Grape Estate

HARPER

"Too bad, the problem is I'm not a rat, and I don't feel trapped in anyone's cage." my lipline lifted slightly.

My voice can still come out, but not with frozen legs standing. It won't work smoothly. I'm in a place I shouldn't be. My wolf has pride; it's my best to fight, but killing Mattia in his home isn't a good idea, at least not right now.

"If you think there is a mistake, I can assure you there is no mistake," his amber eagle irises, staring at me intensely.

I blinked a few times. "How could that happen? Grape River Estate has been my family business for centuries; there is no mortgage whatsoever, and the property is purely ours."

"I'm afraid, Miss Lacour, your father needs money. With his knees, he was in front of me, and of course, I gave him a loan."

"He could never have come to you!" my voice rose. I was suffocated by his intimidating aura as if he had sucked half my energy away without me realizing it.

"Be careful, little girl. You are lucky. I welcomed your arrival with patience. Don't you know what your father promised me in return?"

I wonder, what is the age gap between us? I think three or four years. The way Mattia was talking to me right now wasn't light talk. There is something I don't know about my father's actions.

"W-what did he promise?"

"Let's just call it an opportunity that makes me feel like I've been waiting a long time!" Mattia raised his thumb, gently stroked my chin, and then turned to stare into the glint of my wolf again.

"If your father fails to pay back my money, the Grape River Estate becomes mine and….."

"And what?" My throat started to get hoarse.

"And you! He also sold you to me!"

Suddenly, my body shivered. My cream-high heels clicked as I stepped back to avoid Mattia. His head tilted to look at me as if, to him, I was still a little girl. Bargaining is not permitted in this chat.

"My father did that?"

"Yes, hun, he did!"

"Isn't it enough to sell me to the enemy pack? He also sells me to his business competitors?" I muttered.

Mattia chuckled as if he could hear all the complaints I said. He loosened his tie, showing off his broad chest and his narrow waist. His body is also better than Wilder's.

"You don't know anything about your father, huh?"

"What else is that damn thing?"

"Well, it's only right that you don't become his favorite daughter. Without hesitation, he bet your life on me!"

"Shut Up!" I said increasingly breathlessly, "That's enough; I love my father and respect him!"

"Yes, Hun, as well as I respect his death, I know you are still mourning, but business is still business!"

Stop me from exploding. I still have to stand up to defend what remains. What about my baby later? What about my pack? There is great hope that my pack will rise again. I had to survive; yeah, of course, there had to be bloody negotiations that I did.

"Mr. Mattia, you don't know the trouble I've gone through for this so that I won't hand over Grap River to you! Tell me, what should I do about it?"

Mattia laughed condescendingly at me. He sat back down and crossed his right leg over his left leg.

"Please stop trying to cheer me up, Miss Locour. That doesn't change the fact that in another week, Grape River will still be mine."

"It won't, like I said! I will pay you back along with the arrears! Tell me, how much should I pay ?"

"three hundred million dollars!"

Nausea rolled in my stomach, and I was so confident. But after I heard the number, I wasn't sure. Even if I sold all my jewelry, plus my divorce dispensation money, it would never be enough.

"Where did your confidence go?" He laughed again; Mattia seemed to be enjoying this game.

"I can't just lose the Grape River Estate, Mr. Mattia; I have to do something about it, so please don't play around with this chatter."

"I said what was in line with the contract! Your father knows what he has done, and of course, he thought about the risks; he also knows that your husband will divorce you!"

"W-what?"

"Yes, hun, you're a widow and an orphan now!"

It really hurts; why does this person seem to know so much about me? What did my father do while he was with him? "My personal life shouldn't be consumed by strangers like this."

"Well, you're wondering why I know this, even though we've never met before, right? Hmm, your father visits my club quite often to fuck the bitch who works there! Then, when he was drunk, he would come to me and tell me how unfortunate it was that he was a poor businessman."

"That's enough, Mr. Mattia; I won't leave until you submit proof of the agreement between you and my father. I don't trust you. Whatever you say, but this problem must be resolved today!" I said firmly

This is for the sake of my pack, my babies, and the shifter members who depend on me. Really, I can't imagine the face of my family being expelled from our homeland by immigrants like Mattia.

"Okay, then, I will make a bargain," he continued.

"Anything!" I answered that maybe he would increase the loan interest, but I would fight.

Mattia left his chair again; he approached me like the wind, wrapped his arms around my waist, and made me cringe when our bodies met each other's gaze.

"Marry me for one year, do work for me, then I will consider this."

"W-what?"

"I know you've never managed the Grape Estate; you're not an expert in business. Isn't this offer profitable for you? Becoming my wife will give you the opportunity to learn to improve your business skills; you can save your father's business again, but it will take a year to be imprisoned together with me; how about that?"