Chapter 1 #2
An hour had passed without any sign of my sister, and the party felt suffocating without her there.
It was supposed to be her night—the engagement party of the year—but instead, it felt like a masquerade of lies.
I needed a moment away from all the eyes on me, all the forced smiles and empty pleasantries.
The laughter and chatter from the ballroom faded into the background as I slipped down the dimly lit hallway, my heart pounding louder than the music.
The private lounge stood just ahead, its door slightly ajar, inviting me into the quiet.
As I approached, muffled voices drifted through the crack, stopping me in my tracks. Curiosity tugged at me; I pressed myself against the cool wall beside the door, straining to hear.
“I don’t care what he said! This wedding is off!” My father’s voice rose, filled with frustration.
“Henry, we can’t let this go on,” my mother interjected, her tone laced with urgency. “Callista needs to come back. We can’t lose everything we’ve built with Hades.”
“What we’ve built?” My father scoffed. “This is about our daughter’s future! You think Hades gives a damn about her? He sees her as an asset!”
I felt a cold knot form in my stomach as their words sank in.
“He’s been promising stability for years! But where is Callista? She should be here celebrating her engagement,” my mother replied sharply.
“She’s not coming back,” Hades added smoothly. “And you both know it.”
I flinched at his voice—smooth and mocking—every syllable dripped with that same charm that unsettled me earlier.
“What do you mean?” My father’s voice cracked slightly, betraying his composure.
“I mean she left on her own terms,” Hades said matter-of-factly. “You can't force her into this marriage.”
A silence stretched out before my heart raced again—this couldn’t be happening.
“She wouldn’t just disappear!” My mother sounded desperate now.
“She didn’t just disappear.” Hades’s tone shifted slightly; I could almost hear his smirk through the wall. “She made a choice.”
“Where did she go?” My father demanded.
“That's not for me to say,” he replied casually. “But I suggest you prepare yourselves for some very public fallout.”
Panic surged within me as I leaned closer to catch any more words but remained hidden in shadow—my mind racing with thoughts of Callista and where she could be. The walls felt like they were closing in around me as I realized everything had changed in an instant.
I pressed my back against the wall, heart hammering as I strained to catch every word.
Hades’s voice slipped through the door, low and dangerous. “We had a deal.”
His tone sent ice coursing through my veins. I’d heard enough stories about men like him, ruthless and unyielding. He wouldn’t let this go without a fight.
“She’s your daughter,” Hades continued, his voice smooth but edged with something sharp. “You really didn’t know her at all, did you? All those years of pretending—she was never as good and obedient as you thought, hmm?”
A choked breath escaped my throat as I processed his words. Callista had always been the perfect daughter—the obedient one, the one who made our parents proud. And now she was gone.
But where?
Why?
“Don’t talk about her like that!” My father’s voice cracked with fury. “You made promises! She’s not just some pawn in your game!”
Hades chuckled softly, the sound chilling. “Pawn? Hardly. Callista walked away from your carefully laid plans all on her own. You underestimated her, just like everyone else.”
“I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation,” my father growled.
Hades leaned closer to my father’s face, eyes glinting with dark amusement. “I’m the one being made to look like a fool at my own engagement party.” He straightened up. “Again, we had a deal, and it appears I'm not getting what was promised on your end.”
My stomach twisted as dread coiled tightly around me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Callista wouldn’t do this,” my mother protested weakly, disbelief thick in her voice.
Hades shrugged casually, leaning against the doorframe as if he were completely unfazed by their outrage. “You think she obeys because she wants to? She left because she wanted freedom—not just from me but from both of you.”
The silence that followed felt suffocating—a truth that shattered the image of family we had so carefully curated for years.
I clenched my fists, torn between anger and fear for Callista. The room buzzed with tension while outside, laughter echoed like a cruel mockery of our unraveling reality.
I watched Hades lean back, slow and deliberate, like a predator savoring the moment before the kill. He barely looked surprised, as if he had anticipated this chaos all along.
"Don't worry your pretty little heads," he said. "I prepared for this. I'm a reasonable man. As such, I have a solution."
His gaze slid toward me, those dark eyes glinting with mischief. A grin tugged at his lips.
He saw me.
He knew I was out of the room, listening.
“Oh Seph, darling,” he called out, his voice smooth and inviting. “Why don’t you come in here? There’s something important we need to discuss.”
