Chapter 1 Sold to the ruthless Don

Isla’s POV.

If I was ever told that I'd be sold to marriage by my own father, I’d never believe it.

Being sold by choice was different. I was sold without my consent or approval.

I was in my room when I heard a knock on the door.

It was my father’s butler, Mr Smith. “Miss, your father requests your presence in his office now…”

Why was he requesting my presence?

Ever since his company, no. The company he stole from my mother after her death started going down the hills, there has never been peace in our family.

“Tell him I’ll be there in a sec.” I said, grabbing a jacket from my drawer.

My father, Charles Bennetti, was only sixty years old. But ever since his business started crashing, he started looking older and uglier.

He never really cared about us, we were a pawn for his selfish desires whenever he messed things up or needed something that would accomplish his wishes. Guy

The walk to his office was like a funeral walk. When we got there, the door was slightly open.

I knocked once, pushed the door and entered. He wasn’t sitting, he was standing beside the window, cigar in hand, a whiskey on his other hand, and a book on the table.

Everywhere smelled of whiskey and books.

Whenever my father was standing while he summoned us to his office, it didn't end well.

It’s either we’re being scolded or something else.

“Father, you asked for me,” I said, grinning at the edge of my jacket.

“Sign the marriage contract on the table. From now on, you’re officially married to The Don of the Romano empire.” He said without warmth or remorse.

The feared, ruthless Don of the Romano empire. The older twin nobody dared to mess with.

Everyone calls him the devil king. Nobody had ever crossed him and survived it.

Even though I haven’t really seen him close enough, there was a chill in me whenever he was being mentioned.

Dante owns the city, and wherever he enters, he’s either destroying it or leaves people shaking.

My jaw dropped. “What?” I said in a trembling tone. “You didn’t even ask for my consent. I mean, I’m human, not just a thing to fulfill your selfish desires.” I said.

“Do I need your permission or approval to make use of what I own? This isn’t a request or a plea, Isla. It’s already a done deal, and you’ve got not even a choice to refuse.” He said, finally turning to me.

I gripped into my jacket tighter, heart sinking, my thinking blurring. “And what if I refuse?” I said looking at him.

“Why would you refuse? If you do, Iris would be paying the price. You’re either signing the contract or Iris is…” He said, with a disgusting smirk on his face.

Iris was only fifteen years old. The only thing my father uses against me whenever he wants to use me.

He did deserve this kind of life, he deserved better. “Of all people in the world, the only person you could ask for help was the Romanos? You know how cruel and ruthless he is…” I said, breath shaky.

“I didn’t have a choice Isla, and besides it’s not like you’re going to die, it’s just a marriage contract not a death sentence. You’re not just doing this for yourself, for your brother and your sister Josie too. Or do you want them living on the street? Do you want what’s left of your mother’s company destroyed?” He said, dropping the glass of whiskey on the table.

The company you already destroyed by your own hands.

And now, you want to use us as your collateral.

“Sign the contract, Isla. It’s not even like you have a choice. The marriage will be taking place tomorrow evening, at the Romano estate, we’ve got no time to waste. There are investors and bankers at the doorstep and we’ve got just twenty four hours to clear the depths.” He said, handing me a pen.

He was right somehow. I’ve really got no choice.

Iris and Josie depend on me for survival, and there was no way I was going to allow them to endure the humiliation.

I picked up the pen, opened the book. The Don’s signature was already there, mine was just waiting to be signed.

With a trembling hand, I signed off my name to the devil.

I can’t believe that everything I’ve done to avoid the ruthless Dante was all in vain.

I mean nobody, no girl in her right senses would have a fantasy of giving herself away to the devil himself.

And then, here I was, helplessly signing a marriage contract that could ruin my entire life.

This wasn’t the plan from the beginning. I’ve always had this fantasy of having a peaceful marriage, and getting old together, but this?

I was thinking that marriage would make me escape my father’s toxicity and manipulation but hell no.

I was going from pan to fire, and it’s getting me insane.

“You didn’t even give me the time to get ready, getting married by tomorrow evening with no plans is totally insane,” I said, dropping the pen.

“You don’t need any preparation, all you needed to do was sign,” he said, dropping the contract in his drawer.

And he was right again, I didn’t need any preparation.

I was getting married to Don, and I didn’t need that.

I turned to leave, but then, there was a knock on the door.

“

”The cars are ready downstairs,” a guard from the Romanos said, as he stepped inside. “We leave immediately.”

I wasn’t even dressed, I needed to pack my things. “Now? I haven’t even picked my things,” I said, eyes wide open.

“

”That was the instructions I was given, Miss. We leave now, the Don is waiting.” He said, dragging my hands towards the door like it didn't matter.

We walked toward the car. He didn’t even open the door for me, I did that myself, and in less than a minute, we drove off.

I couldn’t stop thinking about how everything happened in a flash.

My father just sold me like I didn’t matter. And now, only God knows if this hell I was going to, would burn, or make me.