Wedded to the Elite: The Empire's Last Hope

002

Lia stood outside the cramped apartment, her hands shaking as she fumbled with the key. She knew the moment she stepped inside, everything would change. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her mind kept replaying Mr. Rodriguez's demand over and over again.

Finally, the door creaked open. Stella was sitting at the kitchen table, her books scattered in front of her, studying like she always did. She had no idea the bomb that was about to drop.

"Hey, Mom," Stella said with a small smile, glancing up from her textbook. "You okay? You look... stressed."

Lia swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing she couldn't delay this any longer. "We need to talk," she said, her voice tight. "Something happened at work today."

Stella raised an eyebrow, concern creeping into her expression. "What's going on?"

Lia sat down at the table, her legs feeling like they might give out. She looked her daughter in the eyes, trying to find the right words, but nothing would soften the blow of what she was about to say.

"It's about Mr. Rodriguez," she began, her voice strained. "He wants you to marry his son."

Stella stared at her like she hadn't heard right. "What? Marry Mason? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I wish I was," Lia whispered, rubbing her temples. "But he's serious, Stella. He thinks it'll boost his family's fame, keep their name alive. He's trying to save their legacy."

Stella let out a harsh laugh, standing up so fast her chair nearly toppled over. "Are you fucking serious? He wants me to marry his son for fame? Like I'm some goddamn pawn?"

Lia winced at her daughter's outburst but didn't try to stop her. She knew Stella had every right to be angry—furious, even. Hell, she was furious too. "I know it's insane. But this is the world they live in, Stella. Power, money, fame... it's everything to them."

Stella shook her head, pacing around the small kitchen. "Mom, no. No fucking way. This isn't happening. I'm not marrying some rich asshole just because they're worried they aren't famous enough anymore. That's fucked up."

"I don't want this for you either," Lia said, her voice breaking. "But we can't ignore this. If I refuse... I could lose my job, Stella. We could lose everything."

Stella turned, eyes blazing with anger and disbelief. "So what? We're supposed to just roll over and play along with their bullshit? Fuck that. I'd rather struggle than live my life as some fucking accessory to their family."

Tears welled in Lia's eyes. She hadn't wanted to break this news, hadn't wanted to see the pain and anger in her daughter's face. But what choice did she have? "I don't know what to do," Lia said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I feel like we're trapped. Mr. Rodriguez isn't just going to let this go."

Stella took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She crossed her arms and stared at the floor for a moment, her mind racing. "This is... so messed up. I don't know what's worse, the fact that he even suggested this or the fact that you think we have to go along with it."

"I don't want to go along with it," Lia said, her voice pleading. "But I can't lose this job. We've worked so hard to build a life here, and if I lose it... what then?"

Stella sat back down at the table, running her hands through her hair in frustration. "I get it, Mom, I do. But I'm not marrying some rich douchebag just so his family can keep being fucking famous. That's not my life. That's not who I am."

"I know," Lia said softly, her hands trembling. "But we have to think about what this could mean for us. What this could do for you, for your future. It's not just about them."

Stella slammed her hand on the table, her anger boiling over again. "I don't give a shit about their fame or what this could do for me. I'm not some gold-digging social climber. I don't want any part of their twisted world."

Lia wiped at the tears streaming down her face, her heart breaking for her daughter. "I'm so sorry, Stella. I wish there was another way. But Mr. Rodriguez... he doesn't give a damn about what we want. He only cares about what benefits him."

Stella let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "Of course he fucking doesn't. Why would he? People like them don't care about people like us. We're just tools to them, disposable. And now he wants to sell me off like I'm some fucking prize."

"I won't force you to do anything," Lia said, her voice shaking. "But we need to be smart about this. We can't just refuse outright. We need to figure out how to handle this."

Stella stood up again, her fists clenched at her sides. "I don't know how to handle this, Mom. I'm not some damn princess in a fairy tale. This is my life. And I'm not marrying Mason fucking Rodriguez just because his daddy thinks it'll make them relevant again."

Lia nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I know, baby. I know."

Stella stormed off to her room, slamming the door behind her. Lia collapsed into the chair, burying her face in her hands. She didn't know how they were going to get out of this. She didn't know if they even could.

But one thing was clear—this wasn't the life either of them had ever wanted. And now, they were trapped in a world they didn't belong to, forced to play by someone else's rules.