~Heart of Steel~

The Bargain

Chapter 1:

The house was eerily silent. Isla’s heart pounded in her chest as she walked down the long, dark hallway, her footsteps echoing off the cold, hard floor. Her father’s voice cut through the quiet like a blade.

“Isla! Come here!”

Her hand shook as she reached for the door handle. What could he want this time? Her mind whirled with a hundred dreadful possibilities. Her father had a knack for making the air thick with fear, his anger more terrifying than usual.

With a deep breath, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. Her father sat behind his desk, his face a mask of stern authority. His eyes, sharp and unyielding, met hers with a look that made her stomach drop.

“Sit down,” he commanded.

Isla complied, her legs feeling like lead as she sank into the chair opposite him. She tried to steady her breathing, but his piercing gaze made it nearly impossible.

“I’ve made a decision,” he said, his voice low and cold. “You’re going to live with someone else.”

Isla’s eyes widened in shock. “What do you mean?”

Her father leaned back in his chair, a smug expression crossing his face. “There’s a man named Elias. He’s two years older than you and owns a business that’s made him a millionaire. I’ve made a deal with him.”

Isla’s heart sank. Elias? The name sent shivers down her spine. The town was rife with terrifying stories about him—tales of a ruthless man who ran a powerful mafia, a man who was as cold as he was dangerous. The rumors painted him as a monster, someone to be feared.

“Why... why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Her father’s gaze hardened. “It’s simple. By giving you to Elias, I’ll make a lot of money. It’s a good deal for me, and it’s the only way to keep things in order around here.”

“But I don’t want to go!” Isla’s voice cracked as she fought back tears. “Please, there must be another way.”

Her father’s expression remained unmoved. “There isn’t. You’ll be leaving tomorrow. I suggest you pack your things.”

Isla’s mind spun with fear and confusion. Elias was a name spoken with dread. They said he was unfeeling, merciless, and capable of horrifying things. The idea of moving to his world filled her with dread.

She tried to picture Elias, but all she saw was darkness and whispered threats. Her father’s words echoed in her mind: “He’s killed millions of people and doesn’t care.” The rumors about Elias, combined with her father’s cold determination, made her shiver.

As she left her father’s study, Isla felt like a prisoner being led to her doom. The walls of her home, once a source of comfort, now seemed like a cage from which she was being dragged away. Her siblings—Elijah, Jonathan, and Ethan—were still asleep, blissfully unaware of the nightmare unfolding.

She knew she had to be strong, but fear clung to her like a shadow. As she packed her belongings, each item felt heavier with the realization that she was stepping into the unknown, into a world ruled by a man who inspired nothing but terror.

The night before her departure, Isla lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing. She could only hope that somehow, someway, she would find a way to survive in this new, terrifying world where every shadow seemed to whisper the name of the man she feared most.

My first story (please don't flop