Chapter 4 Goodbye - Maya's POV

I stand in my room, still staring at the small bag that I packed earlier lying on the bed. It is pathetic really, and I guess the man who came for me felt sorry for me.

Honestly, I don’t know what is waiting for me at Blackwood’s estate and should have prepared better, but it is all I can do with the short amount of time I have been given. It’s not like I can pack it all in a few short hours.

Now that I’ve had more time to think about things, thanks to the mysterious driver, I pull open my drawers, tossing out anything I can find that might be of use. Then I grab my favorite jacket and a few pairs of shoes from the closet. I even pull out my larger suitcase to ensure I have enough room for everything I’m adding to my luggage.

Once I’m done, my suitcase is practically bursting at the seams. It is heavier than it should have been, but I don’t really care. They’re selling me off, so I should get to take what makes me comfortable.

I am still sorting through a few things to add to the smaller bag when my door opens, and I freeze in place.

It is my father just by the sounds of his footsteps.

I turn to look over my shoulder, not expecting him to be here, but then again, I don’t know what I expect anymore. He hasn’t tried to stop this and seems glad to be rid of me.

As he stands there, watching me with cold brown eyes, I can barely look at him or meet his gaze. He is the one who decided all of this and thinks I’m worth selling.

“Are you ready? They’ll be back any minute to retrieve you.”

“I’m just finishing up,” I say, wishing he would leave me in peace.

“You’ll never make anything out of yourself if you resist this, Maya,” he says, his tone unwavering and a tad condescending.

I hate it, but that is my father for you.

I set the book down that I've been holding onto the bed. My hands tremble slightly. “I don’t need you here to tell me anything. You could have stopped this and chose a different path for paying your debts, but you haven’t. So don’t tell me that I won’t become anything by resisting something that wasn’t my choosing.”

When I turn to face him again, his jaw tightens, and I know he’ll never back down at this point. “This is for the best, Maya. It’s time you’ve accepted your fate and what you can do for this family.”

I can’t believe his words that spew from his mouth or that fact that he is standing here, pretending he’s doing me some kind of favor.

“No, it’s not for the best. You are giving me away to a man who doesn’t even know me. He doesn’t care about me. I’m going to be nothing but an object to him. Just like I’m nothing to you. Once I’m gone, he will do what he wants with me.”

His eyes darken as he takes me in and his voice drops lower. “There is no room for rebellion in this world. It’s time for you to accept what I’ve done and just fulfill your duty to this family.”

The words sting, but I stand my ground. “I won’t be your puppet anymore, father. Not for you, not for the family, or for anyone. If you think I will sit down and be a good little girl for him, then it won’t work. He’s going to send me back and take the money he’s given you away from you.”

He stares at me for a long moment, then sighs as if I am nothing but a child, throwing a tantrum. “Do whatever you want, but you will never escape their estate nor will he let you go. You’ll always be my daughter, even if you choose to forget it after this.”

I don’t care about his words anymore. Not really. I have heard them too many times before, and they don’t hold any weight, like they once did. But still, something about the finality in his voice strikes deep in my chest. I clench my fists at my side, trying to hold back tears that I refuse to shed.

“I hate you,” I say, my voice trembling with raw emotion. “You shouldn’t do this. Please don’t make me go.”

The words hang in the air, heavy and raw. But he doesn’t react. Instead, he turns his back to me, as if my pain doesn’t matter at all. He is already walking away from me and I haven’t even left yet.

Right as I think about calling out to him again, I hear a car door slam outside. The sound is jarring, too loud and way too final.

I rush over to my bedroom window as my heart races in my chest. As I peer down at the driveway below, I see the same sleek black car that was here earlier, but this time, someone else is behind the wheel.

My gaze narrows. The man driving isn’t nearly as handsome as the one from earlier. His features are sharp, but nothing like the other. This man has shorter brown hair cropped close to his ears, and his smile when he looks up here makes my skin crawl. It is too wide and too cheery.

He steps out of the vehicle, his eyes roaming over the grounds in the darkness. I hate the way he looks at the place. It’s like he owns it. His suit isn’t nearly as nice as the other man’s. It seems like he’s secondary.

As the man looks up again, he catches sight of me in the window, and for a moment, his smile widens even further. I recoil, disgust flooding through me, but before I can make a move, he shouted up at the window.

“It’s time.”

“It’s time, Maya,” my father calls out with a casualness that makes my skin crawl at the same time.

I walk back to the bed, grab the book and shove it into the bag before zipping everything up. With everything packed, I head out of my room to go downstairs to the front door.

By the time I reach the threshold, the man was standing casually in the doorway, his arms crossed over his massive chest. It struck me as odd that he hasn’t came inside and seems to be rattled.

I dismiss it, because nothing matters anymore.

Father stands nearby, watching me with an unreadable expression. He takes one last look at me, his gaze lingering for just a moment too long. I almost think he regrets this deal.

“There is still time. You can call this all off,” I say as I pass him.

He only smirks in response. “Goodbye, Maya.”

With that, he turns and walks back toward the kitchen, leaving me standing at the door with the strange man.

I have nothing left, but the journey ahead.

“Come on, Maya. The boss is waiting for you,” he says as he reaches for my suitcase.

I don’t say a word as he escorts me to the car.