001. A Heart-wrenching News

Sierra's POV

I barely had time to shake off the cold before my father’s voice cut through the stillness like a knife. He and Mom were perched on the couch, watching me with expressions so serious I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This wasn’t the usual quick hello after work; this was something weightier, something that seemed to be lodged between us, stretching the silence to its limit.

“Hey, Dad. Mom…” I managed, forcing a smile. But they didn’t return it, and that pit in my stomach grew tenfold.

“Come sit, Sierra.” My father gestured to the spot on the couch between them. Not a question, an order. He might as well have set up an interrogation lamp.

Confused, I dropped my bag and slid into the space he indicated, feeling the weight of their scrutiny like a boulder pressing down on me. Dad cleared his throat, his eyes fixed on mine with a sternness that had only one thing in mind: control.

“Sierra, you need to know that what I’m about to say is for the best,” he said, his tone flat, unreadable. “We’ve agreed that you’ll marry one of the Pierce brothers.”

The words crashed over me like ice water. I could feel my mouth drop open, my pulse picking up speed, but the rest of my body wouldn’t move. Marry? Pierce brothers? My eyes darted to my mom, searching for anything to cling to—a sign, a hint that this was some sick, twisted joke. But she kept her gaze on her lap, fingers twisting a fraying thread in the couch.

“Dad…” I stammered, trying to find my voice. “I just graduated. We talked about this, remember? No talk of marriage until I’ve found a job—until I’m ready.” I gripped the arm of the couch, my knuckles going white. “You promised.”

“I know, but this…” He swallowed, his jaw clenching. “This is necessary for our family.”

My heart thundered as his words sank in. “For our family?” The panic in my voice was painfully obvious, but I couldn’t stop it. “What could possibly be so dire that you’d hand me over like this?”

Mom finally looked up, her gaze softened but only slightly. “There are things you don’t understand, Sierra. This arrangement will secure a future for all of us.”

The Pierce brothers were infamous in Crystal Bay—a family with a reputation as dark as the suits they wore. Men you didn’t cross, men you didn’t dream about… men you most definitely didn’t marry. But here they were, dangling my future in front of me like bait, all because of a debt I didn’t ask for.

“Go change. He’ll be here soon,” Mom added quietly.

“Which one?” The question shot out of me, low and desperate. Dominic? Kelvin? God, please not the oldest. “Who am I marrying?”

“We don’t know.” Dad’s voice cracked a little as he said it. “We weren’t given a choice.”

My chest tightened, breaths coming faster. “And you just… accepted it?”

“Our restaurant is failing, Sierra.” Dad’s face contorted with something like shame. “If this marriage means a fresh start, then… it’s what we have to do.”

I shook my head, anger burning through me, hot and sharp. “So that’s it then? You’re giving me up for cash? That’s what I’m worth?”

Unable to hold it back any longer, I pushed off the couch and dashed upstairs, slamming the door to my room behind me. I sank onto the bed, letting the first tear slide down my cheek. I’d only ever imagined my future being filled with possibilities, with freedom and choice. Now, all I saw was a man I’d never even wanted, and the weight of my family’s broken promises.

Minutes, maybe hours later, a soft knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Leila, her face lit up with some twisted kind of amusement. “Well, well,” she said with a smirk, leaning against the doorway. “One of the Pierce brothers, huh? Seems even luckier than I thought.”

“Leila, please. Just… leave me alone.” But she didn’t. She flopped down on the bed beside me, a wicked grin dancing on her lips.

“Oh, don’t act so tragic, Sierra. I mean, come on, at least you’ll be marrying money.” She laughed, her words needling into me. “And think about it—Kelvin Pierce. You know he’s the best-looking one...”

A car horn blasted from the driveway, cutting her off. My stomach twisted into a hard knot. I scrambled to the window, peering down just as the gate swung open, revealing a long, dark car gliding toward the house. The chill I’d felt before was nothing compared to the ice that wrapped around me now. Jordan Pierce. The eldest, the most ruthless. The one everyone said was so steeped in power and darkness that even his name held secrets.

“What!” Leila barked beside me, sounding as stunned as I felt. “I mean, I heard he was looking for a wife after his wife died, but… you?” She let out a dry laugh. I was still staring out the window, breath shallow as I watched him step out of the car, all angles and sharp eyes, a presence that felt like he could crush someone with a glance. I felt the dread settle over me, a fog I couldn’t escape.

Another knock, this one harsher. “Sierra!” my mother’s voice came through the door. “Hurry up! He’s waiting.”

I moved on autopilot, grabbing the dress I’d laid out and slipping into it. The mirror caught my eye—a girl with wild, scared eyes, a girl about to give up everything she’d ever known.

When I reached the living room, Jordan’s gaze locked onto mine, his presence filling the space with an electric pull. Every instinct I had screamed to run, to fight, but his expression was cold. He leaned back, one brow raised, eyes glinting like he already owned me.

My father cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “This is my daughter, Sierra.”

Jordan didn’t respond. He just looked at me, his lips lifting in a faint, dangerous smile, like he knew exactly how terrified I was. Then, with a smooth, commanding tone, he said, “Tomorrow. The wedding is tomorrow. I expect her to be ready.”

And just like that, he turned and left, leaving nothing but the bone-deep assurance that, starting tomorrow, my life would no longer be mine.