ChapterTwo :Desperate Bargain

Lexi’s pov:

I woke up in a dark, cold room. My head throbbed, and my wrists were sore from the rough bindings that had left faint red marks. I tried to sit up, my body aching from being crumpled on the hard floor.

“Help!” I screamed, my voice echoing off the walls. I waited for a reply, a sign that someone was nearby. Nothing. “Please, someone—help me!” My voice broke, but still, no one answered. I wrapped my arms around myself, curling into a ball as the reality of my situation sunk in. The mafia… Kayla… I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling tears welling up. I can’t break down. Not now.

Time passed, minutes, hours, I couldn’t tell. I screamed until my throat was raw, but the only response was the eerie silence. It was suffocating. I felt trapped in my own thoughts, memories flashing of what brought me here. The threats. The fear in Kayla’s eyes. The suffocating grip of debts we could never repay.

Finally, I heard the creak of a door opening, and I jerked my head up. Two men stepped inside, their faces hard and cold as they dragged me out. My legs felt like jelly, but I forced myself to move, every step heavy with dread.

The room they led me to was lit, and I squinted against the brightness. My heart dropped when I saw him. Victor Hale. A man I knew all too well. His smile was a sick, twisted thing, stretched across his lips like a predator watching its prey.

“Lexi,” he said, standing from his chair. “I see you’re still as beautiful as ever, even after all this time.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. The sight of him sent a fresh wave of disgust through me. He wasn’t here for my father’s debts. He was here for something much worse. I glanced around the room, and my blood ran cold. Kayla was there, lying on a couch, barely conscious, her body almost completely stripped of clothes.

“No,” I whispered, my voice hoarse. “Kayla… please, don’t do this.”

Victor tilted his head, feigning innocence. “This isn’t about your father’s debt. You remember me, don’t you, Lexi? Your father’s former business partner. The one who made your life so… complicated?”

I clenched my fists, fury bubbling up inside me. He had been a part of the people who ruined us, who manipulated my father into debts and deals he couldn’t pay. And when it all fell apart, Victor had come after me, threatening me for refusing his disgusting advances.

“You’ve made my life hell, Victor,” I spat. “You’ve already destroyed everything. Why can’t you just leave us alone?”

Victor chuckled darkly, pacing toward me. “Because, Lexi, I always get what I want. And I still want you.”

He stopped just inches from my face, his breath hot on my skin. “I’ve offered you many chances before. Now, it’s simple. Marry me, and I’ll forget about everything. I’ll clear the rest of your father’s debts. Or…” He glanced back at Kayla, who whimpered weakly, tears sliding down her cheeks. “I’ll make your sister’s life a living nightmare.”

My breath hitched. His words wrapped around me like a noose, tightening with every second. I looked at Kayla, her vulnerable state making my chest ache. How could I possibly protect her?

“I—” I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. “I need time to think.”

Victor’s smile widened, pleased with my submission. “Of course. Take your time, Lexi. But don’t take too long.” He motioned for his men, and within minutes, Kayla and I were shoved out of the building, back into the cold night air.

Back at home, the silence was unbearable. Kayla was too shaken to talk, curling up in her bed with tears streaming down her face. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at my reflection. I looked hollow, like the life had been sucked out of me. Victor’s words echoed in my mind, bouncing around in the space where hope used to be.

I didn’t know what to do. There was no way out. No solution, no escape. My father was useless, buried in his own guilt and shame. And now, I was trapped in a nightmare with no end in sight.

I grabbed my coat and left the house. My feet carried me down the street, aimless, but I didn’t care where I was going. I just needed to get away from it all. Away from the pressure, the fear, the crushing weight of my family’s collapse.

I ended up at a bar, a dingy place with dim lighting and the smell of stale beer in the air. I ordered a drink, then another. The alcohol burned, but it dulled the pain. For a few blissful moments, I didn’t feel the panic clawing at my chest.

But even as I drank, I felt someones eyes on me

I glanced around, but the dim lighting made it hard to see. I shrugged it off, telling myself I was just being paranoid. But the feeling persisted. It clung to me like a shadow, a cold prickle on the back of my neck.

After a few more drinks, I was too drunk to care. My legs wobbled as I stumbled out of the bar, the streetlights blurring in my vision. I didn’t even know where I was going, just needed to get away, away from everything.

And then I bumped into him.

The man from the party. The one with the intense gaze and the confident smile. His hands steadied me before I collapsed into his chest.

“Easy there,” he said, his voice warm and familiar. “Looks like you’ve had a rough night.”

I blinked up at him, my brain foggy from the alcohol. His face swam in and out of focus, but I recognized those piercing eyes.

“I… I know you,” I slurred, clinging to his arm for balance. “From the party…”

He smiled, his grip on me firm but gentle. “Let’s get you somewhere safe.”

I didn’t protest as he guided me to his car. I was too drunk, too broken to care. He drove us to a park, the car ride a blur in my haze of emotions. When we stopped, I let it all pour out, the whole mess of my life, the debts, Victor, everything. I told him things I hadn’t even admitted to myself.

Tears streamed down my face as I cried into his chest, and he just held me, his warmth seeping into my cold, numb skin.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, my eyelids growing heavy. “I just… don’t know what to do anymore.”

“You’re safe now,” he murmured, his voice soothing. “Just rest.”

And then, everything went dark…