She leaped off the mountainside while holding onto her harness. She pulled the wayward strands of caramel hair off her face, sweat still clinging to her climbing gloves as she pushed them away. Her pants were a little more baggy, giving her more room to move, and her sporty, navy blue tank top hugged her figure. She continued to be passionate about climbing despite the intense sun.

Her phone rang in her back pocket, breaking her focus. "Hello?" Still struggling for air, she answered.

"Amelia? How are you doing? Her father's hushed voice said, "We need to talk.

"Papa. I have a lot going on. Is it possible to wait?" Amelia let out a sigh, feeling as though her father called her for every minor incident.

"No, Amelia, pay attention to this. With a somewhat strange tone in his voice, he inquired, "How quickly can you get to my office?"

"Dad, I'm in the..." Amelia began to quote her location but halted when he realized her parents would be furious if they discovered she was going back to doing things they had forbidden.

"Um... I can't get there right now!" For Amelia to hear her well, she redirected her words while also raising her voice.

"I need you to get here right now. Amelia, it's essential, really crucial." She was confused by his ambiguous remarks when he told her. What on earth could be so essential that they were unable to discuss it on the phone?

***

Amelia’s POV

My straight hair was flying behind me as I walked into the office building. I looked business casual with my white chiffon top, stiletto heels, and blue trousers that hugged my legs. Before talking to my father, I flex my muscles a little, allowing my shoulders to hang rather than drop, to give myself a tiny boost of confidence.

"Good morning Miss Amelia." greeted my dad's secretary, Bella.

"Morning Bella, please inform my father of my arrival," I asked for. I was left waiting alone in the waiting area as she nodded and smiled her way back into his office.

She emerged not too long after that. "He's prepared for you, Miss Amelia," she beamingly said.

"Thank you, Bella." Grinning, I gave her a little pat on the arm and mumbled something before heading inside my dad's office.

"Good morning Dad." I smiled and said hello as soon as I entered. I approached him and threw a loving, tight hug around him. I sat down across the table from him and thought it was time for him to share his concerns.

"A day ago, I needed you here, Amelia. "Where did you go?"

"I had to take a jet to the airport after driving to it, Dad. It was already late when I arrived home after a few hours of travel. Why is it so critical that we are unable to speak over the phone?" As soon as I had finished explaining, I asked. I furrowed my brows, seeing a peculiar wave of anguish crossed his face.

"Dad, what's wrong?" I questioned as anxiety gripped me. When Dad was around me, he was rarely serious. There was a serious problem with this circumstance.

He got up and came over to me as soon as he had gathered some papers. I embraced him and cupped his face, saying, "Dad, you have my undying love. What's not right? How do I make it right?" I asked, sincere in my desire to grant his wish. Anything to ensure that his smile reappears. His face went pale, and he let out a loud exhale.

"Amelia, this business had a lot of financial difficulties when you were a younger employee. I obtained a loan from a friend who was the President of Baker Enterprises at the time. I eventually found that I was unable to make the repayment. Since Mr. Baker was one of my closest friends, he was aware of the need for us to reinvest our funds to expand. Baker's son assumed leadership after his death. Regretfully, he lacks his father's level of sympathy by far. He now threatens to take everything away until we refund every last dime. Your grandfather invested blood, sweat, and tears into this, and he worked so hard to possess it. Our family will not easily part with this enterprise because we value it too highly."

"Dad, we'll find another way; we don't have to give up the business. There are several solutions to every problem. I understand the importance of this company to you and the employment that will be lost if things don't work out. In any way I can, Dad, I'll help you rectify this. I do." I gave him a loving smile and held both of his hands, reassuring him, but the dejected expression in his eyes persisted. Seeing him looking so broken-hearted was heartbreaking. I realized that this was a serious issue. His shoulders carried the bread and butter of our family and many of our colleagues.

