The hospital room was too quiet.
Not the normal kind of quiet… but the kind that felt like the world had stopped breathing.
I stood beside my father's bed, staring at his face like if I stared long enough, he would suddenly open his eyes and call my name the way he always did.
"Princess…"
That was what he used to call me. Even when I was grown.
But his lips didn't move.
His chest didn't rise.
The machine beside him made a flat sound that I would never forget for the rest of my life.
Beep…
Then silence.
My fingers trembled as I held his hand. It was cold. Too cold. My father's hand was never cold. It was always warm and rough from years of hard work.
But now…
It felt like I was holding the hand of a stranger.
I swallowed hard, trying to breathe, but the air in the room felt thick, like it didn't want to enter my lungs.
"No…" I whispered.
I shook his hand gently.
"Papa… wake up."
Nothing.
I shook him again, harder this time.
"Papa please…"
Still nothing.
My throat burned, and my eyes stung, but no tears came out. It was like my body didn't even know how to accept what was happening.
The door opened behind me and I heard footsteps.
A doctor walked in, followed by two nurses. The doctor's eyes were heavy, like he had already made peace with the truth.
He looked at me for a long moment before speaking.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "We did everything we could."
His words hit me like a slap.
I blinked slowly, like maybe I didn't hear him well.
"What… what do you mean?" I asked, my voice breaking. "He was fine yesterday. He talked to me. He promised me he would be okay."
The doctor's face softened even more, and that was when I knew.
This wasn't a misunderstanding.
My ears started ringing. I couldn't hear anything else after that. The doctor kept talking, but his voice sounded far away, like I was underwater.
All I could see was my father's face.
Still.
Cold.
Gone.
My father was dead.
The only person I had left in this world… was dead.
My knees weakened and I held the bedrail tightly so I wouldn't fall. My heart felt like it was tearing apart from the inside.
Just this morning, he was alive.
Just this morning, he squeezed my hand and told me, "Don't worry, my daughter. Everything will be fine."
Now he was lying there like he never existed.
Like all the sacrifices he made for me meant nothing.
The pain came suddenly, rushing into me like fire.
"Papa!" I cried, my voice cracking.
I bent over him, pressing my forehead against his arm.
"You can't leave me like this. You promised me…"
My tears finally came, hot and uncontrollable.
I cried like a child, shaking so badly I could barely breathe.
I didn't even know how long I stayed like that.
Minutes.
Hours.
Forever.
But before I could even cry properly, the door opened again.
This time, the footsteps were heavier.
I lifted my head slowly, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.
And then I saw him.
My uncle.
He stood at the doorway like he didn't care what was happening. His face was hard, cold… with no sign of sympathy.
Behind him were two strange men wearing black suits. They looked serious, like bodyguards.
My heart tightened.
"What are they doing here?" I whispered.
My uncle walked inside without asking permission. His eyes moved from my father's body to my face like he was annoyed by the sight.
"Stand up," he said coldly.
I blinked at him, confused.
"Uncle… my father just died."
"And he left serious problems behind," he replied. "Problems you cannot solve."
My breathing stopped for a second.
Fear crawled into my chest like poison.
"What problems?" I asked, my voice low.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he turned around like he was done talking.
"Bring her," he said to the men behind him.
My eyes widened.
"What? Bring me where?"
One of the men stepped forward and grabbed my arm. His grip was painful.
I gasped and tried to pull away.
"Stop! What are you doing? Let go of me!"
But he didn't.
I struggled, my nails digging into his hand, but he was too strong. The other man grabbed my other arm.
"Uncle!" I shouted. "Please! My father is still here! I haven't even—"
"You don't have time for drama," my uncle snapped. "Move."
Drama?
My father's death was drama to him?
I couldn't believe it.
They dragged me out of the hospital room while I cried and begged.
I turned my head back one last time.
My father's body was still on the bed.
Alone.
And I was being taken away.
"Papa!" I screamed. "Papa please!"
But the door closed, and my voice was swallowed by the hallway.
They pulled me outside and pushed me into a black car.
I was shaking the entire drive.
My heart was beating so fast I thought I would faint. I didn't know where we were going, and no matter how much I asked, nobody answered me.
The windows were tinted. The streets outside looked unfamiliar.
I hugged myself tightly, trying to stop trembling, but it was useless.
Something inside me kept whispering the truth:
My life is about to change.
And not in a good way.
After what felt like forever, the car finally stopped.
The door opened.
"Come out," one of the men said.
I stepped out slowly, my legs weak.
And that was when I saw it.
A mansion.
Huge.
Tall.
Beautiful… but in a scary way.
The kind of place you only see in movies.
It looked cold and expensive, like it didn't welcome people like me. The gates were high, and the compound was wide like a palace.
I swallowed hard.
"What is this place?" I whispered.
Nobody answered.
They walked me inside.
The house smelled like wealth. Everything shined. Marble floors, big chandeliers, paintings on the wall that probably cost more than my entire life.
I felt small.
Dirty.
Unwanted.
The air felt heavy. Even the silence felt like it was watching me.
Then I saw him.
A man stood with his back to me.
He was tall and broad, and even without seeing his face, I felt fear rise inside me.
He looked like the type of man you couldn't argue with… the type that could destroy your life with one word.
My uncle cleared his throat.
"Mr. Kane," he said carefully. "She's here."
The man slowly turned around.
And my heart skipped.
He was very handsome—dangerously handsome—but his eyes were cold. Cold like ice. Cold like someone who had forgotten how to feel.
When he looked at me, I felt like I had offended him just by breathing.
His gaze traveled over my face slowly, like he was inspecting me.
Then he spoke.
"So this is her," he said. "She looks exactly like her father."
I shook my head immediately.
"I don't understand why I'm here," I said, forcing my voice to sound steady even though I was terrified.
He walked closer.
Every step he took made my stomach twist. He stopped in front of me until I had to tilt my head up just to meet his eyes.
"You're here," he said, his voice deep and angry, "because your father ruined my family."
My chest tightened.
"That's not true," I said quickly. "My father would never—"
"Enough," he interrupted sharply.
The way he said it made me freeze.
"Your father caused my brother's death," he continued. "And now he's dead."
My heart pounded painfully.
"That has nothing to do with me," I said, my voice shaking. "I didn't do anything."
He stared at me for a long moment.
Then he looked away like I wasn't even worth his time.
"Sign it," he said.
My uncle stepped forward and pushed some papers into my hands.
I looked down.
And my whole body went cold.
Marriage Agreement.
My hands began to shake so badly I could barely hold the papers.
Marriage?
My eyes moved up to Mr. Kane's face.
"This must be a mistake," I whispered.
"It's not," he said coldly. "You marry me, or you pay your father's debts for the rest of your life."
My throat tightened.
I didn't even know my father had debts.
Tears filled my eyes again.
"No… please," I whispered. "I can't marry a stranger. I just lost my father. I don't even know what is happening."
But nobody cared.
I looked at my uncle.
He avoided my eyes.
In that moment, I understood something painful.
My uncle wasn't here to save me.
He brought me here to be sold.
My heart shattered again.
I had no money.
No family.
No choice.
With trembling hands, I picked up the pen.
And signed.
The moment the ink touched the paper, I felt something inside me die.
Because I knew it.
This was the beginning of my nightmare.
And I had just walked into it willingly.