina walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. When she saw the way both father and daughter stood facing each other, and the silence that hung between them, she paused.
• “What is going on?” she asked.
• Octavio didn’t hesitate. “She said yes,” he told her softly. “Eena is ready to marry Carlos Castillo.”
• Catalina’s reaction was instant. She dropped the towel on the dining table and hurried toward her daughter. Her hand landed on Eena’s shoulders. Catalina smiled. Her eyes were filled with happiness and satisfaction. She just heard what she craved to hear since last night.
• “Oh, my child,” she said. “You made the best decision.”
• Best decision.
• The words scraped Eena’s chest as they entered.
• Best decision for who? Not for her. Definitely not for her.
• She didn’t trust her voice, so she didn’t say anything.She simply turned away from her mother’s hands, walked toward the staircase, and climbed the stairs without even giving them one more glance.
• It wasn’t until her bedroom door shut behind her that she allowed her breathing to break apart.
• Her room smelled like lavender, but this morning, it felt suffocating. She leaned back against the door, sliding down slowly until she sat on the floor. Everything was quiet and calm. Even her own heartbeat felt muted, buried under the weight pressing down on her chest.
• How did her life crash like this in just forty‑eight hours?
• She stared ahead, with unfocused eyes, letting the thoughts crash into her like waves.
• Two days ago, she woke up believing life was normal. She had a boyfriend who she thought loved her. She had parents who she believed wanted the best for her. She had dreams, small ones, maybe, but they were hers.
• Now everything felt like a cruel joke.
• She was about to marry a man who despised her family… and probably her. A man who wants her father to fall by all means, something to make him bow. A man fifteen years older than her, and powerful enough to destroy anyone who got in his way.
• She would live with him, share a space with him and obey every of his rules. She felt trapped, so trapped that she can't even think of running away for the sake of her parents.
• Her father didn't fight it. Her mother didn't question it. They didn’t pause to ask how she felt. They didn’t worry for her safety, her happiness, her sanity. They saw the marriage as a means to escape their debts, and Carlos's wrath. And the only way was to throw Eena right into it like Jonah was thrown into the sea to calm the storm.
• Tears built behind her eyes, then spilled quietly down her cheeks.
• She pressed her palms to her face. She wanted to scream, and break things. Her phone, her mirror, her desk. She wanted to shake her parents until they understood what they were doing to her. But what could that change?.
• Breaking things wouldn’t fix her life. Screaming wouldn’t give her back the last two days. Nothing she did would erase the memory of seeing Diego and Miranda in the condition she saw them Nothing would bring back the version of herself who still believed in love.
• She dragged herself to the bed and sat down slowly. Her room felt too big, like the walls were stretching away from her. She buried her face in her hands again and forced herself to breathe.
• One breath at a time.
• She didn’t even hear her phone buzz at first. It was a soft vibration against her blanket that was barely noticeable. When she finally lifted her head, the screen lit up again with another buzz.
• A message.
• She didn’t expect it to be anyone important. Maybe her mother, telling her thank you again. Maybe her father, asking her to come downstairs. Or maybe someone entirely useless, like a promotional message.
• But when she reached for the phone and unlocked it, her heart almost stopped.
• It was from Ivana. She sent a photo.
• She tapped it, and the image opened.
• A contract.
• Her eyes scanned the document quickly, her pulse rising with each line she caught.
• Marriage Agreement. Between Carlos Castillo and Eena Morales.
• Her name, printed clearly.
• Her stomach twisted, nausea rising in a violent wave.
• Under the photo, Ivana had typed just one short sentence.
• “Are you the Eena Morales in this contract or is it someone else?”
• Eena’s breath caught in her throat.
• Her hands shook. She had to blink twice to steady her vision.
• “W‑what…?” she whispered to herself.
• How did Ivana know? Who showed her this? Why did she have this document?
• Her mind raced, the pieces colliding. Ivana had said she was going to meet a client for a legal discussion. “Could this be it?”
• Eena felt her heart drop straight to the pit of her stomach.
• No, no, no. Could this be….?
• Was the client she met…
• Carlos Castillo?
• The realization slammed into her like a physical force.
• She clutched her phone with both hands, staring at the message as if it would rewrite itself.
• Ivana is Carlos's lawyer.
• Her breathing became uneven and shallow.
• The room felt colder suddenly. Her chest sank.
• A shiver ran down her spine.
• all she could think of was what Ivana's reaction would be.