Channel
"Tsk." I let out a dry, mocking chuckle, shaking my head slowly, pitying his foolishness. Did he really think I would sink that low-crawl beneath him-just because I was desperate?
"I'd rather rot in jail than agree to become your maid and live under your feet." I scoffed, fixing Rowan with a piercing, unyielding glare.
He tilted his head back slightly, surprise flickering across his face. Was he truly shocked that I dared to talk back?
"Woah, Channel." His lips curled in disdain. "Not only are you a whore, but now you've grown bold enough to challenge me?"
"Mind your damn words." My voice trembled with rage. "I am not a whore. Let me go this instant so I can find your money!"
Each time that word left his mouth, it felt like shards of glass tearing through my chest. I was reaching my limit.
"Fine." His tone dropped, cold and venomous. "Go get the money the way you're used to-by spreading your legs for men. You have until next week. Fail, and I won't hesitate to throw you in jail."
"You're not the judge." I snapped immediately, anger bubbling over. "The court gave me two weeks, not one. I'll bring your money when I have it."
I pushed myself off the bed, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break, and strode toward the door.
"And thanks for the advice," I added, forcing a bright, fake smile as I glanced back at him. "I'll make sure to sleep with thousands of men and bring you double your compensation."
The way his face flushed crimson with fury sent a strange sense of victory through me. Without waiting for his response, I walked out of Rowan's mansion, my steps firm-even though everything inside me was crumbling.
---
"Argh!" I screamed, frustration ripping out of my chest.
My hands clutched the back of my neck as my legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the soft grass in the park.
I had wandered through almost every street in New York, searching-begging-for even the smallest job. Anything. Just enough to get food and a place to sleep for the night.
But every door had been shut in my face.
And I knew why.
Rowan Reynolds.
His name alone carried weight-power, wealth... and fear.
The Reynolds family wasn't just rich; they were untouchable. Proud to a fault. They didn't associate with people beneath their class, and I had been the greatest stain on their perfect image.
A poor girl who somehow caught Rowan's attention.
Rachel and her mother never let me forget it.
Their insults. Their humiliation. Their constant reminders that I didn't belong.
And when I couldn't give Rowan a child...
That was the final blow.
My chest tightened painfully as anger surged through me again.
Rowan was no different from them. Not anymore. The man I once knew-the man who had looked at me with warmth-was gone.
In his place stood someone cold... cruel... unrecognisable.
I let out a bitter laugh that quickly dissolved into silence.
I couldn't even apply to proper jobs. No CV. No qualifications. Nothing.
Just a high school certificate and a life that had already fallen apart before it even began-thanks to my father's illness.
The sun burned mercilessly against my skin, making my head spin. I stumbled toward a shaded corner of the park, but my vision blurred before I could even settle properly.
My body gave out.
I collapsed onto the damp grass, my eyes squeezing shut as a violent tremor ran through me.
I hadn't eaten all day.
Only water.
Just water... given to me by the same man who now wanted to destroy me.
Lying there, breathing shallow, my thoughts spiraled out of control.
Tears slipped down my temples, soaking into the grass beneath me.
I cried.
For myself.
For the child growing inside me.
For the man Rowan used to be... and the monster he had become.
"A hundred million dollars..."
The number echoed endlessly in my head, suffocating me.
"Why am I even thinking about it?" I whispered brokenly. "Where am I supposed to get that kind of money?"
A sob tore through me, louder this time, raw and unrestrained. I didn't care who heard.
I stayed like that for what felt like forever-lost, broken, drowning in hopelessness.
There were only two paths ahead of me.
Death...
Or prison.
And neither offered escape.
"Hey. Get up."
A deep, rough voice cut through my thoughts.
Before I could react, a sharp kick landed against my side.
Pain shot through me.
"What the-?" I groaned inwardly, irritation flaring as I forced my eyes open. Who the hell was this idiot?
Still clutching my side, I looked up-
And froze.
A man stood over me.
Tall. Imposing.
Starting from his polished white loafers, my gaze trailed upward-tight black jeans outlining long, powerful legs, a navy-blue turtleneck hugging his frame, and a crisp white designer coat draped effortlessly over his shoulders.
Gold gleamed on his wrist-an expensive watch accompanied by stacked bracelets. His fingers were adorned with rings of different metals, each one catching the sunlight.
His presence screamed wealth.
Power.
Control.
His hair was styled in a soft Afro, curls defined perfectly. His beard was neatly groomed, framing sharp features-long jawline, striking eyes, and thin, red lips that held no warmth.
He was... breathtaking.
Dangerously so.
"Gosh..." My mind whispered in stunned disbelief.
For a moment, everything else faded-my pain, my hunger, my despair.
Even my heartbeat seemed to skip.
"Wh-" My lips parted, but no words came out. My tongue felt heavy, useless.
Pathetic.
His eyes narrowed slightly, impatience flickering through them. With a slow, deliberate movement, he slid both hands into his coat pockets, stretching one leg forward casually.
There was something unsettling about how composed he was.
How detached.
"Let's skip introductions," he said, his voice smooth but cold. "We don't know each other, and that's not important."
His gaze locked onto mine-sharp, assessing.
"Why are you here?" I managed to ask weakly, confusion clouding my thoughts.
He exhaled softly, almost as if he were bored.
Then he spoke.
And the world around me seemed to stop.
"Channel Sidney..." His voice dropped, deliberate and steady.
"Let's get married."
