Chapter 1 Genesis

CHAPTER 1

Selena Jones stood in front of her room window reminiscing on the days she had with her mother.

The night breeze rushed past her face through the window, as she thought of her mother's last words: "You'll always be my treasure, Selena".

What followed those words was silence. Her mother had breathed her last.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she relived those heartbreaking moments.

As far as she was concerned, cancer was a jerk. With her finger, she traced the letters on her left arm where she had tattooed her mother's name. Elizabeth.

This was her reality now. A life without her mother, now a life with a gambling addict she called father who was putting both their lives at risk.

While she was still soaked in her thoughts, a knock came. Loud. Not persistent.

She dashed to the door of the sitting room. It had to be her dad. "Dad, you really need to stop coming home late. You could put all our-"

Just before she could finish her sentence, she looked up. It wasn't her dad. Rather, standing before her were two men in black. No smiles. Just faces covered in black shades and frowns.

"Wh...who are you?" She stammered. Almost biting her lips due to fear.

"Tell your father we're here, Selena."

She gasped. How did these men know her name?

"My father is not here!"

One of the men laughed. A cold laughter.

Selena wondered what was funny.

"When he returns from whatever dungeon he went to, pass this warning to him. He has five days to pay the amount he owes or he'll get what's coming to him."

They turned and left. She hurriedly shut the door and looked at it like she had just seen a ghost.

That message struck her in ways she could not describe.

Her father was putting their lives in danger.

What if these men came to harm her?

She stood by the door, still visibly shaken by what had just happened even after they had left.

"This is Samuel, please leave a message"

Voicemail.

That was the response she got as she dialed her dad's number for the umpteenth time.

She hoped her father wasn't in any danger. Though his actions were questionable, she still cared for him.

The next morning, she got a call from an unknown number. She looked at the phone screen for a few seconds then answered.

"Miss Selena. This is Joseph McCarthy."

"I'm not sure I know who you are."

"Your father does and we have unfinished business"

"But what has this got to do with m-"

Selena hardly finished her question before he cut in.

"Oh, everything. Meet me at Haven's cafe tomorrow. 12pm."

Before she could respond, the line went dead.

She stood, frozen, and wondered what her world had become.

***********************************************

The doors of Haven's cafe opened to her with the smell of coffee filling the air as she walked in.

She wore a loosely fitted chiffon top and tight blue jeans that accentuated her curves. Her hair was knotted up in a loose, messy bun.

She stood for a while, scanning the environment to see where Joseph was sitting.

Just in time, she turned to her left to see him beckoning to her.

She walked with grace and confidence towards where he was sitting. Her beautiful blonde hair bounced on her shoulders as she moved.

Few heads turned to look at her.

It was hard not to notice her.

She had a soft presence wherever she found herself, no matter how simple she appeared.

She was beautiful, inside and out.

There he was, sipping coffee.

Looking devilishly handsome with eyes that showed no emotion but could make any woman fall for him in seconds.

He didn't stand but his height was undeniable despite his sitting position.

If she didn't know better, she'd think she was meeting with a Greek god.

"Why am I here?" Selena finally found her voice after snapping back to reality from taking in all of him.

"To finish what your father started."

"I certainly am unaware of your business with my father."

"Oh, he owes me. And it's certainly no small amount. From the look of things, he won't be able to meet the deadline."

"What do I have to do with all of that?"

"A lot, Selena"

"How much does my father owe you?"

Something that looked like a smile appeared in the corner of his lips.

"Four hundred thousand pounds." He responded, almost scoffing.

Selena shifted in her chair. She could feel her throat tighten.

"Can you please give us more time? I'll double my shift and get you your money. Just don't hurt my father."

Joseph let out a dry laugh and shook his head. Then he leaned towards the table opposite Selena and gave her a look that resembled genuine pity.

"We both know you won't be able to come up with that amount, even in months. So, I'll make this easy for you, Selena. Marry me and give me an heir and in return, your father's debt is cancelled."

