Bound By Blood: His Unwanted Contract Bride

The black SUVs rolled down the driveway, leaving thick tire tracks in the gravel. The sound of the engines faded, replaced by the distant crash of the Pacific Ocean.

Inside the house, Britteny was screaming.

"You let her talk to him?!" she shrieked at the maid. "You let that trash near Thurston West?!"

Darleen didn't stay to listen. She walked out the back door, the cool morning air hitting her face. Her hands were shaking. She shoved them into her pockets and walked toward the edge of the garden, where the grass met the cliff.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart.

Footsteps crunched on the gravel behind her. She turned her head. Jimmy Lynch was walking toward her, holding two steaming mugs of coffee.

He handed her one without a word. He leaned his back against the wooden railing, looking out at the ocean. His face was serious, the usual easygoing smile gone.

"Is it true?" Jimmy asked, his voice quiet but intense. "Are you really getting involved with Bernardo West?"

Darleen wrapped her hands around the warm mug. The heat bit into her palms, grounding her.

"I'm going to the island tomorrow," she said.

Jimmy moved so fast she barely saw it. He grabbed her shoulder, his fingers digging into her flesh through her thin jacket. He turned her to face him, his eyes wide with panic.

"Are you insane?" he hissed. "Bernardo West isn't a man, Darleen. He's a shark. He's a predator. He doesn't just beat his competitors, he destroys their families. He ruins lives."

"He ruined mine four years ago," Darleen said, her voice flat.

Jimmy shook his head, his grip tightening. "You don't get it. If he wants those kids, he will take them. He has the best lawyers in the country. He will bury you in court. You'll never see them again."

Darleen looked up at him. The fear in her eyes was gone, replaced by a fierce, unyielding determination.

"If he is their father," she said slowly, "do I have a choice? Do I just hand them over to him? Do I let him erase me from their lives?"

Jimmy stared at her, unable to answer.

"I have to marry him," Darleen said. "It's the only way I stay in the picture. It's the only way I keep my kids."

Jimmy let out a bitter laugh. "Bernardo West doesn't marry for kids. He doesn't marry for love. He doesn't marry at all."

"Then I'll make him," Darleen said, her jaw set. "Marriage is a contract. It's an exchange of assets. I have something he wants. I just have to make the price high enough."

Jimmy looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time. The quiet, broken girl he had known was gone. In her place stood a woman with edges like broken glass.

He sighed, letting go of her shoulder. "If he hurts you," Jimmy said softly, "I don't care how powerful he is. I will get you out. I promise."

Darleen felt a lump in her throat. She nodded. "Thank you, Jimmy. But I can handle it."

"You can't handle Meredith," Jimmy warned, glancing back at the house. "She's losing her mind in there. She won't let you rise up without a fight."

Darleen followed his gaze. Through the glass of the patio door, a shadow moved. Meredith Reynolds stood in the dim light, her face a mask of cold fury. Her hand was crushing a playing card, her knuckles white.

Meredith turned and walked away from the window.

"She can try," Darleen said.

Later that night, Darleen stood in the small bedroom, packing a single duffel bag. She didn't pack fancy clothes. She didn't pack makeup. She reached into the bottom drawer of the nightstand and pulled out a small, black flash drive.

She slipped it into the hidden pocket of her bag. It was her insurance policy.

A soft knock came at the door. Aria padded in, dragging her stuffed rabbit by the ear.

"Mommy," Aria mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Will the stinky king be there tomorrow?"

Darleen scooped her up, burying her face in her daughter's hair. The little girl smelled like strawberries and sleep.

"Yes, baby," Darleen whispered. "You'll see him."

Julian appeared in the doorway. He was cleaning his glasses on his shirt, a habit he had when he was nervous.

"I don't like him," Julian said, his voice quiet. "He makes you smell like fear."

Darleen looked at her son. She put Aria down and walked over to Julian, kneeling in front of him.

"I won't let him hurt us," she said. "I promise."

Julian nodded, but his eyes remained cold.

Darleen's phone buzzed on the bed. She picked it up. A text from an unknown number. A flight itinerary. Private jet. Van Nuys airport. 6:00 AM.

She typed back a single word: Confirmed.

She opened her photo app. She scrolled past the pictures of the kids, past the screenshots of documents, until she found the one she was looking for.

It was a blurry photo of a boarding pass. The Leviathan. Four years ago.

She stared at the screen, her thumb tracing the name of the ship.

"It's time to pay up, Bernardo West," she said to the empty room.