THE UNINVITED GUESTS

"A visitor?" I echoed, my voice laced with confusion as I stood drenched in the entryway. I wasn’t expecting anyone, especially not now that I had just lost my family.

Who could it be?

My coursemates?

Friends or…

A sudden thought flashed through my mind, and I glanced down at the ring on my finger. Could it be Miley? I gasped in shock as my heart fluttered at the thought of him. We hadn't spoke since my graduation, I was too weak to talk to anyone or pick calls. To be frank, I hadn't even touched my phone or eaten.

Quickening my pace, I hurriedly squeezed the rainwater out of my hair, wiping my face as I made my way into the house. I pushed past the unsettling feeling that something wasn’t right, focusing instead on the possibility of seeing my fiancé.

But as I entered the living room, I froze in confusion. The back frame of the man standing by the window was vaguely familiar, but wasn't Mileys’, I couldn’t immediately place where I had seen him before.

"She’s here," Aunt Lydia said flatly, her voice breaking through my thoughts.

He turned slowly, and the moment our eyes met, my knees weakened. I staggered, my breath catching in my throat, and I almost fell only to be abruptly stopped by the closed door behind me.

His presence was overwhelming and commanding attention in a way that made it hard to think, let alone breathe. I couldn’t help but notice the precision of his tailored suit, the way his eyes seemed to pierce right through me, as if I were just another item on his checklist.

The man standing before me was none other than the infamous, ruthless CEO whose name struck fear into the hearts of many.

It was the first time I was seeing him this close. The scent of his cologne was heavy in the air, this was no ordinary man; he was a force of nature. A sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach, growing with each second that passed. Whatever he wanted, I knew it wasn’t going to be good.

My voice trembled as I finally managed to speak. "W-what are you doing here?" I asked in the politest way I could think of.

Russo’s gaze was piercing, his presence overwhelming. He stepped forward, his movements measured and deliberate.

"My name is Enzo Russo," he said, his voice deep and commanding. “I'm sure you must have known that already.”

He gestured to the couch, a silent invitation or rather, a command for me to sit.

Lol, in my own house?

“How can I be of help to you?” I asked, not moving an inch.

Aunt Lydia, however, spoke up, her tone devoid of any of the venom she had shown at the gravesite. "He’s here on business, Cleopatra. Be nice"

"Business?" I repeated, my mind struggling to keep up. "What kind of business could he possibly have with us?"

Aunt Lydia sighed, the sound filled with weariness and something else I couldn’t quite decipher.

"Your parents borrowed a large sum of money from Mr Russo several years ago. They promised to pay it back, but…"

I shook her head, my confusion deepening. "That’s impossible. My parents weren’t rich, but they weren’t poor either. They had no reason to borrow money” I declared. “Especially not from… him,” my voice trailed off.

Aunt Lydia exchanged a look with Russo, who remained silent, his expression unreadable. She continued, "The money was used to sponsor your education, to pay for everything you needed, Cleopatra. It wasn’t a small amount."

My heart sank as I processed the information. "No," I murmured, shaking my head again. "That can’t be true. My education didn’t cost that much. How much money are we talking about?"

Russo finally spoke, his voice laced with a cold amusement. "Ten million dollars."

The words hit me like a sledgehammer, leaving me breathless. My eyes widened in disbelief. "Ten… million?" I stammered, barely recognizing the weak, trembling voice that escaped my lips.

Is this some sort of prank?

"Why would my parents borrow such a huge amount of money? They wouldn't have taken such risk for any reason”

The silence that followed was heavy and oppressive. My mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation.

"They borrowed the money five years ago, Miss Benson," Russo said, each word precise, as if he were delivering a death sentence. "And in the agreement, they promised to pay it back by the 20th of this month”

My heart pounded in my chest as I turned toward the calendar hanging on the wall. With trembling hands, I flipped through the pages until I found today’s date. My eyes widened in horror as the realization dawned on me.

The 20th was today.

My breath hitched, and I slapped my hand across my mouth, a gasp escaping my lips. I slowly turned to face Russo, the weight of his unyielding gaze pressing down on me.

"Please, Mr. Russo, I didn’t know about any of this. Give me some time, I’ll find a way to pay you back." I pleaded, but Russo’s expression didn’t soften.

"Time’s up," he said simply, his voice devoid of pity. “They had enough time to pay back, but not a dime was paid”

My world spun around me. The gravity of the situation was finally sinking in. My parents had left me not only with the crushing grief of their loss but also with an insurmountable debt; a debt that was now mine to bear.

"Please," I whispered, my voice broken. "There has to be something else we can do… something, anything.”

Russo’s eyes narrowed slightly, considering me. "There is," he said after a long pause, his voice laced with a chilling calm.

“Be my bride”