The Riviera estate was quiet when Ricardo Castillo arrived, his black car rolling to a stop in the driveway. The night air was thick with tension, the kind that settled before a storm. He stepped out, his tailored suit crisp against his broad frame, his dark eyes scanning the house before him. He wasn't here for pleasantries. He was here for what was owed.
When the door opened, Edward Rivera stiffened at the sight of him. Fear flickered in his eyes just for a moment but Ricardo caught it.
"Edward," Ricardo greeted smoothly, stepping inside without invitation. "I assume you know why I'm here."
Edward swallowed hard. "Ricardo… my deepest condolences about your father."
Ricardo's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Spare me the performance. My father might be dead, but his decisions live on." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Do you remember the deal you made with him? The one that kept you breathing?"
Edward's hands trembled slightly as he nodded.
"Well," Ricardo continued, his voice like steel, "it's time to pay your debt."
Edward inhaled sharply. "Ricardo, please. Elisa …. She doesn't know anything about this world. She's innocent."
Ricardo's gaze didn't waver. "Innocence doesn't erase a contract. By the fifth night from now, Elisa Rivera will be my wife."
A gasp came from the hallway.
Elisa.
She stood frozen, her wide green eyes locked onto Ricardo's towering frame. Her breath hitched as she took him in, the sharp angles of his face, the dark intensity in his gaze, the commanding way he carried himself. He was unlike any man she had ever seen , he is poised, powerful, exuding an intoxicating mix of danger and allure.
But his words shattered her.
Her father turned toward her in panic. "Elisa, go back to your room but she declined
"No." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but firm. "I want to hear it from him."
Ricardo's eyes met hers, and for a fleeting second, something unspoken passed between them.
"This isn't a request, Elisa," he said smoothly. "This is happening."
Elisa's stomach twisted. Her life, her freedom, had just been stripped away in an instant.
And yet, Ricardo was drowning in something else entirely.
She was flawless. Her green eyes burned with defiance, her beauty so effortless, so captivating, that it took him a moment to breathe. She wasn't just attractive but also mesmerizing. A goddess carved into human form, wrapped in delicate curves and undeniable fire.
His chest tightened, but outwardly, he remained composed.
"I can't wait to marry you in a few days," Ricardo murmured, his voice deep, velvety, and laced with something dark. "You should start preparing."
Elisa's heart pounded, her breath shallow. There was no hesitation in his tone, no room for argument. To him, this was a done deal. A contract. A transaction.
Her throat tightened, the weight of reality crushing her. She had dreamed of love, a fairytale romance, of choosing the man who would stand beside her. Instead, she was being sold like a piece of property, trapped in a life she never wanted.
But Ricardo? He was walking away with something entirely different.
Before, marrying her had been about power. About securing his inheritance.
But now?
Now, he had a much better reason.
As he stepped out of the Rivera estate, sliding into the back of his car, a slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
This marriage wasn't just a necessity anymore.
It was something he wanted.
And Ricardo Castillo always got what he wanted.
Ricardo Castillo wasn't a man who liked surprises. He had learned long ago that in their world, the only way to stay ahead was to anticipate every move before it happened. That was why he wasted no time.
"The wedding will happen on the fourth day," he told Antonio, his right-hand man, his voice steady but firm. "I want everything ready. No delays, no mistakes."
Antonio nodded. "And Elisa?"
Ricardo exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "I'll have someone with her at all times. She gets everything she needs for the wedding, but she's not to be left alone."
He knew Edward Rivera too well. The man was a very cunning, deceitful snake, always looking for an advantage. But Ricardo wasn't going to give him one. The Castillo luxury penthouses in Bath were being prepared. The security around Elisa was meant to be airtight.
Everything was under control or so he thought.
Meanwhile, across the city, Emiliano Castillo leaned back in his chair, a slow, menacing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
His spy had just given him the news.
Ricardo was getting married. To Elisa Rivera.
Emiliano tapped his fingers against the desk, his mind already spinning with possibilities.
"So, my dear brother thinks he's won," he murmured, amusement laced in his tone.
His men exchanged glances, waiting for his orders.
"He forgets one thing," Emiliano continued, his expression darkening. "I take what belongs to me."
And just like that, the plan was set in motion.
Elisa Rivera felt like a stranger in her own body.
Her father hadn't even tried to stop this marriage. No one had. She was being handed over to Ricardo Castillo like a business transaction, a bargaining chip in a world she never wanted to be part of.
As she walked through the upscale bridal boutique, her fingers brushed against delicate lace, shimmering silk. Everything was beautiful. Everything felt like a dream.
And yet, her reality was a nightmare.
"Miss Rivera, we should get going soon," George, the man Ricardo had assigned to escort her, reminded her. He was polite, but distant. Professional. Just another soldier following orders.
Elisa nodded absentmindedly, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She barely recognized herself. Was this really happening?
Before she could spiral any further, a firm hand grabbed her arm.
Her breath hitched and a cloth pressed over her mouth, the whole world tilted and the last thing she heard was the sound of her own muffled scream before everything went black
When she woke, her head was pounding. The air smelled of different rich cologne and faint traces of cigar smoke. Her wrists were free, but something felt off.
Her heart slammed against her ribs and realized she wasn't in the boutique anymore, she had no ideas where she was.