Chapter 1: The Price of Ink
The rain slapped the city streets like it had a grudge. I, Rua, pulled my coat tighter and stared at the hospital building, its bright lights failing to warm the cold night.
Three million taka. That number hovered over my head like a storm cloud. My father lay inside, hooked to machines that beeped like warning signs. And I… I had nothing.
A black car rolled up quietly. The kind that didn't need to roar to be noticed.
He stepped out. Tall. Sharp. Dangerous. Eyes like they could see straight into your secrets.
"Rua?" His voice was calm, but it carried weight.
I nodded, unsure whether to run or beg.
"I can pay your father's bills," he said. "All of them. Tonight."
I blinked. "And… what do you want?"
His eyes didn't waver. "You'll marry me."
The world didn't shatter. It just froze.
"I… I don't even know you," I whispered.
"You don't need to," he said. "Just sign."
A contract appeared in my hands. Thick pages, fine print, everything written in perfect, cold sentences.
I looked up at him — Fozuki. My father's life… or my freedom.
The pen felt heavier than anything I'd ever held.
One deep breath. One signature.
And suddenly, my life belonged to a man wrapped in shadows, secrets, and danger.