I stared at her, unable to believe the words leaving her lips. “Marry me,” Eleanor said, her blue eyes cold and calculating. “I’ll erase every debt you have… but you’ll be mine.” My heart raced. Was this salvation or a trap? Could I really betray my pride to save my family? The rain outside mirrored my turmoil. One wrong move, and everything could crumble—but what choice did I truly have?
Mark Davis trudged along the slick streets of a small Texas college town, the gray sky above mirroring the weight pressing down on his shoulders. At twenty-three, he was juggling the final year of law school, a part-time job, and the crushing debts left behind by his late father. Each step felt heavier than the…