Chapter Five: My fate

Skyla's pov

The following morning, my phone rang, the harsh trill of the ringtone pulling me from a restless sleep. I groggily picked it up, squinting at the caller ID. It was my father’s number.

I had a sinking feeling I already knew what it was about.

“Hello?” I answered, my voice more tired than I wanted it to be.

“Skyla,” Vincent’s voice came through the line, sharp and urgent. “Get ready. You’re going to meet with Alonso.”

I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes. “Meet with him? You mean, like... in person?”

“Yes. I arranged it. He wants to talk before everything’s finalized. You don’t have a choice in this, Skyla. Be ready. The driver will pick you up in an hour.”

I felt a wave of nausea hit me, but I pushed it down, trying to maintain some semblance of control. “I didn’t agree to this.”

“I don’t care,” he snapped. “I’ve already made the arrangements. You’re going.”

I wanted to argue, to scream that I didn’t deserve to be treated this way, but the truth was, I had no leverage. I was trapped.

“Fine,” I said, my voice flat. “I’ll be ready.”

The line went dead without a goodbye, and I stared at my phone, a sinking feeling in my stomach.

I looked over at Emma, who was already awake, sitting on the couch in our tiny apartment. She didn’t look surprised, just frustrated. “This is a bad idea,” she said sharply, her voice laced with concern.

I let out a bitter laugh, standing from the bed to start arranging the cloth I ought to wear to the one-on- one meeting with Alonso . “You think I don’t know that?”

Emma stopped pacing and folded her arms, a stern look on her face. “Then don’t do it.”

I stopped mid-motion, my hands falling to my sides. “It’s not that simple, Em.”

She raised an eyebrow, crossing the small space between us. “It is. You’re an adult. Just tell your dad to shove his stupid deal up his ”

“Emma,” I cut her off, trying to hold back the tears.

She groaned and threw herself onto the bed dramatically. “Sky, this isn’t the 1800s. You don’t have to marry some rich asshole because your dad made a bad bet or whatever shady business he’s into this time.”

I swallowed, glancing at my half-packed suitcase. The truth was, I didn’t know the full extent of Vincent’s financial problems, but if he was desperate enough to marry me off to a billionaire, it had to be bad. I assumed this was what was going on, even if he didn’t tell me. And knowing him, he would find a way to drag me down with him if I refused.

I sat down beside Emma, my shoulders sagging in defeat. “What choice do I have?”

Emma turned her head, her dark curls falling across her face. “You could run.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “Run where?”

“Anywhere! We could go to Madrid. Or Portugal. Or hell fake your death and move to Bali. I’ll help.”

I smiled at the absurdity of it, but it faded quickly. “You know that’s not realistic.”

Emma sighed and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight. “I just ,I hate this, Sky. It’s not fair.”

A lump formed in my throat, and I forced myself to blink away the tears threatening to spill. “I know.”

We sat in silence for a while, the noise of the city buzzing faintly through the walls. I had lived in Barcelona for four years, built my own life here. It was the city I had come to love, where I found freedom. And now, I was being pulled away from it for a marriage I never wanted.

The sound of a car horn outside startled me from my thoughts. Emma straightened up from the bed. “Is that…?”

I walked over to the window and peered out, my stomach tightening when I saw the sleek black car parked at the curb. A man in a suit was checking his watch, looking impatient.

“It’s them,” I muttered under my breath, my voice thick with dread.

Emma cursed softly. “I hate this guy already.”

I wore my clothing and moved to the door, feeling like a weight was pressing down on my chest. “I’ll be okay.”

Emma’s eyes were fierce, her voice thick with emotion. “Promise me one thing?”

I paused, looking at her. “What?”

“Don’t let them break you.”

Her words hit me hard. I didn’t know if I could keep that promise, but I forced a smile, even though it felt more like a grimace. “I won’t.”

I didn’t know if I could keep my promise. In that moment, all I could do was walk into the unknown, the heavy weight of everything pressing down on me as I stepped outside the apartment. As I approached the car, I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. The man who stepped out of the car was tall and imposing, his eyes behind dark sunglasses, giving off an air of cold professionalism.

He opened the door for me without a word, and I climbed in, trying to steady my shaking hands as I settled into the plush seat.

The car started moving, the hum of the engine filling the silence. I glanced out the window, trying to hold myself together. But my thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation I had just had with Emma. Could I have really run away? Could I just abandon everything and leave it all behind? The thought of freedom, of escaping the trap that my father had set for me, was so tempting, but it felt too far out of reach.

It didn’t help that my father’s influence hung over me like a dark cloud. If I didn’t do as he said, I knew he would find a way to make my life even more unbearable than it already was. Maybe he would sell my art, or worse, find ways to destroy my career. I had seen him destroy people in his pursuit of money. I didn’t want to be his next victim.

As the car turned down familiar streets, I felt a pang in my chest. Barcelona had been my home for so long. It was where I’d made my own decisions, where I’d pursued my passion for art. I had lived on my own terms, and the thought of leaving that life behind felt like a death sentence to my identity.

But what else could I do? What choice did I have?

When the car finally came to a stop, I was surprised to see the tall, modern building looming ahead. The sleek glass exterior reflected the sunlight, and I realized with a sick feeling in my stomach that this was where Alonso worked, where he lived ,his world of wealth and privilege.

I was about to walk into a life that wasn’t mine, a life I didn’t want, and the fear that had been gnawing at me ever since I received the call only intensified. There was no escape now. The time had come to face the man who would dictate the rest of my life.