Chapter 1: The Debt is Due
The rain hadn't stopped for hours.
Florida stood by the front door, soaked from head to toe. Her suitcase—cheap, worn out, and too small for everything she owned—sat by her feet.
Inside the mansion, no one moved.
Her father didn't look at her. Her stepmother sipped tea like it was just another evening. Her half-sister scrolled on her phone, smirking.
A tall man in a black suit checked his watch.
"Time's up," he said. "Mr. Kings doesn't wait."
Florida turned to her father. "Where am I going?"
He didn't answer. His knuckles were white on the armrest. His face was pale, but he said nothing.
Her stepmother finally looked up. "Don't act surprised. You should be grateful. The Kings are rich. You'll be living better than you ever have."
"I don't understand," Florida whispered.
Her half-sister let out a short laugh. "You're the debt, Florida. You were always meant to be the payment."
Something cracked inside her chest.
The man grabbed her suitcase. "Let's go."
Florida didn't cry. She didn't beg. She followed him out, leaving behind the family that had never truly claimed her.
The black car waited outside, sleek and silent. The driver opened the door without a word.
As she slid into the back seat, her phone buzzed.
A text from her stepmother.
> "Don't come back."
The message was clear. So was her place in the world.
Florida looked out the window as the city blurred past. The man beside her finally spoke.
"You're to marry Mr. Bryant Kings. Tonight."
She blinked. "What?"
"It's in the contract your family signed. Twenty years ago. A loan was given. You're the repayment."
Florida's hands curled into fists. "Why me?"
The man didn't answer.
And maybe it didn't matter.
She was the daughter of the mistress. The unwanted one. The easy one to throw away.
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End of Chapter 1