MAYA

The world was a blur as my feet moved. My brain kept playing the same image over and over. My spineless father remained glued to the floor while a stranger took me as collateral for his debt.

He signed me away.

The figure was still impossible to grasp. The amount was still ringing in my ears. It felt fake. It was too big to be real. How could one man even spend that much money? How could he owe it? I couldn't understand how he had managed to lose that much, or why I was the one paying for it.

"Get in the car."

Silas’s voice snapped me back to reality, sharp and cold as the Bay York wind hitting my face. We were at the curb. Three massive, black SUVs were waiting, their engines humming as if they were impatient to haul away the day's latest purchase.

I looked at the open door of the middle car, then back at Silas. I shook my head and took a step away from him.

"No. I'm not getting in there. This isn't real. You can't just collect people."

Silas looked at his watch. "You're wasting my time, Maya. I have a board meeting at six. Get in.”

I stood my ground, even though my legs felt like they were going to give out.

"I don’t care how many zeros were on that contract, Mr. Blackwood. I am a human being, not a business acquisition. You don't get to just take me because my father decided that using me as collateral was cheaper than therapy for his gambling habit!”

Silas stepped toward me. He was so close I had to look up to see his face.

“That mouth of yours really doesn't stop moving, does it?" He watched me for a moment. "I wonder if it'll be quite as chatty when you're saying your vows.”

Vows? The word hit me like a physical blow. This wasn't just a debt. This was a life sentence.

My pride finally took a backseat to my survival instincts. I panicked. I spun around to run, but I didn't make it three steps.

Before I could even draw a breath to scream, Silas’s arms were around me. He scooped me up effortlessly, hoisting me against his chest in a bridal carry that felt more like a kidnapping.

I gasped as my view tilted. My hands instinctively flew up to grab his shoulders for balance before I remembered I was supposed to be fighting him. My heart was beating fast, but it wasn't just from the fear. It was the way he held me, as if I weighed nothing at all.

"Put me down! You asshole! Let me go!" I screamed, finally finding my voice.

I hammered my fists against his chest, but it was like hitting a brick wall. He didn't even flinch. His grip only tightened, his fingers digging into the back of my knees and my waist.

“Are you insane? We just met ten minutes ago!" I yelled into the crook of his neck. "You don't just kidnap and marry people because you have a high credit limit!”

He didn't say a word. He didn't even look at me. He just carried me toward the SUV calmly while I swung my feet in defiance, feeling small and pathetic.

He tossed me into the backseat like a piece of luggage and climbed in after me. His large frame made the spacious SUV feel suddenly cramped. The door slammed shut with a heavy, final thud.

"Drive," he muttered to the driver, not even glancing at me as he adjusted his suit jacket.

I scrambled to the opposite door, pulling the handle until my fingers hurt, but it was useless. It was locked.

I turned to him, "I need to go home. Please. I have things. I can't just leave,” I pleaded, my voice trembling.

Silas turned his head slowly. He looked at my tear-filled eyes, his expression unreadable. For a long second, those ocean-blue eyes searched mine. He was looking for a lie, for manipulation, or for the sarcasm I usually used as a shield. But there was nothing left but the truth.

"There's nothing for you back there," he said calmly. "Your new life started the moment we left your father's office.”

"My mother’s things," I blurted out. "I have a box filled with photos, her jewelry, a scarf... some clothes that still smell like her perfume. If I’m never coming back to that apartment, I can’t leave them behind. They're all I have left of her."

The car went silent. I held my breath, watching him and waiting for an answer. For a second, I thought he was going to mock me.

But then he looked away, staring out the tinted window at the passing city.

"Five minutes." He gave a curt, sharp nod to the driver. "Make a stop at her apartment. Five minutes. And if she isn't back in the car by the sixth minute, I'll go in and get her. I don't care what she's wearing or what she's holding.”

When we arrived at my building, Silas didn't let me out of his sight. He followed me all the way to my door.

"I need privacy. I thought you'd wait in the car," I said. My hand trembled as I gripped the bedroom door handle. My heart was racing so hard I thought it might burst through my chest. "It’s my last time here. Give me time to say goodbye to my life in peace.”