My heart raced, panic seizing me as I stood frozen in place. The hallway felt narrow and stifling.
“Come now,” he continued, feigning concern. “Don’t tell me you’re scared. Callista, yes, but not you.”
With my teeth clenched tight, I stepped forward into the lounge. My parents turned to me, surprise flashing across their faces like a flickering light.
“What does she have anything to do with this?” my mother snapped, confusion etched into her features.
Hades simply smirked, the kind of smile that made my skin crawl.
My father’s expression shifted from anger to something unreadable as he turned his gaze on me. It felt like the air had thickened; dread settled over my shoulders like a heavy cloak.
“You’ll marry him.” The words hung in the air, a crushing weight that pulled at my insides.
I barely registered who had spoken until I caught sight of my father’s grim determination—he’d made up his mind without a hint of doubt or remorse. The room spun around me; reality twisted into something grotesque and foreign.
I let out a laugh, but it came out broken and bitter, a sound that barely echoed off the lavish walls.
“You can’t be serious,” I managed to say, my voice trembling with disbelief. The weight of their gazes pressed down on me—my father’s determination, my mother’s confusion, and Hades’ amusement.
But they were serious. I could see it in their eyes, the way my father’s jaw tightened and my mother paled. Hades leaned against the wall, his presence larger than life, watching me with an insufferable smirk playing at his lips.
“Find another way.” I clenched my fists at my sides, fighting the panic clawing at my throat. “I have no part in this deal.”
He merely raised an eyebrow, as if amused by my defiance. The look in his eyes sent a shiver through me—something predatory lingered beneath his composed exterior.
“You’re wrong,” he replied smoothly, every syllable dripping with that condescending charm that made bile rise in my throat. “You’re very much a part of this.”
“No!” I shouted, frustration igniting within me. “I’d rather die than be tied to you!”
The room went silent for a heartbeat; even the air felt heavy with tension. My heart raced as I stared into Hades’ blue eyes—those depths of cold certainty reflected back at me.
His response was simple yet devastating: “You don’t have a choice, Persephone.”
Each word struck like a physical blow, robbing me of breath and clarity. I felt the ground shift beneath my feet; nothing seemed real anymore. My future had just been ripped away without a hint of remorse from anyone around me.
Hades stood there like a king surveying his domain, while I felt small and powerless in the vast expanse of that room. Desperation bubbled up inside me as I searched their faces for any sign of compassion or understanding—but all I found was betrayal cloaked in familial obligation.
I wanted to scream again, to throw something—anything—to shatter the perfect facade they held so tightly to. But deep down, I knew it wouldn’t matter; none of this was about me or what I wanted.
The truth settled like ash in my chest: choices had never belonged to me in this family.
Hades pulled out his phone, the sleek device glinting under the soft lights of the lounge. “Luckily, I prepared for this.” He swiped across the screen, a satisfied grin stretching across his face. “I just emailed you a new contract. I’d like it signed so we can make this new deal official.”
Without a hint of hesitation, my father reached for his own phone. The betrayal hit me like a punch to the gut as he obediently followed Hades' command. The weight of their decisions pressed down on my chest, suffocating me in that moment.
“Dad, wait—” My voice broke as I tried to protest. But he didn’t look at me; he was too consumed with whatever Hades had promised.
Hades moved closer to me until I could feel the heat radiating off him. He tilted my chin up with two fingers, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You were always supposed to be mine,” he murmured, his breath brushing against my skin.
A thrill of anger surged through me as I glared back at him.
Before I could think twice, he seized my arm and began to tug me toward the door.
“No! Let go!” I struggled against him, my heart racing with indignation.
Hades didn’t release me; instead, he backed me against the wall, looming over me like a dark shadow.
His eyes burned into mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe.
“I will throw you over my shoulder in front of everyone if I have to,” he growled softly but firmly.
“You will take my arm and we will walk out of this godforsaken party together.”
Fury ignited within me—how dare he? But deep down, part of me resisted the idea of being carried away like a child.
Reluctantly, I reached out and took his arm instead.
His muscle felt corded beneath the fabric of his suit jacket; strength pulsed under my fingertips as I tried not to notice how good he smelled—a mix of cedarwood and something rich and spicy.
Together we walked out into the ballroom. The crowd parted like water around us as eyes turned our way; whispers floated through the air like confetti at a celebration.
“Smile, Persephone,” Hades said with a teasing lilt in his voice. “The whole world is watching.”