Bound by Contract

"Fifty thousand dollars?" Alana's voice cracked as she stared at her stepmother in disbelief. "You actually put a price tag on me?"

Heather Norton's face remained impassive as she examined her manicured nails. "Consider yourself lucky someone thought you were worth that much. The transaction's already complete."

The living room felt suddenly airless. Alana's hands trembled as the reality of what Heather was saying sank in.

"This isn't the Middle Ages! You can't just—"

"After graduation, you'll marry him. That's final." Heather slid a photograph across the coffee table.

Alana reluctantly picked it up. The man staring back at her had thinning gray hair, a bloated face with sagging jowls, and small, calculating eyes. Victor Patterson. The name made her stomach turn. He had to be at least thirty years her senior.

"I'm twenty-one, for God's sake! I have a boyfriend!" Alana's voice rose with each word. "Why not Paige? She's always been your precious little princess!"

Paige snickered from the doorway. "Because he specifically asked for you, dummy. Though I can't imagine why."

The slap came before Alana could dodge it. Heather's palm connected with her cheek, leaving a stinging imprint.

"You ungrateful little bitch," Heather hissed. "That money's already spent. You think I wanted to do this? Your father's debts have nearly bankrupted us! It was either this or lose the house."

Alana touched her burning cheek. "I'll find a way to pay it back myself. I am not marrying that man."

She stormed toward the door, ignoring Heather's shrieks behind her.

"You have nowhere to go! You'll come crawling back!"

The front door slammed behind her with satisfying force. Only then did Alana allow the tears to fall, mingling with the rain that had started to pelt down. She hugged herself against the sudden chill, her thin sweater offering little protection.

Kyle, she thought. I need to see Kyle.

Her boyfriend would know what to do. His family had money—real money. Maybe they could help her out of this nightmare. They'd been talking about getting engaged after graduation anyway. This would just accelerate their plans.

The rain intensified as Alana made her way across campus. By the time she reached Kyle's dormitory, she was soaked through, her dark hair plastered to her face, mascara running down her cheeks.

The walk had given her time to think about how she'd ended up here. Her mother's death when Alana was eight had sent her father into a spiral of alcoholism. Gregory Powell had been a shell of himself ever since, drowning his sorrows in whatever bottle was within reach.

When he'd married Heather four years later, Alana had been hopeful. Maybe a new mother figure would help heal their broken family. That hope had died quickly. Heather had revealed her true nature once the honeymoon phase ended—cruel, manipulative, and utterly self-serving. Her daughter Paige was cut from the same cloth, taking sadistic pleasure in Alana's misery.

Alana had become the family servant, cooking, cleaning, and working multiple jobs while maintaining her scholarship. All while her father retreated further into his alcoholic haze, oblivious to her suffering.

The rain had momentarily subsided when she'd gone home earlier that afternoon. She'd just needed to grab some textbooks, planning a quick in-and-out mission to avoid confrontation.

"Just get your stuff and leave," she'd whispered to herself as she'd slipped in through the back door.

But Heather's voice had carried from the living room, sharp and venomous. "You worthless drunk! Why don't you just die and save us all the trouble?"

Alana had tried to stay quiet, but Paige had caught her sneaking toward her bedroom.

"Look what the cat dragged in!" Paige had announced, wrapping her arms around Alana from behind. "Trying to avoid your responsibilities?"

That confrontation had led to Heather's shocking revelation about Victor Patterson and the arranged marriage.

Now, standing outside Kyle's dorm room, Alana knocked urgently, praying he was there. The door swung open, but instead of Kyle's familiar face, his roommate appeared.

"Alana? Jesus, you're drenched."

"Is Kyle here?" She tried to keep her voice steady. "I really need to talk to him."

His roommate shifted uncomfortably. "He, uh... stepped out a while ago. Said he had something important to take care of."

Alana's heart sank. Kyle was probably at the library again, working on maintaining his perfect GPA to please his parents. They had such high expectations for him.

"That's okay. I should have called first. I'll catch him later."

"Alana, wait—" His roommate reached out, then hesitated. Something flickered across his face—concern? Pity? He seemed to struggle with himself before dropping his hand. "Just... be careful getting back, okay?"

"Thanks," she murmured, turning away.

The rain had started again as Alana trudged back toward her dorm building. Her clothes clung to her skin, and her shoes squelched with each step. She'd have to do laundry tonight—not that she had many clothes to begin with.

As she approached her building, voices drifted from around the corner. One was distinctly familiar.

"Kyle, baby, you need to make up your mind." The voice was honey-sweet but laced with demand. "It's not fair to string us both along. Who do you really want? Me or her?"

Alana froze mid-step. That voice belonged to Bianca Pearl, her manipulative roommate who had made it her mission to make Alana's life difficult from day one.

Alana inched closer, her heart hammering against her ribs. She peered around the corner and felt the world tilt beneath her feet.

There stood Kyle, his arms wrapped around Bianca's waist, their foreheads touching intimately. He hadn't been at the library after all.

"Tell me who you love," Bianca purred, her fingers tracing Kyle's jawline. "It's time to choose."