Mona's POV:

"I don't want to do this, dad! What do you mean I need to marry that Mafia?! Why?!" I've just landed home from Europe upon finishing my studies, and my dad is telling me to not unpack my bags as I'm going to marry some fucker tomorrow!

My heart is everywhere and I'm lunatic at him to hear that. He's so damn calm with some gloomy brown eyes, but with a heavy and ordering tone of voice.

"It's settled, Mona. You're the only daughter I have. If you don't marry Frederick Shawn tomorrow morning, we can as well go on the streets tonight. I have a 40 million debt to him for our companies, baby. Business is not going well and he's not giving me any delays." He's drinking whisky on the sofa and I'm standing before him, in the living room.

I'm baffled. I didn't know about that. I now see he's worn out and at his limit with solutions. I've been out of the States for the last four years for studies and nothing lacked for me. I had no news for things going south back home.

I'm raking my hair with my hands, shaking my head, breathing with difficulty.

"Why didn't you tell me, dad? And how in hell have you two reached to this kind of settlement? To marry him for our debts? That's crazy, dad! I don't even know him! I just know his fucking name, that he's a billionaire businessman, and that he's a mafia head, one of the biggest out there! And you want me to marry someone like that?!" He's gulping whisky and now slams the glass on the table, leaning his back on the sofa in surrender. His gaze is down, and he sighs.

"My hands are tied, Mona. He found out about you when you called me last month. He knew I had a daughter but just as casual info. Because of your car accident back then, having you miles away in hospital, I had to take the call with you in front of him. When we finished our conversation, he started questioning me about you, being somehow concerned. I didn't think much of it, and I told him about you in general and what happened to you. We then resumed our former discussion about his investment and that things are bad on that line, with such a high investment, with me having other loans and investors doing the same with my business because I'm on a red line for two years now, just dragging to not declare bankruptcy. He left on me thinking on a last solution to deal with this in an amicable manner and not have him send me in official bankruptcy and take all my assets to compensate some of the investment. Of course, I had and have no solution as we don't have money in those amounts."

He's titling his sad eyes at me and my heart breaks.

"We have a total of 200 million accumulated debts to everyone, baby. And cash only around three million in all the companies. Real estate industry is flopping, and I have no means to earn money as I used to, baby. It's not that I don't work or do my best, but the economy is not helping. Transactions are not as they used to be, and the amounts are less and less as income."

He grabs the whisky bottle and pours himself another shot in his glass. I'm going crazy inside and I'm in a state of shock, unable to breathe right, as this is so bad.

"I can't bring in more investors to cope with the losses and do business because we're not feasible anymore as companies. No one invests in a red line company."

He drinks the glass in one shot and leans back on the sofa with the empty glass in his hand, gazing in the room with a lost stare.

"So, by the end of second day, he called me. He said he did a background check on you, and he wants you as his wife to drop his claims on the investment, interest, and penalties for the previous delays. He will also deal with everything we have as debts and will further invest in our companies as we'll become family. That's the good offer. If I refuse, he'll end us financially speaking and we'll end on the streets. He gave me two days to decide and sent me all documents for me to analyze. The documents are the marriage contract with all he offers and takes responsibility in doing, also between you and him, and the legal actions on the other side if I decide to refuse. That's the bad offer. I did analyze them and for us, it's apocalyptical. I didn't tell you until now because I didn't want to pressure you. I wanted you to focus on finishing your studies and come back home safe. But now, I have no way to not tell you. I accepted it as I won't let you suffer on the streets with me and have the rug pulled from under your feet because I flopped in business. He's not a bad guy at core against him being Mafia and all he is. The age difference is not big, only five years."

I'm going crazy in my mind glued with my stare to my crushed to his core dad.

"He's 31. His looks are featured in all magazines and he's one of the biggest and prosperous businessmen against his young age. What does concern me is that being Mafia, he does have a load of dangers around him. But I know his dad and Frederik took the mafia position from him. If his dad reached an old age and still going, with a wife, same one since his youth, beside him, it does bring some comfort to my heart you won't be affected by that side of his. His parents are with a solid marriage and his mom seems a happy woman with his dad. I don't know, baby.... I'm trying to see the light in the darkness, or I'll go fucking crazy.... And I managed to delay him in claiming you until you would come back home. He said that the next morning you'll go to him, sign the marriage contract, and become his legal wife and all included. That's tomorrow morning. He knew when you'd come back home even before I told him.... I've already signed the connected contracts to the marriage contract as a guarantee and settlement. If you won't do your part, everything will blow and we're...in a bad, very bad, situation. For the last month, because of his involvement with you now, he blocked the other parties in executing us for the debts we have with them. But tomorrow morning, if you don't do your part, we need to pack our bags and leave all premises we own. It's in the contracts signed by me. One way or another, we were in same situation. Sooner or later. Now, you decide if we pack our bags, or you want a further good life in financial aspects, as I'm not certain for the actual life considering the circumstances between you two...."

We're so fucked, dad.... FUCK!