No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 30- Truth

"She's their next target," my father finished.

A lump formed in my throat.

I imagined Mikha-her smile, her laughter, the way she looked at me like I was her whole world.

I imagined that world crashing down.

I imagined her being chased, harassed, threatened. Losing everything she worked for.

All because of me.

"All it takes is one word from us," my mother said smoothly. "One call, and her life will turn into a nightmare."

I felt sick.

"Are you really ready to see the girl you love suffer because of your selfishness, Aiah?"

My breathing turned ragged.

This wasn't fair.

I wanted to fight. I wanted to scream, to tell them that I would never let them hurt her.

But I wasn't stupid.

I knew what my parents were capable of.

They weren't bluffing.

They would do it.

And I couldn't-I wouldn't-let them ruin Mikha's life because of me.

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of my own helplessness.

For the first time in my life, I had no way out.

"You know how powerful we are, Aiah," my father said, his voice slow and deliberate. "Mikha is just a little shit to us-nothing more."

"She doesn't belong in your world," my mother added coldly. "She never will."

My hands curled into fists.

I wanted to scream at them, tell them that Mikha was worth more than every single corrupt deal they had ever made. That she was worth more than this entire family put together.

But I knew it wouldn't matter.

Because to them, Mikha was nothing.

And to me, she was everything.

"You can threaten me all you want," I said, my voice shaking with anger. "But I won't let you touch her."

My father smirked. "Oh, Aiah. You still don't get it, do you?" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "This isn't a negotiation."

My mother's eyes gleamed with amusement. "You have two choices, sweetheart."

"Either you do as we say," my father continued, "and marry Adrian like you were supposed to-"

"Or you watch as Mikha's life falls apart piece by piece," my mother finished, a cruel smile on her lips.

I felt like the air had been knocked out of my lungs.

I had no choice.

If I stayed with Mikha, she would suffer.

If I left her... I would suffer.

But between the two of us, I knew who deserved to be protected.

And it wasn't me.

I stormed out of my parents' house, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst. My hands were shaking as I gripped my phone, my parents' threats echoing in my head.

"Either you do as we say... or you watch as Mikha's life falls apart."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. No. I wouldn't let that happen. I would rather destroy myself than let them hurt her.