The Engagement Day
Ava's pov
The first rays of sunlight barely touched Ava's room when she woke, her eyes snapping open as if she had been lying in a nightmare all night. Today—the engagement day—had finally arrived. The reality hit her like a cold wave: in a matter of hours, her life would change forever. Two days had felt like an eternity, yet it had passed in a blur of panic, phone calls, and endless preparation.
Ava swung her legs off the bed, her hands trembling. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, feeling like a stranger. Her hair, her makeup, her dress—none of it seemed enough. How could she possibly face her parents, or Sebastian, with the confidence they expected her to have?
Her phone buzzed. It was a message from him: Be ready. Noon. Don't be late.
Her stomach turned over. She had tried to prepare, tried to plan, but nothing she imagined felt sufficient. She tried breathing exercises, pacing the room, even muttering rehearsed phrases, but every attempt dissolved into panic. Two days. Forty-eight hours. And now it had come down to this.
Downstairs, she could hear the faint shuffle of movement. Her parents had already arrived, and she could hear the soft sound of her younger brother, Liam, moving about nervously. He was only fourteen, wide-eyed and innocent, yet he always seemed to sense tension in the air before anyone else did.
Ava's chest tightened. They were furious. She could feel it radiating from the living room.
She descended slowly, each step heavier than the last. Liam noticed her first.
"Are you okay, Ava?" he asked quietly, stepping close to her. "Mom and Dad… they're really mad."
"I know, Liam," she whispered, kneeling briefly to gather his small hand in hers. "I… I just need you to stay calm. Okay? Just… stay calm."
Liam nodded, though his eyes were wide with worry. "I'll try."
Ava stood and straightened, taking a deep breath. When she finally entered the living room, the weight of her parents' disapproval hit her like a physical force. Arms crossed. Lips pressed into thin lines. Eyes sharp and cold. Ava felt small, insignificant, exposed.
"Mom… Dad…" Her voice wavered as she approached.
Her mother's gaze was cutting. "Ava. You're really doing this. To someone we don't even know."
"Yes," Ava whispered. "I know it's fast. I know it's sudden. But… please. Just listen. That's all I'm asking."
Her father's jaw tightened. "Listen? We've already heard enough. Someone we've never met cleared our debts, and now… our daughter is engaged to him? Ava, this is absurd!"
"I… I don't know him fully," Ava admitted, her throat tight. "But… I trust him. Please… just hear him out."
Her mother's voice trembled with anger. "Hear him out? Ava… no! We don't know him! Who clears debts for people they've never met? This isn't right. You… you could be making a huge mistake!"
"I… I just…" Ava's voice cracked. "I didn't choose the timing. I didn't choose how fast… but please… just try to understand. He's serious."
Her father's glare didn't soften. "Serious? Ava, you're talking about a stranger paying off our debts! How is that serious?"
Her mother cut in sharply, trembling with fury. "You have betrayed us! You're engaged to a man we don't know, in two days, and you expect us to accept it because he paid some money?"
Ava's hands shook so badly she almost dropped her phone. Liam stepped forward, his small voice breaking the tension slightly.
"Mom… Dad… maybe we should just… wait and see?" he said quietly. "I don't think Ava would lie to us."
Her parents shot him a look. Her mother's lips pressed tighter. "Liam, this is not your concern," she said sharply, though her voice held a trace of uncertainty.
Ava knelt beside her brother. "Thank you, Liam. That means a lot," she whispered, squeezing his hand. He gave a small nod, trying to be brave.
A soft knock at the door echoed through the hall. Ava's stomach dropped. Then, without waiting for a reply, he entered. Sebastian.
He didn't rush. He didn't fumble. He stepped inside with measured confidence, his presence alone shifting the energy of the room.
Ava's heart stuttered. There he is.
He looked at her parents once, sharply, and that was enough to make them straighten in their seats. Her mother shifted uncomfortably. Her father's jaw tightened. Sebastian didn't smile. He didn't speak. He just exuded authority, calm and precise, like a storm contained in a human frame.
"Good afternoon," he said finally, his voice smooth and commanding. "I'm Sebastian."
Her parents looked at each other, their disapproval visible but muted. Liam stared, wide-eyed, sensing the strange energy that seemed to make even adults hesitate.
"I understand this is sudden," Sebastian continued, his gaze sweeping the room and lingering briefly on Ava. "But everything is arranged. There's no need to worry about anything else. I take care of things."
Ava felt her stomach flip. The way he spoke—calm, precise, yet undeniably powerful—made her feel both terrified and strangely safe. She realized then that he didn't need to raise his voice. His presence alone demanded attention. Even her parents, who had been so resolute in their anger, shifted slightly under his subtle authority. Liam seemed almost mesmerized, though he tried not to show it.
The engagement itself was a whirlwind. Every detail, every movement, every glance seemed orchestrated perfectly. Ava barely had time to breathe. She could feel Sebastian's eyes on her constantly, calm, observant, guiding her without words.
When it came time for her parents to speak—or object—they hesitated. Every objection she expected dissolved under the weight of Sebastian's presence. He didn't even need to speak harshly. He didn't need to threaten. The air around him carried the weight of command, and her parents, despite their anger, couldn't oppose it.
Liam stayed close to Ava, quietly holding her hand when she felt panic rising. His presence was a small comfort, but she still felt overwhelmed.
Ava's heart raced. She felt simultaneously relieved and terrified. Relieved because her parents hadn't walked out. Terrified because she realized just how much control he wielded, without ever seeming forceful.
After the engagement concluded, Ava retreated to a quiet corner, hands still trembling.
Sebastian approached, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. "You did well," he said softly, almost casually, but she could feel the weight behind it. "Your parents didn't leave. That's progress."
"I…" Ava's voice faltered. "I don't know how you did that. They… they should've been furious."
He smiled faintly. "I just made sure nothing interfered. You were already worried enough. Don't let anyone else control your nerves."
Ava wanted to ask who exactly he was, what power allowed him to calm her parents with just a presence—but she didn't. Something told her the answers were complicated… and dangerous.
She swallowed hard. Two days. Forty-eight hours. And she had survived. But she realized then, with a mix of fear and curiosity, that surviving Sebastian's world was going to be much harder than she had ever imagined.
The day didn't end there. Every time she thought she could breathe, Sebastian's presence reminded her of how little she controlled. He organized everything—refreshments, seating, even the smallest details of the engagement ceremony—with quiet precision. Ava noticed how everyone obeyed him instantly, how the staff moved without hesitation, how the room seemed to bend subtly to his will. She didn't understand it, and yet, she couldn't look away.
She felt herself drawn to him in ways she couldn't name. Fear, admiration, confusion—all tangled together, making her pulse race. He was calm, commanding, precise, and yet… utterly enigmatic.
By nightfall, Ava sank into bed, exhausted and overwhelmed. The day had been a storm, and she had survived—but barely. She knew, somewhere deep down, that this was only the beginning. Two days had been enough to change everything, but she sensed that the real challenges—those she couldn't yet see—were still ahead.
She closed her eyes, trembling, heart still racing. And in the quiet darkness, she realized the truth: there was no turning back. She had no one but him. And that… that might not even be enough.