Serena Moretti had it all-wealth, status, and a future filled with possibilities. But when her father's reckless gambling leaves their family in ruins, she is forced into a marriage not of love, but of debt. Her husband? Adrian De Luca. The cold, calculating billionaire's son who sees her as nothing more than collateral. To him, this marriage is a contract-a deal to settle her father's failures. To her, it's a prison sentence. Determined to escape, Serena fights back at every turn. But Adrian is not easily broken. He is ruthless, dominant, and dangerously charming, making it impossible to hate him entirely. And as the walls of their forced union close in, she begins to see a different side of him-a man haunted by his past, a man she should never fall for. But when dark secrets unravel and betrayal lurks in the shadows, Serena must make an impossible choice: Continue fighting for her freedom... or surrender to the man who was never supposed to own her heart.
Chapter 1 The Price of Their Freedom
"Sorry, ma'am, your card was declined. Do you have another one we can try?" the cashier at the Louis Vuitton store Serena was shopping at said to Serena, who stood next to her friend, Ashley. "That can't be right. Try this one," Serena replied, sliding over another credit card over the counter. "Sorry, same issue," the cashier responded, giving her a nasty look. She made eye contact with the security guard, signaling him to remove them from the store.
Serena stood speechless, staring intensely at the declined credit card handed back to her-this had never happened to her before, and she didn't know how to react or what to do. She usually had over $10 million available on the cards, and now they were empty.
Being the first girl and child of one of the richest men in the country, Serena had always gotten whatever she wanted since she was a baby. She had never had to beg or even ask her parents because they would have already gotten it for her, from her designer outfits to shoes, jewelry and even the vintage car she barely drives. One day, she left her laptop open in their living room. Her dad walked in and saw the car as her wallpaper, and the next weekend, it was in her garage, with a customised license plate just for her.
She wanted to leave the store but couldn't move, feeling so embarrassed. She could even swear that everyone was staring at her and making fun of her; she even believed she heard someone calling her poor. "Don't worry, Ser, I'll cover it," Ashley said, handing her card to the cashier, forcing Serena's mind to face reality. "Maybe it's just a connection issue or something with the bank," Ashley added, trying to comfort her friend, handing her the item they just purchased. "Yeah," Serena replied.
The ride back home was a quiet and awkward one. Ashley dropped Serena off at her mansion. "How about we get ice cream tomorrow? Sound good?" she asked before Serena could open the door and head out. Serena sighed, "I'll call you later, Ash," and waved goodbye as she exited the car and walked inside her house. As soon as she walked in the front door, all the frustration and emotions that had built up inside her spilled out. "Mom!" she yelled, running up the stairs straight to her parents' bedroom. "You won't believe what happened at the mall!" She cried out.
"Are you okay? Did someone rob you? Are you hurt?" her mom asked, worry in her voice, checking her daughter's body for bruises.
"No, none of that. My credit card got declined in the store; it was so embarrassing!" she exclaimed, bursting into tears. "Oh, honey," her mom said, pulling her into a hug. "And Ashley had to pay for me! You know how I hate it when people pay for my stuff!" Serena continued, embracing her mom tighter.
As her mom was calming her down, her dad walked into the room. His face was down, his demeanour lowly, as if he just got robbed. He clenched his two arms together like he was about to confess what he did wrong to his parents. Serena ran to her dad, not noticing his mood. "Daddy!" she said as she fell into his arms. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. It's my fault, but I'm going to fix it. Tomorrow night, we will have dinner with the DeLucas. I'm working on a business deal," he blurted out. Everyone froze and stared at him. "Wait, what are you talking about?" Serena said, shifting away from his embrace. She was more confused than ever, looking at her mom and then her dad, who stood silently. "Dad, what are you talking about?" she asked again, wiping the tears off her face and crossing her arms.
"I made a huge mistake." He started, looking at his wife, searching for forgiveness in her eyes. "What are you talking about, Julio?" her mother asked, approaching him. Her eyes were wide open as if she already knew what he had done but refused to believe it. "I don't know what happened. It started as an innocent business meeting, and then we started playing poker. Before I knew it, bets were made, and I lost everything. I tried to stop, I did." He explained, making a failed attempt of not stammering between words. He looked at his wife, falling on his knees, "I know I promised but..."
"How much do we owe?" her mother asked, cutting him off, not even making eye contact with the man holding her knees. "They made a deal." He sobbed, "Instead of money, they want something else." He said as his voice started to fall, lowering his head down, ashamed. "And what is that?" Her mom asked, losing patience. He raised his head and fixed his gaze on Serena, who was standing, trying to process what was happening. "I don't understand. What do they want?" Serena asked, looking at her two parents who were staring at her with pity. "I'm sorry, dear", her father said, unable to look at her. "Wait, what do they want from me? Am I going to be their slave?" Serena asked, eyes open, jaws dropped, a sense of fear lingering in her words.
"No, their elder son wants to marry you," he said, standing up and approaching his daughter. "They are coming for dinner tomorrow." He continued holding her shoulders, "I'm sorry, my love."
"Then if I'm getting sold off because of money, why did my credit card still get declined?" she shouted, furiously removing his hands from her shoulder. "I am still your father; don't you dare raise your voice at me." He said, firmly holding his stance, raising his head high like he didn't just lose everything he had.
"Oh, now you're my father?" she asked with an ironic smile. "You're not. I'm just a property to you to cover up your foolish mistakes." She screamed. With that, a loud thunderous sound echoed in the room. Serena was holding her right cheek as she raised her face to look at her dad, who had just slapped her. "Fuck you." She said before running out of the room.
Her mom tried to run after her, but she had already run into her bedroom and locked the door. After begging her to open the door, she went back into her room. "I hope you're happy." She said to her husband as she walked into the bathroom. "She's going to get over it." He shouted before walking out of the room.
Serena cried as she told Ashley everything. They have been best friends since they met in middle school. They always did everything together, even graduated from the same college. Though Ashley's family was not as rich as Serena's, they could still afford to live comfortable lives. After college, Ashley started working for a big shot company and started living on her own, while Serena decided to be a stay-at-home daughter.
"Okay, pack a bag. I'm coming to get you. You can come stay with me," Ashley said to Serena, who was crying on the floor.
Serena headed down the stairs, trying not to get any attention as she was leaving, holding her duffle bag in one hand and her phone in the other. She was stopped at the gate by the security guards when she tried to leave. "What do you mean I can't leave the premises?" she asked, trying to push them out of her way. "We've been giving strict orders not to let you leave." They said in unison. "What the hell, by who?"
"By me." Her dad said as he approached them. "You're not leaving this house till you meet with the Delucas," he continued. "Who?" she asked, raising a brow. "You're soon to be family." He responded. "Take her into her room and make sure she doesn't leave this property." He ordered the guards. "Wait, is that why my cards were declined?" she asked, pushing the guards who were trying to carry her. "You cancelled them so I would be trapped!" she screamed as one of the guards threw her on his shoulders while the other one carried her phone and bag. "This isn't over. I hate you so much. You think you can control me, well think again. I hope you get hit by a bus." She yelled, tossing her arms and feet as she was being carried away.
Other books by Clearrence
More