CHAPTER ONE

Lisa’s POV

Lisa stood in front of her dad, her eyes filled with tears, feeling stunned by his words.

"You can't just marry me off like that. I'm not some kind of property to be traded. I have my feelings and dreams," Lisa said, her voice trembling with emotion.

Mr. Edward stood there, listening to her, and responded calmly, "Lisa, you know how important this marriage is for my company and business. Besides, it's a contract marriage."

"I don't care! I refuse to marry someone I don't love just because it's convenient for you," Lisa asserted, her voice filled with determination.

"Lisa, you need to understand..." Mr. Edward began to say.

"No, Dad!" Lisa interrupted, her voice raised. "I've always been a respectful daughter, but this time, I can't sacrifice my happiness for the sake of your company. I won't do it. I won't be a part of this contract marriage," she declared, storming out of the living room.

TWO DAYS BACK

He seemed quite upset, pacing around the living room with his hands behind his back. Just one look at him, and you could tell he was disturbed.

"This is impossible!" he exclaimed in a furious tone. "I can't believe this is happening. Bankrupt? Me? The whole Mr. Edward? No, this can't be true. I need to find a solution," he said, hitting the wall in anger.

Feeling the urgency, he grabbed his phone from the centre table and dialed a contact.

"Hello, sir," a lady answered. "Hi Helen, what's up? Did I get any feedback from him?"

"Yes, sir," Helen replied. "At last, he gave you an appointment..."

"Really?! Oh, I'm so grateful. Thank you, Helen," he interrupted her.

"It's okay, sir, but he said on Monday at 8 am sharp, and you know he hates tardiness."

"Don't worry, I'll be there by 7 am. Thank you," he assured her.

MONDAY 7 am

He woke up really early, dropped Lisa off at work, and went to his appointment. He arrived at the company and waited for over an hour.

"Helen, are you sure he told me to come today? I've been here since 7:30 am, and now it's 9:30 am," he said, feeling angry.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know why he's not here yet," Helen replied.

"Can't you call him and ask why he's not here yet?" he asked, frustrated.

"What?! Do you want me to get fired? Just be patient, he'll be here soon," Helen snapped.

Just as Mr. Edward was about to say something, "George Henry" walked in with his four burly bodyguards. He didn't even spare them a glance. After another 30 minutes of waiting, he was finally ushered in and introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, sir," George Henry's PA said. "What's the reason for requesting this appointment?" the PA asked coldly.

With fear in his voice, he started speaking, as George hadn't even looked at him until now. "My company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and we have a lot of bank loans. They're breathing down our necks. That's why I came here to ask for a favor if this company could grant me a loan to save my company from collapsing."

"Like, how much are we talking about?" the PA asked, still coldly.

"About 30 billion, if possible," Mr. Edward replied.

"30 billion dollars?!" the PA exclaimed, shock evident on his face. "Okay, sir, when do you plan to repay it?" he asked again.

"In one year or even earlier than that," he replied.

George and his P.A. had a private conversation, and then George turned to Mr. Edward with a serious look on his face. "Hey, we've thought about your request and we're willing to give you the loan, but there's a catch," George's P.A. said with a hint of mystery. Mr. Edward, curious and a bit anxious, asked what the condition was, hoping it wouldn't be too difficult to agree to. And then, the P.A. dropped the bombshell.

"Well, Mr. Edward, in exchange for the loan of 30 billion dollars with no interest, Mr. George wants your daughter." Mr. Edward was taken aback, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Wait, hold on a second! You want me to give my daughter away because of money? That's just crazy!" he exclaimed, trying to process the unexpected proposal.

The P.A. quickly reassured him, "No, no, no! Calm down, Mr. Edward. We don't mean selling your daughter. It's more like a contract marriage. Mr George will do even more than you asked for. Just sign the contract, and remember, it's all business, no pressure." Mr. Edward couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, realizing the complexity of the situation.

"I'll take your silence as a 'no'," he said again, not receiving any response from Mr. Edward.

"No! No, I'm not rejecting the offer. I just need some time to think about it," Mr. Edward quickly clarified.

"You can take your time to think. We're not pressuring you. This is a deal that requires agreement from all sides - me, you, and your daughter. You have every right to reject the offer. Remember, there are millions of people out there waiting for an opportunity like this. I'm okay with whatever decision you make," Mr. George finally stated, his smile taking on a slightly sinister tone.

"I'll think about it and get back to you, sir," Mr. Edward replied, leaving the office feeling heavy-hearted and pondering how to approach his daughter about this contract.

END OF FLASHBACK