He hesitated. He looked past me, checking the room for other exits or windows. Finally, he stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Five minutes, Maya. If you aren't out by then, I'm coming in to get you."

I slammed the door and locked it. I didn't go for my clothes. I didn't even look for my mother’s jewelry. I grabbed my passport from the nightstand. I kicked off my heels and shoved my feet into a pair of worn sneakers.

A heavy knock hit the door, making me jump. "One minute, Maya."

"I'm coming! I'm just grabbing the box!" I yelled back.

I was already swinging my leg out the window.

The metal was cold against my hands. I looked down and swallowed hard, already feeling sick. The fire escape felt much higher than I remembered.

I climbed down as fast as I could. When my feet hit the alley floor, I took off. I didn't look back once. I ran until I found a taxi three blocks away.

I climbed into the backseat and gave the driver Liam’s address.

I tried to catch my breath. Silas really thought he could just own me. He was in for a surprise.

When I saw Liam, I couldn't hold it in anymore, finally letting go. I broke down, falling into his arms, sobbing as I told him the whole story. The contract, the money, and Silas. He must have realized I was gone by now.

Liam just shook his head. He looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "He really thinks he can take you as collateral? He’s insane. We aren't letting this happen.”

He grabbed his car keys. "We’re getting out of here, Maya. Now."

"Where would we go?" I wiped my face with the back of my hand.

"The Marriage Bureau," Liam replied. "There's a loophole, Maya. If we’re already married, that contract is useless. He can't claim a wife as a debt settlement."

I stared at him, my heart skipping a beat. "You want to marry me? Now?”

"I love you." He dropped to one knee right there in his room. "I don't have a ring, and this isn't how it was supposed to happen. But I won't let him have you."

I didn't care about a ring. I reached down and hugged him, nodding against his shoulder. "Yes. Let's do it.”

He stood up and gripped my hand. "Then let’s go. We do this now, or you’re his.”

I looked at Liam's determined face and then back at the road. I was about to marry one man to escape another, and I didn't know if I was ready for either.

________________

SILAS

I checked my watch. Ten minutes and twelve seconds.

The room was too quiet. I didn’t need to be a genius to know she was gone. Maya Sullivan was a lot of things: a brat, a chatterbox, a sharp-tongued fighter, but she was also predictable.

A girl with a mouth like hers doesn't wait to be told when to say her vows. She’s already looking for a way to scream no before the ceremony even starts.

I didn't bother with the handle. I put my boot to the lock, and the door gave way with a single, heavy thud. The window was up, and the curtains snapped in the wind like white flags. But Maya Sullivan wasn't surrendering. She was declaring war.

I walked to the open window, the cold air rushing in to meet me. The fire escape was empty. Four stories of rusted iron and a drop that could break a person. She’d rather gamble on that than a life with me. Most women would have stayed.

I found myself almost impressed.

"Sir?" my guard, Elias, asked from the doorway. "She’s gone. Should we—"

"Is the tail on the boyfriend in place?"

"Yes, sir. They’re heading toward the city center.”

My phone vibrated. It was my father. "I have it under control, Viktor," I said before he could speak.

"Under control?" My father scoffed. "I just heard she’s in a taxi, racing toward a Marriage Bureau with her pathetic boyfriend. She’s making a mockery of this deal, Silas. You look like an amateur.”

“I said, I have it under control,” I repeated, my eyes tracking the movement of the curtains.

“You let a twenty-three-year-old girl make a fool of the Blackwood name before the ink on the contract is even dry," Viktor snapped. “I hope for your sake you’re already behind her, Silas. I didn't pay her father’s debts so you could play hide and seek.”

I gripped the edge of the window frame until my knuckles turned white.

"I knew she’d run," I said calmly. "I’m letting her think she has a choice, letting her lead me to her leverage. I want to see what she thinks will save her.”

"Leverage? She is the leverage, Silas.” Viktor laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Have you forgotten why we’re doing this?"

"I haven't forgotten," I said. I looked out at the empty fire escape. "I’m the one dealing with her. Not you.”

