Chapter 1

Sarah Miller watched Ethan Vance pace their small living room.

His face was tight with worry.

"It's Sterling," Ethan said, his voice low. "He knows about the campaign funds."

Sarah's heart sank. Ethan was running for town council, his big chance.

Arthur Sterling owned half the town, and he didn't like competition.

"What does he know?" she asked.

"Enough to ruin me," Ethan said. "He says I owe him, or he'll leak it to the papers."

"Owe him what?"

Ethan wouldn't meet her eyes. "A lot. More than we have. More than we'll ever have."

He slumped onto the threadbare sofa. "My career is over before it even started."

Sarah loved Ethan. They were high school sweethearts, engaged to be married. His dreams were her dreams.

She thought of her family's small plot of land, the one her grandmother left her. It wasn't much, but it was all she had.

And her mother's locket, passed down for generations.

"There has to be a way," she said.

Ethan looked up, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "Unless... unless someone could make a deal with Sterling."

Sarah knew what that meant. Sterling was a viper.

But for Ethan, she would do anything.

She took a deep breath. "I'll go see him."

Ethan grabbed her hand. "Sarah, no. He's dangerous."

"I have to," she said. "For you. For us."

She went to Arthur Sterling's imposing office the next day.

Sterling was a large man, with cold eyes and a cruel smile.

"Miss Miller," he said, his voice like gravel. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Sarah stood tall. "I'm here about Ethan Vance."

Sterling chuckled. "Ah, the ambitious young man. He owes me a considerable sum."

"I want to make a deal," Sarah said. "To cover his debt."

Sterling leaned back, amused. "And what could a little thing like you offer me?"

Sarah placed the deed to her family's land on his desk. Then, she unclasped the antique locket from her neck.

"This land," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "And this locket. It's very old, very valuable."

Sterling picked up the locket, examining it. "A pretty trinket." He looked at the deed. "And this land... it's not worth much."

He looked at Sarah, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "But perhaps... you could work off his debt."

"Work for you?"

"In one of my factories," Sterling said. "Until the debt is cleared. It will be... educational."

The thought of working in one of Sterling's notorious sweatshops made her skin crawl. But Ethan's future...

"Alright," she said. "I agree."

Sterling smiled, a chilling sight. "Excellent. Your young man will be free to pursue his ambitions."

When Sarah told Ethan, he was overjoyed.

He hugged her tightly. "You saved me, Sarah! You saved everything!"

He kissed her, his eyes shining. "I promise, once I'm successful, I'll come back for you. We'll have that comfortable future we always talked about. This is just temporary."

Sarah clung to his words, his promise. It was the only thing that gave her strength.

She believed him. She had to.