Aria Collins never imagined that one phone call could destroy her entire world.
She stood frozen in the narrow hallway of the hospital, her fingers clenched tightly around her phone as the doctor's words echoed in her mind.
"Your father collapsed due to stress. His condition is critical."
Stress.
That word felt like a cruel joke.
For the past three months, stress had been their constant companion—unpaid bills, endless calls from unknown numbers, her father's forced smiles whenever she asked if everything was okay.
She should have known.
Aria pushed open the door to the private room and rushed inside. Her father lay unconscious on the bed, tubes attached to his fragile body, his face pale and unfamiliar.
"Papa…" Her voice broke as she stepped closer.
The man who had always protected her, who had promised she would never have to beg anyone for anything, now looked painfully helpless.
A knock sounded behind her.
A man in a formal suit entered, holding a file so thick it made her heart sink instantly.
"Miss Collins," he said professionally, "we need to talk."
Her fingers curled into her palms. "About my father's treatment? I'll arrange the money. Just give me some time."
The man hesitated.
"This isn't about hospital bills," he replied. "Your father has an unpaid debt of two million dollars."
Aria's head snapped up. "That's impossible. My father never took such a loan."
"He did," the man said calmly. "From Blackwood Group."
The name hit her like ice water.
Blackwood Group was not just a company. It was an empire—untouchable, ruthless, feared in the business world.
"And if the debt isn't repaid?" Aria asked quietly.
The man met her eyes. "Legal action will be taken. Prison time is unavoidable."
Her chest tightened painfully.
"No… there has to be a mistake."
"There isn't," he said, handing her a card. "You have been summoned."
The Blackwood Group headquarters towered above the city like a silent warning.
Glass walls reflected the sky, cold and unreachable. The moment Aria stepped inside, she felt small—out of place in her simple dress and worn-out shoes.
She was led into a massive office where power hung thick in the air.
Behind a black desk sat a man who didn't bother looking up immediately.
Adrian Blackwood.
When his eyes finally lifted to her, Aria forgot how to breathe.
Sharp features. Emotionless grey eyes. A presence so dominant it felt like the room bowed to him.
"Sit," he said.
She did.
"You know why you're here," Adrian continued, his voice flat, controlled.
"My father—" Aria began.
"—owes me two million dollars," he interrupted. "Which he cannot repay."
Tears burned her eyes. "I'll work. I'll repay every cent. Just don't ruin his life."
Adrian studied her in silence, as if weighing her worth.
"There is another option," he said at last.
Hope flickered in her chest.
He slid a document across the desk.
Her eyes dropped to the bold heading.
Marriage Contract
Her breath caught sharply.
"You marry me," Adrian said coldly. "The debt is erased. Your father walks free."
Aria stared at him in disbelief. "This… this is a joke."
Adrian stood up slowly, walking toward her until she felt trapped by his presence.
"I don't joke," he said. "And I don't repeat myself."
"This isn't marriage," she whispered. "It's a transaction."
His gaze darkened. "Everything is a transaction, Miss Collins. Some people are just naive enough to call it love."
Her hands trembled as the truth settled in.
This man wasn't offering help.
He was offering a cage.
"And if I refuse?" she asked.
Adrian leaned closer, his voice dangerously calm.
"Then your father goes to prison tonight."
Silence crushed her.
With shaking hands and a shattered heart, Aria reached for the pen.
The moment she signed, Adrian's voice followed her like a sentence.
"Welcome to your new life, Mrs. Blackwood."
And just like that—
Aria Collins disappeared.