"Start thinking like a Blackwood,” Viktor warned. "The press is digging into the docks and the authorities are looking at our shipping manifests. They want any excuse to freeze our accounts. We don't need more bad press."

"I’m aware of the strategy."

"Then act like it. We need a shield, Silas, and Maya is it. She’s the perfect face for this family. We need a wedding to make the world forget where our money actually comes from.”

"And if she doesn't play along?" I asked. I watched a piece of trash blow across the alley below.

"You don't give her a choice," Viktor corrected. “You make it her only option. The authorities are watching us. One wrong move and we're finished. We need a love story to sell to the press, to stop them from asking questions about our investments.”

“Viktor,” I tried to cut him off. I’d had enough.

He didn't even pause. "Maya Sullivan is a clean asset," he said. "She has no one. Her father is a coward and her boyfriend is a rat. Once she’s a Blackwood, she belongs to us. But if she marries that boy today, she becomes useless and I'll have to get rid of her. Is that what you want?”

Her boyfriend is a rat?

“Dad.” I gripped the phone tighter. "She won't marry him.”

"Of course she won't," Viktor said. He sounded pleased. "I’ve been paying that rat for months now. Liam is exactly where he needs to be. He’s been my eyes and ears since the day her father stopped paying.”

Maya was an infuriating brat, but Liam was worse. He was a parasite, taking a paycheck to lead her into a trap while she looked at him like a savior. It made me sick and left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I’d make him pay for every time he’d touched her hand, every lie he’d told her while my father’s money sat in his pocket. I’d make sure he suffered for betraying her.

"I'll handle it," I said, a final warning in my voice. "And Viktor? Stay out of my business. She’s mine now."

I hung up before he could answer.

"Elias," I called, turning away from the window. "Get the car. It's time.”

The drive took less than twenty minutes. By the time we arrived, my security team had already cleared the hall. The double doors were flung open, and I stepped inside.

It was pathetic. Maya was clinging to a man who was selling her out for a paycheck, holding him like a lifeline while he held the knife to her back.

I walked toward them, the sound of my boots heavy against the floor.

"Maya," I called out, my voice echoing in the quiet hall.

Maya flinched, her grip tightening on Liam's sleeve. She thought she was being brave. She thought she was escaping.

I stopped a few feet away and finally looked at the man she was so desperate to marry. He wouldn't meet my eyes. He knew exactly who was signing his checks.

"Liam, we have to go!" she gasped. Her voice was full of a panic that made my jaw tighten. She was looking for an exit that didn't exist. She didn't realize my men had sealed the building before she even stepped out of the taxi.

But the rat didn't move.

Liam stood there, sweat beading on his forehead. He just slowly, deliberately, let go of her hand.

I watched the confusion flicker across Maya’s face. She looked down at her empty hand, then up at him. She didn't know yet. She didn't realize Liam had a price tag on his loyalty and that my father had already paid it in full.

I stopped three feet away. Even with her world collapsing, she looked ready to bite.

"The five minutes are up, Maya,” I announced.

“Liam…” Maya’s lip trembled as she begged for a man who wouldn't even look at her. He stared at his shoes, just like her father was glued to the floor.

I stepped closer until the scent of jasmine filled my lungs. I reached out, my thumb catching her chin. I forced her focus back to me, away from the rat.

"He's not going to help you, sweetheart," I murmured, my thumb brushing her lip.

I let my eyes burn into hers, stripping away her last illusion of safety. "Are we going to do this the easy way? Or do I need to show you what happens to girls who run from a Blackwood? Because nobody runs from a Blackwood twice.”

I didn't wait for her to answer. I reached out, my fingers curling firmly around her waist. I was claiming what was mine.

“Now, get in the car," I commanded. "We have a wedding to plan.”

________________

MAYA

I kept my eyes on the window, refusing to look at the man sitting inches away from me. My hand was cramping from how hard I was clutching my phone. I was waiting for it to buzz, for a text from Liam saying he’d called the police, a lawyer, anyone. Any sign that he hadn't just let me go.

"Give it to me."

Silas spoke, his words cutting through the quiet of the car. I didn't have to ask what he meant. I gripped the phone tighter in my lap.

"No. It’s mine.”

