Chapter 2 The Debt

• “Tell me what?” I said, meeting his gaze defiantly despite his immense size and intimidating presence. Vincent walked towards me and loomed over me as he responded, “It’s about time we had a bit of a chat.” He snarled.
• Vincent pointed to my father and elaborated. “Daddy here owes me money,” he said. “He borrowed from me and it’s been years, so I’m here for my payback.” With a slight hint of a smile on his face, he stared at me, his cold gray eyes revealing a subtle of enjoyment of my fear.
• “You don’t wanna know who I am, pretty face,” Vincent continued, his voice dripping with malice. I turned to my father Edward, whose voice trembled as he tried to fend off Vincent’s demands.
• I watched as my father tried to explain himself, his voice trembling with fear. “I don’t have it,” he whispered, his tone desperate and pleading. “Please give me more time.”
• Vincent let out a cold, ruthless laugh. “You think this is a joke, Edward?” He snarled, his gaze piercing Edward’s eyes.
• “I-we can give you something else,” my mother interjected, shifting Vincent’s attention towards her.
• “Interesting,” Vincent chuckled at my mother’s comment. “And what else can you give to me?”
• Vincent directed his gaze at my mother Helen, giving her a cold, suspicious glance. “It better be worth it,” he warned.
• My mother Helen swallowed, her heart racing as she searched for the right words. After a moment, she boldly offered, “M-marriage,” in desperation. Vincent was taken aback by her offer, but he maintained his stern expression and refused showing his emotions.
• “You can have my first daughter,” my mother blurted out, her voice shaking with emotion and fear.
• Time seemed to stop as my family tried to comprehend my mother’s offer. Everyone’s eyes widened with shock, as we all knew the implications of the situation. Everyone stood in motionless silence, except for my mother Helen, perhaps even optimistic at the prospect. She remained standing in the midst of the stunned gathering, her gaze filled with quiet hope.
• Vincent walked over to where I stood, his gaze ran over my body. He then turned his attention to my mother. “I suppose it’s her,” he said. With a simple “yes,” she confirmed his assumption.
• My eyes took in my mother’s courage while Vincent’s intense gaze returned to me. Vincent stared at me, taking me in. I tried to avoid his gaze as fear gripped me. His gaze went from admiration to possession, as if he was contemplating how to make me his. The rest of the family watched uneasily, unsure of what to expect next.
• My heart raced as I watched Vincent look me over. His serious gaze met my father’s. “Are you willing to give up your daughter to pay off your debts?”
• I watched as my mother nudged my father, silently urging him to agree to the deal.
• My heart sank as my father, still reeling from the shock, whispered “Yes.” With those words, the deal was sealed, and my body felt cold. I felt my anger bubble up as I yelled, “I’m not marrying him!”
• “Mom, Dad, you can’t do this!” Tori snapped, her eyes on fire as she turned to both our parents.
• “Why are you doing this? Why would you give me away, mom?” I felt my rage build as I saw my mother struggled to speak.
• I could feel my heart break as the long silence settled over the room, my life crumbling before my eyes. Vincent stood silently, observing us with a watchful gaze. “The deal is done,” my mother stated, sounding resolute. “You can have her.”
• Vincent chuckled at her response. “She says otherwise,” he added, gesturing toward me with a smile I wanted to wipe off his face. My eyes flashed with anger. A single tear slid down my cheek.
• My father intervened, attempting to pacify the situation. “Just give us time,” he said. “We’ll talk to her. She’ll change her mind.” He suggested, hoping to calm down the hostile atmosphere. My mind was made up. The decision is final. I huffed, looking away as Vincent made his way to the door.
• “Two days,” Vincent declared, he walked out taking his men with him.
• “This is some kind of joke right, you can’t really expect me to marry him” I said as my family let out a sigh of relief with Vincent and his men gone.
• “Two days, Eva. You have two days to change your mind and come to terms with this” my father said, his tone serious.
• They really did expect that of me. “No. Not happening” I looked at both my parents, baffled by their reaction. How can they be so calm and put together?. My father stepped up and held me
• “Look at it this way” my father said, his tone filled with desperation. “Vincent Delorenzo is a billionaire. This marriage could change our lives” he raised his hand dramatically to get his point across. “You and Tori can achieve all you dream, and we could live a better life” he concluded.
• How could they not understand. Vincent was a complete stranger, how could I agree to something like that, living the rest of my life completely chained to someone I know nothing about.
• “Your father is right” my mother; Helen, joined in, her expression filled with hope, her voice filled with encouragement as they attempted to convince me.
• “This opportunity can change our lives forever. Think about it, Tori can go to her dream college and you can live the life you’ve always dreamed of. We could be happy. Really happy” my father said.
• I struggled to get my voice out, shaking my head and pulling myself from my father’s hold
• “And what about me?. What about my life?. You don’t think I deserve to be happy?. To be free? Why do I have to sacrifice my dream?” I said. It took everything in me to keep from breaking down, as if seeing right through me.
• Tori came to my rescue saying, “This is absurd. I completely disagree”. My mother simply waved off Tori’s opinion.
• “Oh nonsense! Eva is only thinking about herself and her dreams,” she rolled her eyes, her words hurtful and dismissive. Why was I the one being called selfish when I’m the one being asked to sacrifice my life and future for them?.