The room was silent except for the ticking of the old clock on the wall.
Sara stood frozen in the center of the luxurious office, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. The man sitting behind the massive black desk watched her with cold, unreadable eyes.
Everyone in the city knew his name.
Adrian Volkov.
The most powerful mafia king in the country.
Sara had never imagined that one day she would be standing in front of him.
But life had a cruel way of surprising people.
Her father had brought her here.
Actually… dragged her here.
"Please… give me some time," her father said nervously, his voice shaking. "I will return the money. I swear."
Adrian leaned back in his chair slowly.
His expression remained calm, but his eyes were sharp like a predator watching its prey.
"You already said that three months ago," he replied coldly.
Sara felt a chill run down her spine.
Three months?
Her father had hidden this from her.
"How much… money?" Sara asked quietly.
Her father refused to meet her eyes.
Adrian answered instead.
"Two million dollars."
Sara's breath stopped.
Two million?
That was impossible.
Her father was only a small businessman.
How could he owe such a huge amount?
Tears filled her eyes as she looked at her father.
"How did this happen?" she whispered.
He finally spoke, his voice full of guilt.
"I invested in a business deal… it failed."
Sara felt the world spinning around her.
They had already lost their house last year.
Her mother had died when Sara was sixteen.
Now this?
Adrian suddenly stood up.
He walked slowly toward them.
Each step felt heavy.
Powerful.
Dangerous.
When he stopped in front of Sara, she realized just how tall he was.
His dark suit looked expensive.
His face was cold but undeniably handsome.
"Your father cannot pay the debt," Adrian said calmly.
Sara's hands trembled.
"So what will you do?" she asked.
Adrian studied her for a long moment.
Then he said something that shocked everyone in the room.
"There is another way."
Her father looked up immediately.
"Anything! I will do anything!"
Adrian's gaze remained on Sara.
"Not you," he said.
"You."
Sara froze.
"What do you mean?"
Adrian walked back to his desk and opened a file.
Then he pushed a paper toward her.
"A marriage contract."
Sara stared at the paper in disbelief.
"A… what?"
"If you marry me," Adrian continued, "your father's debt will disappear."
The room went completely silent.
Sara felt like she had stopped breathing.
Marry him?
This powerful mafia king?
She had only met him five minutes ago.
"This is insane," she said.
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"You refuse?"
Sara opened her mouth to answer.
But her father suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Sara please!"
His eyes were desperate.
"If we don't accept… he will destroy us."
Sara looked between the two men.
Her father looked terrified.
Adrian looked calm.
Too calm.
As if he already knew her answer.
"Why?" Sara asked Adrian.
"Why do you want to marry me?"
Adrian smiled slightly.
But it wasn't a warm smile.
It was dangerous.
"Because I need a wife."
Sara's heart pounded harder.
"And you need freedom from your father's debt."
He leaned forward slightly.
"So think carefully, Miss Sara."
"This offer will only be made once."