Selena let out a dry laugh.

"You're joking, right?"

"I certainly do not have the luxury of time to sit around in a cafe, making jokes. I'm a busy man."

"I'll never do what you're asking. Are you crazy?"

"You see, the thing is that I'm not asking. I'm only helping you make a wise decision."

Selena looked at him with disdain.

"Selena, you're well aware of the consequences of rejecting this offer right? This is the most generous I've been in a long while."

She was silent. Tears brimming in her eyes. He was right.

She didn't have that kind of money to pay for her father.

Right there, she wished for the ground to open up and swallow her.

"I'll give you three days. After which you'll decide your father's fate. The ball is right now in your court."

Joseph took out a small card from his breast pocket and slipped it over to Selena's side of the glass table.

"That's my business card. Come over to my office at that address written there and we'll go over the contract for you to sign."

Selena didn't look up. She kept staring into space like she was unaware of her environment.

"I'm hoping you'd make a wise decision."

Joseph finalized his statement. Then he stood up, straightened his expensive suit jacket, and walked out, leaving Selena in her thoughts.

Selena's journey back home from the cafe was filled with deep thoughts and uncertainties.

Her father had made wrong choices in life and had put her in the middle of it.

Here she was, being offered as a sacrificial lamb.

If she hesitated, she could lose her dad and she cared about him too much to lose him, regardless of his mistakes.

*********************************************

Selena got home to find the door slightly ajar.

The smell of alcohol filled the air, welcoming her into a familiar but disturbing environment her father had created.

He was not only a gambling addict, but he was also married to alcohol.

She found him sitting on the couch, bottles lying everywhere on the floor of the sitting room like he had just had a party with drunk masters.

"Dad!". She mouthed his title with a hint of anger in her voice.

"Tell me, for how long are you planning to live like this?"

"I'm sorry I'm not the kind of father you deserve, baby girl.'' Guilt and regret laced his voice as he spoke.

"Oh, shall we talk about the transaction you made behind my back? You freaking sold me!"

Selena spoke with tears freely flowing down her cheeks, almost screaming.

"What was the end game, huh? That I marry a total stranger and you move on with your life like nothing happened?"

"Selena, dear-"

"Don't you 'dear' me!" She screamed. Her voice was trembling.

"Look, this wasn't easy for me as well. But he brought a good deal."

Selena stared at him in shock. Like it was some stranger and not her father who was right before her.

"You've got to be kidding me." Selena breathed. Almost choked with tears.

"One year, Selena. He's wealthy and is more capable of taking care of you than I ever have."

"Yeah, you must be proud of yourself now, aren't you?". She was sarcastic.

"All you have to do is cooperate, give him the heir he needs, and at the expiration of one year, you're free."

Selena stared at him in anger. Her eyes were red with rage. She felt like her heart was about to explode.

"How do you sit down there, with these words easily coming out of your mouth like you didn't just use your own daughter as collateral?"

Selena's father broke down after hearing those words come out of her mouth.

He stood up and walked towards her. Guilt was written all over his face.

"Please, Selena. I understand your anger-

"Do you?"

There was silence.

"What happens if I refuse?"

He sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. Sadness engulfed him.

"Our lives will be in danger. They could make us disappear. These people are powerful, Selena."

************************************************

Selena sat on her bed, carefully studying the business card Joseph gave her, like she was hoping to find some detail aside from his contact information that was written there.

She had read about the McCarthy family in the newspaper. They were a wealthy family. No drama. No controversy.

Joseph hardly made it to the news. He made sure he was off the radar. He didn't like the spotlight.

A serious-minded businessman, crushing deals and staying away from drama.

She was going to see him tomorrow, and then her fate would be decided. The irony was that it was all in her hands now.

She took out her mother's picture from her drawer and ran her fingers through the picture. Tears filled her eyes.

"Mom, I'm sure you'd be disappointed in me right now. I'm about to go sell myself."