"In this car, and in my house, you don't have property," Silas said. He didn't raise his voice, which somehow made it scarier. "There is no 'mine' anymore. You were just caught trying to break a legal contract. You’ve proven you can’t be trusted, Maya. Hand over the phone."

"I was going to marry the man I love!" I snapped, finally turning to face him. "Something you’ll never understand.”

He just held out his hand, palm up, waiting. "Love didn't get you to that Bureau, Maya. Desperation did. And love isn't coming to get you out of this car. The phone, Maya. Now. Before I let my men take it.”

I looked at his large hand, then at the glass partition separating us from the driver. I was trapped. With a frustrated growl, I slapped the phone into his palm.

"Go ahead. Take it. I'm sure spying on girls is a Blackwood specialty," I hissed.

Silas didn't answer. He didn't even look at the screen. He just rolled down the window, the cool night air rushing into the car for a split second before he let the phone drop into the street, tossing it out like a piece of trash.

Silas didn't spare me a glance. He just stared straight ahead, sounding bored. "You won't be needing that. He isn't going to call.”

I gasped, lunging toward his side of the window as if I could catch it. “How dare you!”

He shoved me back into my seat. “Enough, Maya.”

The look in his eyes told me he was dead serious. He wasn't playing.

“You're right. I'll never understand it because I don’t marry for love,” Silas said calmly. “I marry for advantage.”

I shoved his hand, pushing him away while blinking back tears. He wasn't going to see me cry. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me break.

"Rule number one of the next six months," he said, tugging his tie loose as the SUV pulled into a massive, circular driveway. "You don't speak to anyone from your old life. Not your father. And especially not that pussy of a boyfriend.”

Pussy? Silas was an arrogant prick, but he wasn't entirely wrong. Liam hadn't even looked me in the eye when Silas took me away.

"Liam is the only person who-"

"Liam is the person who let you walk into this car without throwing a single punch," Silas interrupted. "He’s a coward, Maya. And the sooner you realize your old world is dead, the easier this will be.”

The words stung because they were true. I wanted to scream that he was wrong, but the fight was draining out of me. He had mentioned a timeline. Six months.

“What's happening in six months?” I asked, straining to keep my voice steady.

The door opened. Silas stepped out, ignoring me as if I hadn’t spoken at all. He reached back and offered me his hand, like he actually expected me to take it.

I slapped his hand away and climbed out. I looked up and felt my breath hitch. I was in awe, despite myself. Everything about the mansion was screaming luxury. It was too much: the height, the lights, the obscene scale of it. It was beautiful, but it made my stomach flip.

What did I expect? This was Blackwood territory. I was currently in the Blackwood estate, and this was the Blackwood mansion.

A row of people in uniforms waited by the driveway, standing like statues. I assumed they were the staff. I didn't want to move, but Silas’s hand landed on the small of my back. He gave me a small, firm push, forcing me forward toward them.

An elderly man stepped forward with a slight bow. “Good evening, Mr. Blackwood.”

Silas gave a curt nod.

“And good evening, Mrs. Blackwood. I'm the head butler, Lawrence.”

Mrs. Blackwood? Hell no.

I opened my mouth to protest and set the record straight, but Silas squeezed my waist. It was a silent warning that made me gasp and shut my mouth. It was enough to make me stop. I glared at him, but he didn't even look at me.

“She's had a long day,” Silas said, ignoring my glare as he steered me toward the door. “She needs to rest.”

He didn't lead me to the grand staircase. Instead, he took me into a side study. The room was plain and small compared to the rest of the mansion. It was just a desk cluttered with papers and a wall of leather-bound books. He shut the door, finally letting go of me.

"Sit," he commanded, gesturing to a black chair across from his desk.

"I'm not sitting until you tell me what’s happening in six months," I demanded, crossing my arms.

Silas walked over to a sideboard and poured himself a drink. “Our engagement.”

He was still talking about a wedding? I thought it was just a scare tactic, a way to get me into the car. But looking at the way he looked while swirling his drink, I realized he was dead serious. This wasn't a threat; it was a scheduled event.

