The Pact~

The Pact

The air in the Rylend estate’s study was thick—like something heavy was about to be signed, sealed… and sentenced.

Mahogany walls. A fireplace is too bright for comfort.

Six chairs. Six names.

But only two people knew why they were really here.

Zadkiel Rylend sat with that usual unreadable calm—legs crossed, tailored suit impeccable, obsidian ring glinting on his finger.

His expression was carved from marble. Cold. Composed. Dangerous.

The kind of face that smiled only when it meant control. He is the owner of ZR Insights~ solely built by him. And he is the only heir of Rylend Family.

Twenty-eight. Cold. Manipulative. Strict.

And knowing every piece of chess.

Aroha Harrison sat across from him, her floral dress too soft for this room.

She shifted awkwardly, trying to match the silence with a polite smile.

Nineteen. Sweet. Bright-eyed. And completely unaware that she’d just walked into her own chessboard.

She leaned slightly toward her father, whispering,

“Dad, why are we even here? He’s… my brother’s rival, isn’t he?”

Before her father could respond, Zadkiel’s voice cut through the silence like silk over steel.

“You’re sharper than you look, little kitten.”

Her head whipped toward him, eyes wide.

He smirked—slow, deliberate, already enjoying how easily he could provoke her.

Her mother cleared her throat sharply. “Let’s not delay. The agreement has already been drawn.”

Zadkiel’s father nodded, sliding a folder across the table. “The Harrison and Rylend pact, sealed by engagement.”

Aroha blinked.

“Wait… engagement?”

She looked between them—her parents… Zadkiel… no one was laughing.

Her voice cracked. “To… him?”

Zadkiel stood, slow and calculated, walking around the table until he stood behind her.

He didn’t touch her.

But she felt the heat of him. The presence. The danger wrapped in elegance.

“Yes,” he murmured, voice brushing her spine like a warning. “To me.”

Her lips parted in protest—but his hand finally rested on her shoulder.

Not harsh. Just… claiming.

"You should thank your brother," he whispered near her ear.

"His sins brought you to me. And now? You’re my collateral, little kitten."

And in that moment—between fear and fury—Aroha knew her life was no longer her own.

.

.

.

The Fallout

The door slammed behind them as the Harrisons stepped into their home.

Aroha spun around before her heels even hit the floor.

“You can’t be serious!” she cried, voice shaking with disbelief. “You engaged me to Zadkiel Rylend?!”

Her father sighed, loosening his tie like the conversation was already exhausting.

Her mother set her purse down on the table with slow, deliberate calm.

“You’ll lower your voice, Aroha.”

“I won’t!” she snapped, tears brimming. “He’s our enemy—my brother’s enemy! He’s dangerous. Cold. I don’t even know him!”

“Exactly,” her father cut in sharply. “You don’t know him. And yet you’ve already judged what you don't understand.”

Aroha’s lips parted in shock. “Dad—he threatened me. He called me ‘kitten’ like I was something to toy with—!”

Her mother turned, eyes hard.

“He could’ve crushed our family if he wanted to. Do you realize how far your brother’s feud has dragged us into debt, into danger?”

Silence hit like a slap.

Her father stepped closer now, voice firm but not unkind. “This pact is not just about you, Aroha. It’s about survival. About legacy.”

Her fists clenched at her sides. “So you’re selling me off like a pawn?”

“No,” he said simply. “We’re placing our trust in the only man ruthless enough to protect you… and powerful enough to fix what your brother broke.”

Her knees almost gave in under the weight of it. Her room never felt farther away. Her childhood? Already slipping.

“He’s not going to protect me,” she whispered. “He’s going to own me.”

Her mother’s voice lowered, firm. “Then learn how to live in a cage without rattling it too loud. Because that man… is now your future.”

And Aroha realized—

Her parents weren’t saving her.

They were handing her over to the devil and calling it mercy.

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