CHAPTER SEVEN: YOU ARE COMING WITH ME

Leah's pulse thundered, her breath catching as Ethan's words echoed in her ears. She's coming with me. His tone left no room for argument, no space for her to resist. She wasn't given a choice.

Her gaze darted to her father, Victor, whose expression had hardened. He wasn't going to protect her. He wasn't going to stop this. Her heart sank as the full weight of her helplessness settled over her. This had already been decided-long before today. She was nothing more than a pawn in a game of power, handed over like a business transaction to save Victor from being destroyed.

Mr. Hargrove stood there, seething with rage. "You can't take her! I paid for her-she's mine!" His voice was a cruel hiss, his grip tightening on her wrist as if claiming ownership through force.

Ethan didn't even bother looking at Hargrove. He turned his cold, piercing gaze to Victor, his voice a quiet threat. "Tell him, or I will."

Victor swallowed, his face pale, sweat beading at his temples. "Leah..." He looked at his daughter, but there was no fatherly warmth, only fear of the man standing in front of him. "This is what must be done. You will go with Mr. Blackwood."

Leah stared at him, the betrayal cutting deep. Her own father was delivering her into Ethan's hands, all to protect his own interests. The room spun around her, but she straightened her shoulders, refusing to let them see her fall apart. She had no control over this, but she wouldn't break. Not in front of them.

"Let go of me," she hissed at Hargrove, her voice steely despite the panic surging inside her. He opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, Ethan stepped forward, his towering presence swallowing the air between them.

"She doesn't belong to you," Ethan said, his voice ice-cold. His gaze flicked down to Hargrove's hand still gripping Leah's arm. "I suggest you release her. Now."

Hargrove's face twisted in defiance, but something in Ethan's eyes must have warned him. Slowly, reluctantly, he let Leah's arm slip from his grasp.

Without missing a beat, Ethan took Leah by the arm-not roughly, but with an authority that made it clear she was no longer in control. He didn't offer her a chance to speak or protest. He simply started walking toward the exit, pulling her with him.

Leah tried to pull back, her heart hammering in her chest, but Ethan's grip was firm. She glanced around the room, her mind racing for any way out, but it was futile. Her father wouldn't save her. The guests stared in stunned silence, too afraid of Ethan to intervene.

Natasha's furious scream sliced through the air. "You can't take her! This is my wedding! Leah, don't you dare ruin this for me!" She stomped forward, eyes blazing with hate.

Leah shot a glance back at her stepsister, her voice calm despite the chaos. "It looks like your wedding is ruined, Natasha, and it has nothing to do with me."

Natasha's face flushed with anger, but Leah didn't wait for a response. She was already being led away by Ethan, the room shrinking behind her as they approached the doors.

Outside the grand hall, Ethan's stride didn't slow. Leah struggled to keep pace with him, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she was practically dragged down the hallway.

"Slow down!" she snapped, tugging at her arm, but Ethan ignored her.

Finally, once they were away from the prying eyes and the noise of the reception, he stopped, turning to face her. His grip loosened, but his gaze bore into her, cold and unreadable. "This is how it's going to be, Leah. I don't care what you want or think. You're mine now, and you'll do as I say."

Leah's chest heaved, a mixture of anger and fear coursing through her. "You can't just take me like this," she spat, her eyes flashing with defiance. "I'm not some piece of property you can buy."

Ethan's lips curled into a smirk, though his eyes remained hard. "Your father seems to think otherwise. And right now, you don't have a choice. You're coming with me, Leah. Whether you like it or not."

Before Leah could respond, Ethan snapped his fingers, and a man in a tailored suit appeared from the shadows. "We're going to finish this now. Bring the officiant."

Leah's stomach dropped. Finish this now? What did he mean?

Moments later, the officiant from the wedding was ushered into the hallway, looking both nervous and confused. "I-I'm not sure what's going on here, Mr. Blackwood," he stammered.

Ethan's voice was low and controlled. "You're going to marry us. Now."

Leah's head snapped up, her heart pounding. "What? You can't just-"

Ethan's icy gaze silenced her. "You don't get a say in this, Leah. The contract has been made. Your father signed you over to me." His voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "And I don't care how much you hate it."

The officiant fumbled nervously with his papers, clearly afraid of crossing a man as powerful as Ethan Blackwood. Leah's breaths came faster as she stood there, trapped between her desire to fight back and the overwhelming realization that she had no way out.

The ceremony was a blur. The officiant spoke in rushed tones, mumbling the words of the vows. Leah couldn't bring herself to speak at first, her mind racing with every terrible possibility of what her life would become. But when Ethan's hand tightened on hers, she realized she didn't have a choice. Her lips moved, though she barely registered the words coming out. I do.

Ethan's voice rang out with cold certainty. "I do." There was no hesitation in his response.

Before Leah could even process what had just happened, the officiant cleared his throat, looking over the hurried marriage certificate. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Leah's breath caught in her throat. It was done. Just like that, her life had been signed over to this man. Her father's betrayal, the rush of the ceremony, the weight of Ethan's control-it all crashed over her at once.

But even though she felt the world slipping out of her grasp, Leah straightened her back, refusing to let him see her crumble. She might not have had a choice, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of breaking her spirit.

Ethan turned to her, his expression unreadable. "You belong to me now, Leah. Make no mistake-I will get what I want."

Leah met his gaze, her chin lifting defiantly. "You might have me, but I'll never be yours."