He stepped closer, the smell of bourbon trailing him. "That means no running. If I catch you trying to flee again, I’ll make sure the people you love pay for your mistakes. I'll take everything they have until they’re the ones begging me to take you back. Do you understand?”

"You're a monster," I spat.

"I'm a Blackwood," he corrected, taking a slow sip of his drink. "There’s a difference. Now sit.”

“Is there?” I shrugged and sat down, mostly because my legs were finally giving out. “Sounds like the same thing to me.” I looked around the room, trying to find a way out of this conversation. “What about your parents? When do I get to meet them?”

I thought maybe there would be a reasonable adult in this house to talk some sense into him.

“You mean my father, Viktor. You won't be thrilled to meet him.” He paused, his gaze drifting to the empty fireplace. “My mother is dead.”

“Oh.” I looked down at my hands, tucking my fingers into my palms to hide the fact that they were shaking.

“Was that the reason?” I whispered. “The apartment. Did you let me go because you understood?”

Guilt hit me. I’d used my own dead mother as a weapon to get away from him, a lie I’d crafted in desperation. But hearing the truth of his own loss made my chest feel tight.

“Don’t look for sentiment where there is none,” he replied. He looked back at me, his gaze completely empty of any warmth. “I let you go because I wanted to meet your pussy of a boyfriend to scare him off.”

Of course. For a second, I’d actually mistaken him for a human being. I rolled my eyes, the brief sympathy I felt dying instantly. Just when I thought he might actually have a heart, he went and proved me wrong.

"You really have to stop ca-”

“Enough of the dramatics. Let's discuss your new life.” He cut me off, setting his glass down with a heavy thud. The sound echoed in the small room, effectively silencing me.

Asshole.

“And if I'd rather have my old one back?”

“That ship has sailed, Maya,” he countered. “I need a hell of a distraction, and you’re going to provide it. Your day job will be as my assistant at the company.”

“A distraction? An assistant?” I blinked, the absurdity of it finally hitting me. “Does this kidnapping and nightmare come with a salary?”

Silas paused, the corner of his mouth twitching in what might have been amusement or perhaps disbelief. He looked at me as if I were a puzzle he couldn't quite solve. "You're being held in one of the most expensive estates in the country, and you're worried about a paycheck?”

Did he really think I’d work for free?

"If I'm forced to be your assistant, I want a salary. A high one," I said, leaning back.

He nodded slowly. “You're taking this better than I expected.”

Like I had a fucking choice?

“Let’s discuss your new life,” I mimicked, pitching my voice low and mocking to match his, just to see if I could get on his nerves. “That ship has sailed, Maya.”

If he wanted a puppet, he picked the one with tangled strings and a mind of its own. I’d make him wish he’d left me in that apartment with the boyfriend he hated so much.

He sighed, looking more tired than annoyed. “Yes, Maya, you'll get a salary.”

Just like that? He agreed? I felt a flicker of surprise, but I wasn't about to let it show. Part of me expected him to laugh in my face, which only made me wonder what the catch was. There was always a catch with a man like him.

“Every two weeks,” I added, narrowing my eyes. I was testing the waters, pushing the boundary just to see where it would break. I sat there, braced and waiting for him to snap or tell me I was pushing my luck.

He raised an eyebrow. “Every two weeks. Direct deposit. I’ll even throw in a dental plan if it’ll make you shut your mouth."

I let out a scoff. "A dental plan? How generous of my kidnapper.”

“Don’t mistake my flexibility for weakness, Maya," he warned. "You’re here to do a job, and I expect you to do it well.”

He didn't blink as he laid out the timeline. “Public dates, vacations, a proposal in six months, and a marriage in a year. I need the world to believe I’m madly in love with you.”

There it was. A distraction. That's all I was, and my life was reduced to a PR stunt.

“You mean madly insane,” I mumbled. “But sure, let’s go with love.”

“I’m letting the attitude slide for tonight because you're exhausted. But don’t make it a habit. You will not speak to me like that, not here, and never in public.”

He leaned forward, running a hand through his hair, his gaze never leaving my face. “Don’t be a fool. This house doesn't tolerate reckless voices. You aren't safe enough to be this brave. In this family, you are compliant, or you are a target.”

________________