The Unseen Heiress
As the illegitimate daughter in a household that scorns her, Emilia has learned to endure a life of cruel whispers and cold glares. But her fate takes an unexpected turn when her spoiled half-sister disappears on the eve of her arranged marriage. The family forces Emilia to wed the rumored crippled and disfigured groom in her sister's place—an ominous task they hope will rid them of her for good. Yet, when Emilia meets her new husband, Damien Blackwood, she is stunned. This mysterious man is neither crippled nor disfigured. Instead, he’s handsome, powerful, and hiding secrets as dark as her own. With the Blackwood family’s treacherous history looming over them, Emilia realizes she has entered a world far more dangerous than her own home—a world where alliances are built on lies and love can turn into a weapon. As she delves deeper, Emilia uncovers shocking secrets that link her family’s downfall to Damien’s ruthless kin. Now, torn between the man she’s come to trust and the whispers of betrayal around every corner, Emilia must decide: will she seek revenge on those who’ve wronged her or fight alongside Damien to claim her rightful legacy? In a game where love, power, and loyalty are tested, Emilia must face her past to shape her future… even if it means risking her life.
Chapter 21: A Dangerous Bargain
Emilia
The air is thick with tension as I stand in the grand, darkened hallway, watching the back of my stepmother's cold, calculating figure. The last few hours have felt like a whirlwind, each moment pulling me deeper into a game I never agreed to play, a game where the stakes are higher than I could have ever imagined.
My stepmother has just presented her demands, laying them out like a contract—one that's both simple and terrifying in its audacity. She wants money. A lot of money. A sum that could buy her silence about all the skeletons hidden in my family's closet, the secrets that I thought were long buried.
But it's more than just money she's after. She's after control. She's after power.
I can't help the bitterness that rises in my throat as I think about it. She never cared about me. She never cared about my well-being or my future. She only ever cared about herself, about how much she could extract from the situation.