Contract With The Alpha King

"Be specific, Regor, Elijah drawled. The man was clearly enjoying this.

"Miss Milina, the wife of the patriarch of the Rosenthal family, and Miss Elise Rosenthal, Miss Fiona's younger sister, who is set to inherit the Rosenthal fortune, are here. They want to speak with Miss Fiona, Regor replied, his eyes cold and unreadable. Fiona's heart sank. The mere thought of facing her mother and sister filled her with a familiar, suffocating dread. It was as if a vice was tightening around her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs.

"I will talk to them," she said as she turned to Elijah. "And I will consider your proposal, Your Highness."

Elijah's smile widened, but there was no warmth in it, only a predatory gleam. "Good. Very good. Now, go on. Saw them what you're made of." He dismissed her with a wave of his hand, the gestare as sharp as a blade. Fiona forced herself to follow Regor, her pulse thrumming-

As soon as she stepped into the room where her mother and sister were waiting, the air thickened with tension. Fiona barely had time to register the scorn etched on their faces before her mother's hand shot out, a sharp crack echoing through the room as it connected with Fiona's cheek. Pain exploded in her head, her vision blurring as the force of the slap whipped her face to the side.

But Fiona didn't have time to react. The moment she raised her hand to the burning skin, Elise lunged forward, her eyes blazing with fury, her hand raised to strike. But this time, Fiona was ready. She caught Elise's arm mid-air, her grip ironclad stopping the slap just inches from her face.

The room seemed to freeze in that moment. Elise's eyes widened in shock, but before Fiona could say a word, Milina's hand shot out, slapping Fiona hard across the other cheek. The sound echoed like a gunshot in the room, Fiona staggered back, releasing Elise's arm as the sting of the blow seared her skin.

"How dare you touch your sister!" Milina spat, trembling with barely contained rage. "Let her go this instant!"

Fiona frowned but let her sister's arm go.

Seeing this, Milina added, "What have you done, Fiona? Your father is livid! Do you have any idea what you've unleashed?"

Fiona slowly turned her head, locking eyes with her mother. The shock was fading, replaced by a cold, steely anger. She had expected this-had braced herself for it but the reality of their hatred still cut deep. T'm doing what I have to. I can't stay here anymore." "You've brought shame on our family!" Elise hissed. The younger sister, the golden child who had always been favored, stared at Fiona as though she were filth. "Father might kill you for this, and I can't say you don't deserve it!"

Fiona met Elise's glare, the exhaustion of years of mistreatment weighing heavily on her. Elise, the perfect daughter with the ability to heal, had never known suffering. "What do you care, Elise? You've never cared about what happens to me" Elise's eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't play the victim, Fiona. You've always been the problem in this family. Always causing trouble, always on the outside looking in. Everything was fine until you opened your mouth. Why couldn't you just endure like the rest of us?" Fiona's chest tightened with a surge of anger. She wanted to strike back with words that would wound as deeply as the ones that had scarred her for years, but she forced herself to remain calm. She looked at her mother and sister, their faces twisted with contempt, and the memories rushed back with crushing force-memories of being the unwanted child, the one who was never good enough.

Her father had been relentless in his criticism, his words like knes that cut her down at every turn. No matter what she did, it was never enough. Elise, with her healing abilities, was the golden child, the one who could do no wrong. Fiona? She was Chapter 3

the one who bore the brunt of their father's anger, his disappointment, his desire to break her spirit.

Her mother had stood by, always silent, always complicit. Even when Fiona had come to her, desperate for comfort after Zach's abuse, Milina had turned away. "We can't upset your father. It's better to keep the peace Keep the peace.

Those words had been the chains that bound her, the mantra that had justified every cruelty, every injustice. Her mother had never protected her, never stood up for her. It had always been about maintaining the facade of a perfect family, even if it meant letting Fiona suffer.

The memories threatened to drag her down into a sea of despair, but she fought against it. She had cried enough, bled enough. She was done being weak. Done seeking approval that would never come. She was done trying to please a family that had never truly loved her. Tve made up my mind. She met Elise's gaze, seeing the smugness there the superiority that had always been a part of her sister's demeanor.

She continued, "You were always the favorite, Elise. Father adored you because you were special. And you, Mother," she said. turning to Milina, "you let him do it. You let him tear me apart because it was easier than standing up to him. You let him destroy me because you didn't want to face the truth."Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Milina's eyes widened in shock. "Fiona, that's not-

"It is true." Fiona's words shook with emotion. "You both turned a blind eye to everything I endured. You let him treat me like I was nothing. And when Zach did the same, you did nothing to stop it. You let me suffer because it was easier for you to prétend everything was fine. "You were always too sensitive, Fiona." Elise scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Haven't you realized it yet? Father was strict because you needed it You were never as strong as me. Who would want a weak Luna?"

Fiona shook her head, a bitter smile curving her lips. "No, Elise. He was strict because he wanted to break me. And you- she looked at Elise, her gaze hardening, "you enjoyed every moment of it. You thrived on being the one he loved while I way the one he despised." "Please... Stop being so dramatic," Elise snapped, rolling her eyes

"Dramatic?" Fiona's voice rose, trembling with barely controlled rage. It took every ounce of self-control not to lash out, not to strike her sister. "You have no idea what I've been through. You never cared about anyone but yourself. You never cared about what Father did to me, about how he broke me down, piece by piece."

"Don't you dare talk to your sister that way!" Milina finally intervened. The marriage was supposed to fix you! It was supposed to make you better! A future Luna is what everyone wanted for you! It would have brought pride to our clan to your father! But you-" Milina pointed a trembling finger at her, her firy evident, "why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut to keep the peace?"

The last remnants of sadness inside Fiona evaporated. Keep the peace. That was all her mother had ever cared about. She shook her head, a hollow laugh escaping her lips. Keep the peace

Milina and Elise stared at her, confusion and anger flickering in their eyes, but Fions felt nothing for them anymore. She realized how she had stopped caring about what they think a long time ago.

"Keep the peace, Fiona repeated, her tone was full of mockery. That's all you've ever wanted, isn't it? Keeping the peace, even if it meant letting me suller. Even if it meant destroying your eldest daughter!"

"Well, you know what?" Fiona continued as she met her mother eyes. "You can keep your peace. I don't want any part of it anymore."

"Good luck with your peace," Fiona said as she turned her back on them, "You're going to need it

With that, Fiona walked out of the room, leaving her mother and sister behind. She didn't look back, didn't hesitate. No matter what happened, she was leaving this place for good, and he would never look back.