Chapter 1: Selling my Soul

SOPHIA

My life feels predestined for tragedy. Even against my will, I have to do this.

To save the company and repay my adoptive parents in some way, I’m willing to marry a complete stranger.

The shareholders are circling me like vultures. They’ve always coveted my parents’ company, and now they’re just waiting for my time to run out so they can tear me apart.

One week. That was the deadline they gave me after the will was read. One week since the car accident that killed my adoptive parents.

For some reason I can’t even imagine, they set this condition for me to take over the company.

I can’t stop wondering why they would do this. How did they think I could handle all of this right after losing them?

But I can’t be ungrateful to the people who gave me everything, who pulled me out of the orphanage when I was only eight.

And not only did they take me out of the hell that place was, they also saved Lily’s life—my younger sister.

Only a year younger than me, Lily has always been delicate, fragile. I’ve always felt it was my duty to protect her. As a child, she suffered so much from her condition that left her weak most of the time.

When we ended up in the orphanage, things got even worse, and the other kids were cruel because of her illness.

So Lily is one more reason to make this choice. I have to make sure she’ll be safe and that her future will be secure.

I’ll accept every damn condition in that will and marry a stranger to take over the company.

Because I don’t have a choice.

I have to do this, even while mourning the people who saved me and gave me a second chance.

Going through this again feels like reliving a distant past.

The memories of that tragic day come back sometimes as flashbacks, other times as nightmares, forcing me to relive the horror of the day I lost my biological parents. The day I barely escaped by hiding.

I was only five years old, but there’s one thing I will never forget: that symbol. Which I now know the meaning of.

The symbol of one of the American Cosa Nostra families. The Italian mafia that rooted itself in America.

The symbol of the Genovese family—the one that has held all my hatred ever since.

Because of those criminals, Lily and I ended up in that orphanage.

The same orphanage we now visit every week to help the kids.

Even if the days there weren’t the best, I’m still grateful I had a roof over my head.

Chloe, my best friend, steps closer and takes my hands.

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. You know you can always count on me.” She gives me a weak smile, her blue eyes full of worry.

By “count on me,” Chloe means count on her father’s fortune. He owns an oil company.

Despite being a bit spoiled, partying too hard, and being a terrible example for relationships, Chloe is the best friend anyone could ever have. One of the most honest and fair people I’ve ever known.

“It’s okay. I have to do this.” I try to reassure her.

I’ve already made my decision. I’m about to meet the stranger I’m going to marry.

A man I know nothing about—not even his name.

For some reason, everything about him is classified.

We’ve had no contact at all, everything has been handled through our lawyers.

Chloe steps back suddenly to make room for Lily. She’s not happy with my decision at all.

“You’ve always done everything to protect me and take care of me, but this I can’t accept, Sophia. I don’t want to be a burden to you forever. Please, don’t do this.” She pleads.

“You’re not a burden. You never have been. I’m not doing this for you.” I lie, trying to soothe her. “I owe them everything, for all they did for us. And I can’t let those vultures take what’s ours.” I grip her shoulders. “Don’t worry.”

A knock on the bedroom door interrupts us. Chloe goes to answer it.

We agreed to sign the marriage papers in my parents’ old house, which now belongs to Lily since I chose to live in an apartment closer to the university.

“He’s here.” Chloe says, shutting the door. “Oh my God! This is insane! You’re marrying a stranger.”

I can’t help but feel a little nervous, but there’s no way to run. I try to find determination inside myself.

“Let’s go.” I say as Chloe loops her arm through mine, flipping her blonde hair to the side.

“God, I hope he’s hot. That would make things easier, right?” she says, trying to cheer me up.

But to me, this marriage is nothing more than a means to an end, and I hope whoever is on the other side sees it the same way. Because I’m not interested in anything except getting his name on that paper.

So it doesn’t matter whether my future husband is attractive or not.

✽

We walk down the stairs, Lily right behind us.

My lawyer is in the living room, waiting beside the man who’s supposed to be my future husband.

It takes me a second to register his appearance. Brown hair, small brown eyes, a beard, not very tall.

I’m relieved he doesn’t attract me in any way. That will make things easier. The last thing I need is to feel drawn to a stranger I’m about to marry.

“Miss Dempsey.” He extends his hand to me. “I’m Andrea, Mr. Dario’s lawyer.”

Lawyer? I blink, confused, before shaking his hand.

“I’m sorry, I thought he was already here.”

“Unfortunately, he won’t be able to come.”

What?

“But he sent me to finalize the agreement. He’s already signed the papers.”

I glance at my lawyer, confused.

“He added a prenuptial agreement, Miss Dempsey,” he explains.

“A prenuptial agreement?”

What does that even mean? Is he asking for money from my family?

“Miss Dempsey, I’d like to go over the terms with you and your lawyer before you make your decision,” Andrea says.

I just nod.

Lily and Chloe stay in the living room while we head to my father’s old office.

I sit and wait while my lawyer goes through the contract Dario proposed. At least now I know his name. It’s quite unusual.

At first, I’m surprised when my lawyer explains the terms of the agreement, but then I feel insulted.

The contract has a three-year term, proposes full separation of assets, and demands that I move to a location chosen by Dario himself.

Is he insane? Does he plan to force me to live with him? Or does he think I’m after his money? And why three years? None of it makes sense.

The fact that he isn’t here is another insult. On top of everything, Dario sends word that the terms are non-negotiable, giving me an ultimatum.

Unbelievable. I thought things couldn’t get worse, but I was wrong.

This can’t be happening.

At least I won’t have to worry—he doesn’t seem the least bit interested in my family’s money.

But again, it’s not like I have a choice. I’ll do this for my parents. For Lily.

Then, picking up the pen, I sign my name at the bottom of the page — selling my soul.