Chapter 1 Choose Between The Four

• Leah’s POV
• "No! Let go of me! Please! I’m begging you!"
• I screamed over and over. My heart was beating fast. I was scared. I didn't know what was going to happen to me. I was being taken away!
• "Be quiet and come with us. You have no choice!" one of the men said. His voice was scary. I knew not to argue with him. I was really scared. I don’t know what they would do to me.
• The ride didn't take long. Soon, the car stopped, and I heard the door open. I felt hands pulling me out. I couldn't see because my eyes were covered, and my hands were tied, but my legs were free. They took me forward, holding my arms tight.
• “We just need to take her inside. The boss has been calling for us. He's been asking about the girl,” one of them said.
• “We made sure she’s the right one, didn’t we?”
• “Yes, she’s exactly what the boss asked for.”
• I didn't understand what they were saying. Are they talking about me? The boss? Who are they talking about? And who is this boss?
• Suddenly, I heard a door open, and they pushed me inside. I fell down, coughing as I hit the ground hard. I tried to feel around, but all I could touch was the cold floor.
• “W-Who are you? Please, let me go. I need to go home. My parents are probably looking for me!” I begged. But they didn't listen. I could feel them around me, watching me.
• Then, I heard another voice—a voice I didn't know.
• "Your family is under our control. You have no choice but to do what we say."
• I froze when I heard that voice. It was deep and strong. My heart beat faster when I heard it. Before I could ask anything, someone took the cover off my eyes. Slowly, I could see again. I was surprised—my mouth opened wide.
• I was inside a mansion
• This was the biggest, fanciest house I had ever seen. The ceilings were very high, and lights hung from them, shining brightly. It was like I was in a different world, a world I couldn't imagine. I didn't know where I was, why they brought me here, or why they took me away.
• Suddenly, another voice spoke, sounding unsure.
• "Are you sure she’s the one? Is she the woman we’re looking for?"
• The voice came from a different direction, and when I looked, I saw four men standing in front of me. They were all tall and strong.
• They were wearing nice suits, and they looked important. I swallowed hard and took a step back, but I couldn't move because two men were holding my arms, keeping me from running away.
• “W-Who are you? What do you want from me?!” I shouted. I was scared. I was trying to figure out where I was and who these men were, but one thing was clear—this place was not safe.
• My throat went dry as the four men came closer. They were all looking at me, and the way they looked at me made me shiver. Two of them were wearing white polo—one with his sleeves rolled up, the other tucked in. The other two were wearing dark coats, one black and the other blue. They all wore black pants and glazed shoes, the kind you see in an office. But they looked scary, like they were used to getting what they wanted.
• As they stopped in front of me, the man in the middle, on the right, nodded to the two men holding me. I noticed him pointing toward the door. The two men let go of me.
• And since my legs were weak from fear, I fell to the floor, alone with these four men.
• I stayed on the floor, my legs shaking and my heart beating fast. The four men stood in front of me, looking at me. Before I could say anything, one of them stepped forward. He was tall, with strong features. His eyes were cold, like he was looking through me. He finally spoke.
• "Greetings, Leah Johnson," he said. His voice was scary. My name sounded like he knew me for a long time, even though I didn't know him.
• "I am Lucian Vortega," he said, nodding slightly, and smiled a little. He then looked at the other men before looking back at me.
• "Welcome to the Vortega Mansion," Lucian continued. "You are now, and will forever be, part of the Vortega family."
• I shook my head, not believing what he said. I tried to move back, but I was still on the floor, my hands behind me, trying to crawl away. They were scary, making me feel small and weak.
• "I-I don’t understand. What do you mean I’m part of the Vortega family? Who are you?" I asked. I was confused and scared. I needed answers.
• But instead of answering, one of the men, the one on the far left, came closer to me. He surprised me, and I froze. He bent down and offered his hand to help me up. I blinked, not knowing what to do.
• He smiled at me—a really nice smile that would make any women fell in love. His smile was the kind that could make you forget you were scared.
• "Here, let me help you up."
• Before I could say anything, another man—he looked mean—interrupted. His voice was sharp.
• "Who the hell said you could help her?" His eyes narrowed as he looked at the man offering his hand. "She can stand up by herself, can’t she?"
• "Easy, Damon," another one, calmer, stepped forward. "Rafael just wanted to help. He wasn’t doing anything else. We need to stay calm here, alright? We need to convince her, not scare her."
• They were arguing, but I saw my chance. While they were busy, I quietly moved my body and tried to stand up.
• This was my only chance.
• I stood up, shaking from fear, and started to walk toward the door. My hand was almost on the handle when that deep voice spoke again.
• "Where do you think you’re going, Leah?"
• I froze.
• Lucian. His voice was sharp. My heart beat faster when I looked back. They were still there. But even from far away, he was scary. I was so close to the door, so close to what I thought was freedom. But something told me it wouldn't be easy.
• My hand was on the door handle, but I was confused. Nothing made sense.
• I turned the handle, but before I could open the door, Lucian spoke again.
• "You can’t escape the house once you’re inside." He sounded sure of himself. "We’ve made sure of that. All the ways out are guarded. Even the windows, even the secret tunnels."
• "Wait, we have secret tunnels?" the man who had tried to calm the others asked, surprised.
• "Xander, shut up," Lucian growled, still looking at me. Then, he started walking toward me, his hands in his pockets, looking at me intensely.
• I gulped, my throat tightening as he came closer. The closer he got, the alarming it felt. I tried to stand tall, but my body was shaking. By the time he stopped in front of me, I was pressed against the door.
• Lucian didn't touch me. He just stood there, close to my face, looking down at me. His eyes... I couldn't understand them. He looked at me like he was studying me, but also hiding something.
• He leaned in a little, his breath on my cheek. "We know who you are, Leah," he whispered. "That’s why we brought you here. Our people were told to find you, and now, you’re with us."
• My heart was beating so loud I thought they could hear it.
• "What... what do you want from me?" I barely managed to say, scared.
• Lucian smirked. It was a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Simple," he said. "You’ll do exactly what we want, or your family will pay the price."
• My eyes widened. My family? "What did you do to them? Don’t tell me you—"
• "We have your family," Lucian interrupted. "They don’t even know they’re involved yet. But if you defy us..." His hand moved, and he snapped his fingers. "Just like that, they’ll be gone."
• Tears came to my eyes. I was scared. "Please... please don’t hurt them," I whispered, my voice breaking.
• One of the other men, the one who had offered his hand earlier—Rafael, if I remembered right—finally spoke again. "Don’t worry, Leah. We won’t hurt them... as long as you do what we ask." His voice was smoother, but it didn't make me feel better.
• I felt their eyes on me, their demands pressing down on me. I had no idea what they really wanted from me. What could I possibly give them?
• "What... what do you want me to do?" I finally asked, my voice very soft.
• The man with the cold eyes, the one who had been quiet until now, stepped forward. His stare was cold, and when he spoke, his words shocked me.
• "It’s simple, Leah. You need to choose between the four of us... who you will marry."