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5. The Deal
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2025-02-17 21:22:12I stood on the edge of the rooftop, my heart thudding so hard I wondered if it would give out before I took the final step of jumping off and ending it all. Adrian Montclair’s business card was tightly clutched in my palm, so sharp against my skin that it almost tore into it.
He had left me standing there, his words lingering in my head just like his irresistible perfume mixed with the smoke of his cigar.
“Call me when you’re ready to stop running.”
I hated him for showing up, for making me hesitate because I would have been done by now. However, I hated myself even more for letting his presence keep me from jumping. That was the problem—I was not strong enough to make decisions for myself.
Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as I looked over the city. Everywhere was filled with bright light as the wind tugged at my hair coldly.
“Why can my life not be bright and beautiful like this? I am the only darkness in the world. Why is my life so sad?” My lips quivered as I broke down totally.
“You don’t know anything about my life, how dare you tell me to stop running?” I had yelled at him. Still, he had seen through me, straight to the pain I tried so hard to bury.
Who was he to judge me? A stranger with a dangerous reputation, a mafia boss who probably broke people like me for breakfast. What did he know about breaking apart piece by piece, day after day?
However, I realized that he recognized my pain because he carried his own.
“I know pain when I see it.” His words had pierced through my anger and despair, leaving a fresh wound birthed from the truth.
I didn’t want to die. I wanted the pain to stop. But how?
I clenched my fist harder till the card crumpled in my grasp. I was about to proceed to jumping when the door behind me creaked, and two familiar voices started talking as they stepped onto the rooftop.
It was Bianca and Lila, my stepsisters. They hadn’t seen me yet because they were too wrapped up in their own conversation, oblivious to my presence as they crossed the rooftop.
“Dad found out about the money,” Bianca said with a smug voice.
“It was locked away in Seraphina’s name. Can you believe her mother did something smart for once?”
Lila snorted. “Too bad Sera’s not smart enough to use it. Not like she’ll be around to access it when she turns twenty-five.” And they both chuckled.
Bianca’s laugh was cruel. “Exactly. And once she’s out of the picture, we can put her into comatose or something worse, we’ll get access. Just need to make sure she has another ‘accident.’”
My blood went cold. I couldn’t believe the extent to which they were willing to hurt me. How could they be so greedy for my inheritance? It was my mother’s last gift, the one thing meant to protect me, and they wanted to steal it by ruining my life even further.
I couldn’t contain my anger anymore. I stepped back from the edge with a racing and determined mind.
They will never win. I will not die. I declared, my right hand cleaning up my teary cheeks.
If I die, they will take everything. No. I couldn’t let that happen, not anymore. I had been pushed and tormented, humiliated and broken, but not defeated, at least, not yet.
My hands shook as I smoothed out the business card. Adrian Montclair had offered me a chance to rebuild, to fight back. In exchange, I’d owe him a favor someday. The idea of owing anyone, especially a man like him, twisted my stomach. But what choice did I have?
I will just shake hands with the devil if it means crushing them, I swore.
I wasn’t going to let them push me off this ledge. I was going to rise, even if it meant stepping into Adrian’s dark world to do it.
Slowly, I dialed the number on the card as my heart raced.
“Adrian? I’m ready to stop running.” I declared with a cold voice.
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