Elisa sat curled up on the cold floor, her body weak, her lips dry and cracked. Hunger gnawed at her stomach, and thirst burned her throat, but none of it compared to the fear and rage simmering inside her.
She had been locked in this unfamiliar room for hours or maybe longer. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the distant echo of footsteps outside her door. No food, no water, no explanation. Just this endless waiting, trapped in a world she didn't belong to.
Her father did this to her.
Edward Rivera had played a dangerous game with the Castillo family, and now she was the price he had to pay. But this? This was beyond anything she had imagined.
Elisa clenched her fists. She had never felt so helpless, so powerless. But even through her exhaustion, there was one thing she knew for certain which was she would never bow to them. Not to Emiliano.
Her thoughts shattered when the door suddenly swung open.
A massive figure stepped inside.
Elisa stiffened as she recognized Justin, the towering man who had stood beside Emiliano the day before. His face was blank, unreadable, his presence alone enough to make the air feel heavy.
"Boss wants to see you," he said, his voice flat.
Before she could react, his thick hand wrapped around her arm, yanking her up with no effort.
Her legs wobbled beneath her, weak from hunger, but Justin didn't care. He dragged her forward, ignoring her struggle, his grip like iron. She had no choice but to follow, her mind racing for a way out, for any opportunity to break free.
They moved through the dimly lit halls, each step echoing through the massive estate. The place was elegant, lavish even, but to Elisa, it felt like a prison.
And then, she was shoved inside his presence.
Emiliano.
He sat at the head of a grand room, leaning back in his chair like he owned the world. His resemblance to Ricardo was striking the same sharp jawline, the same piercing blue eyes. But where Ricardo's gaze burned with silent intensity, Emiliano's felt cold, calculating.
His lips curled into a smirk as he eyed her from head to toe. "You look terrible."
Elisa said nothing. She refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
Emiliano pushed himself to his feet, stepping toward her with slow, deliberate strides.
"I'll make this easy for you," he murmured, tilting his head. "Marry me, and you'll be treated like a queen. You'll have food, water, luxury and everything a woman could want."
Elisa's stomach twisted in disgust.
She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze with defiance. "I would rather die."
Emiliano's smirk faltered.
"I would rather marry Ricardo," she continued, her voice steady. "Not because he isn't dangerous, but because at least he's a man with honor. At least when I saw him, my heart…." She stopped herself. She wouldn't let Emiliano see the effect Ricardo had on her. But deep down, she knew the truth. From the moment she had locked eyes with Ricardo Castillo, something inside her had shifted.
Emiliano's jaw tightened.
And then suddenly a sharp crack rang through the room , Pain exploded across her cheek, then again on the other side. Her head snapped back, and the taste of blood filled her mouth.
Elisa gasped but refused to fall.
Emiliano's face twisted in fury. "You little whore," he hissed, his breath ragged.
Elisa's body trembled, but she forced herself to look him in the eyes, refusing to let him see fear.
His grip tightened on her chin. "You think Ricardo will save you?" he taunted. "He only wants you because our father told him to marry you. He'll use you and discard you like every other woman."
Elisa didn't flinch. "I'd still choose him over you."
Emiliano's nostrils flared. His control snapped.
"Take her back," he barked at Justin. "No food. No water."
Justin grabbed her roughly, dragging her away.
As she was pulled through the hallway, Elisa kept her head high.
She didn't know how she would escape.
She didn't know if Ricardo would come for her.
But she knew one thing, she would never belong to Emiliano
. Never.
And she prayed that Ricardo would come before it was too late.