The Royal Contract

"Aaagghgghg!" She breathlessly shouted as she jumped out of bed and paced the room, rubbing her palm up and down across her face.

She was not dreaming, but her reality seemed worse than when she had a nightmare.

Much, much worse.

So much worse.

She barely slept a wink, but sleep was the last thing on her mind. She had to think of a way to escape this ongoing nightmare before those monsters swallowed her alive.

"Haley, think." She told herself as thousands of thoughts fought for her attention.

She could not marry that monster. She would never agree to what her father wanted her to do. She would die first before she became his puppet again.

Speaking of dying, Gerald was alive. At least, that was what her father was telling her. Although she still had no concrete proof, it appeared her heart wanted to believe every word of it.

"We have to get out of here." She spoke softly as her hand cradled her baby in her belly. "They said your father is still alive."

It seemed impossible, but what if it was true? What if Gerald was indeed still living and breathing? She knew she had to do something other than sit and wait, remembering how her father threatened to kill him.

Her conscience would not allow her to let anything happen to Gerald. Somewhat, she believed she also had to save him, whether what they said about him was true.

After all, he was still the father of her child. Besides, she believed everybody deserved a chance to defend themselves. And her heart hoped that Gerald had an excellent explanation for all of this.

"But how?" She thought as she looked outside the window, seeing several men patrolling the area. There was just no escape.

It seemed her father had learned his lesson as he doubled the guards and increased the security system in the house.

Then, footsteps came to her door, followed by a soft knock. She knew there was only one person who could be outside her room. Sadly, he was the last person she would like to see.

"Haley, are you ready?" He asked, but she knew it did not matter if she was. Or if she was not.

But for now, she had to act like she was playing along. It was the only way she could find a way to escape this hellhole. It was her only way to free herself from this nightmare.

"You always look incredible, my darling." Her father walked into the room with a beaming smile. Then, he looked at her from head to toe as if inspecting a merchandise before it went to shipping.

"I am sure Michael would be happy to see you." He continued, which only made her feel worse.

She felt like a livestock that her father was selling to the highest bidder. But was her situation any different from that? She doubted.

She looked down at her swollen belly, feeling sorry for her kid. She would condemn her child to this hellish life if she could not find a way out of this place.

"Come on, now, Haley. You are meeting your soon-to-be husband. You should be happy." Alfred urged her to smile and cooperate with him. "You don't want me to be unhappy. Right?"

But it was not that easy, knowing it was not only her future that was at stake but also her child. She could not, in good conscience, let her child grow up in this environment. And not under the supervision of these criminals.

"Of course not, Dad." She pushed the words out of her lips, trying not to sound sarcastic or angry. Again, it was not easy.

Still, for her child, she would put on a show. She forced her lips to smile and pretend to be happy. The last thing she wanted was for her father to lock her up again in her room and throw away the key.

"Now, that is so much better. Isn't it?" His father smiled, patting her on her shoulder. "I am sure that Michael will be a good husband and a great father to your child."

She hated that her father had to constantly remind her of what was happening soon. But it also served as a reminder that her clock was ticking. She had to act fast before it became too late.

"I will only agree to marry Michael if you will stop looking for Gerald. If you will leave him alone and let him live his life." She knew begging for her father's mercy was a waste of time. But she had to try.

Besides, she wanted to see how her father would react to her statement. Would he give her a hint about Gerald's status? Did they find him? Was he still alive?

"That is not exactly how this works, my child. You don't have any bargaining chips in this deal. As my child, you will do as told, end of discussion." Alfred said as if he was talking to a child.

His father was right about that. What did she have to use against him? Based on what she had heard, her father had many connections, even in high places.

Therefore, where could she run to for help? The only person she believed who could help her was probably running for his life, too. So, how could he come to her rescue?

"Anyway, come, my darling." He urged her to follow him as he ushered her to the door. "Your Prince is waiting for you, my Princess."

Oh, how she wished the man outside was her knight in shining armor. But alas, she knew that was the opposite. Sadly, the Prince that awaited her was the true villain of her story.

She allowed her father to guide her as if she did not know every nook and cranny of this massive house. But she kept her eyes open for any possible opportunity of escape that she might have overlooked.

She was not giving up. There must still be a way.

Down the stairs, she could already see several people mingling and chatting. It would seem her father was having a soiree for his guests.

She initially thought it would just be him, this Michael, and probably one or two more people. But she was mistaken. She did not expect several people would be joining them for tonight.

"Who are all these people?" She finally asked, wanting to know what she would face in just a minute as they descended the stairs.

She could see some of them lifting their head in her direction, probably trying to see who she was. She saw some familiar faces, but most were strangers to her. She believed this was the first time she had seen their faces.

"They are my associates. They came from all over the world to meet you, my Princess." Her father whispered into her ears, using the endearing nickname she had loved so much.

She thought she was his most precious child. She believed his world revolved only on her. But it only showed how naive and stupid she was for believing such a fantasy. It all turned out to be just utter nonsense.

"Why?" She could not help but be curious. Why would these people want to meet her? It was not as if she would play a role in their organization. That was not happening.

"Because you will become their Queen, my Princess, once you marry Michael. And you are about to give birth to the descendant of their great leader, Joaquin."

Her father's words died down as they approached the men at the foot of the stairs. But although she could not hear them anymore, the words still repeated in her head like a broken record.

It was worse than she had ever thought as her father's plans finally became clear. At first, she believed her father was just insane, mumbling nonsense to her.

She never believed any of it. In her mind, Mafia, Gangsters, and Godfather were just movies she watched on the screen. Those were just stories for entertainment.

But seeing the number of people present here today. It was finally making sense. Her father was not just a small-time crook but a part of a large syndicate that did not only deal with their locality but also went as big as worldwide.

"Damn!" She was not expecting that. But it explained why his father had deeply invested his life in this. She had always known how much her father wanted power and control.

"Michael, I am sure that you already met my daughter." Suddenly, Alfred mildly pinched her skin, reminding her to cooperate and act politely.

"Of course, how can I forget such a beautiful face." The man in an impeccable suit took her hand and gracefully kissed her knuckles.

She would have mistaken him for a perfect gentleman if she did not know who he was. He looked the part of a nobleman and acted like a decent guy.

But unfortunately, she knew better.

"Haley, why don't you say hi to your fiancee?" She almost choked on her father's words. She barely met the guy, and now, he was her fiancee. He had not even proposed yet.

But she guessed her father could not wait to announce to the world their arranged engagement. Or maybe he already did, and everybody knew, except for her.

But she could not help but look into his eyes, wondering what was going through his mind, accepting her as his wife even though she was already pregnant with another man's child.

How could he spend his lifetime with her, knowing she was in love with another man?

But then again, she supposed he had another motive, and love was never part of the equation.