"If we are unable to pay him back soon, he's going to take our company but Amelia...It does not have to be so only if you could... agree to his condition." Dad said, and for a moment I furrowed my brows, attempting to figure out what all of this possibly be about. Still, I was prepared to listen to him and give it my all to support him.

"What is it?" I continued to hold his hands in mine as I asked.

I observe him hesitating for some time, darting his gaze to the left and right. Every action was tinged with contemplation. I could see he was extremely bothered by something. If only he could realize how eager I was to assist him.

"Dad, what is the problem?" I asked, putting a palm on his cheek to get him to raise his gaze back to me. I made sure to meet his eyes, showing him that I truly was prepared to assist and that it was acceptable to speak up.

"He said... He wants your hand in marriage as payment for everything we have against him."What?

"What do you mean,I apologize, Dad. I stumbled out after giving him a blank look for almost a minute. "I...I think I misheard you."

All I had to do was look at him, and his sad expression told me this was true, too real. This is not achievable! This is not the 1500s when individuals traded off their children! I removed my hands from him slowly. I gave him a long, squinting look as I watched in shock at what was becoming real. I eventually got up and moved away from him, but then I stopped abruptly and paced back and forth for a time, unable to fathom the meaning behind such a ridiculous request. It was absurd, this. I halted abruptly, turned to face him, and shook my head while placing both of my hands on my hips.

"Let me get this right... This very same man wants to... he's ready to forget everything, all we owe him if only I accept his marriage proposal?" I questioned a little dried out about the whole thing.

Dad nodded his head in agreement as I watched. I moved my hands off my hips and folded them across my chest, my brows furrowing slightly.

"And what? What did you say? Have you accepted his proposal, or not? Abruptly curious to find out if my father was involved, I questioned. Was he prepared to abandon me in this way? Dad stood up from his seat and came over to me, his eyes widening for a brief moment before he shook his head.

"Amelia, Naturally, no. I informed him that I could not hand my little girl over to the devil. After giving it some thought, Amelia, I decided to change my mind and say yes." He gazed directly into my eyes as he explained, but he quickly withdrew his gaze.

"Amelia, you inherited this corporation, and so did your sister. If everything was destroyed in an instant, your grandfather would be a complete embarrassment." He said, but I didn't say anything; instead, I watched and tried to figure out where he was traveling. He turned back to look at me.

"Many workers, including Bella, will lose their jobs. They won't be able to provide for their family in the same way as before. Much is at stake in this." He continued, and all I could do was look at him. His conclusion dawned on me gradually.

"You want me to wed a man who I know absolutely nothing about? An absolute stranger? His odd choice to give me up instead surprised me so much that I asked. He touched my shoulder with both of his hands.

"Amelia...I'm not...You're not being forced to wed him by me. All I'm asking is that you consider the lives that would be lost should you reject this idea." He made an effort to clarify, but as he talked more, I continued to shake my head in shock. I stepped back, shrugging my shoulders to get his hands off me.

I looked at the man I've called father for years and shook my head in astonishment. The one person in this world, more than anyone else, I trusted to protect me. This same man was prepared to cast me into the lake of fire to improve everyone else. In actuality, though... I was unsure of my ability to make such a significant commitment. I mean, I'm so not ready for this.

"I can't believe you," I told him, continuing to shake my head. I ignored him, didn't give him another time to speak, grabbed my purse from where I had left it, and ran out of his office without turning around.

I reexamined my entire life when I was sitting in my car. Anger boiled from the inside out; I never had any issues with my dad. We'd never put too much pressure on one another. I realized that he was in a dire situation, and it was him speaking from his workplace. I simply couldn't allow him to try to reason with me because I was so overcome with emotion. To be honest, I detested seeing him so defenseless, knocked out, and abused, but this was my life, after all. Matrimony is not a game for kids. It's not a matter that can be resolved quickly. We're not in a tango here, as it takes two to dance. I took a deep breath and hated this exact moment in my life. This could not end this way. I had to take action. Maybe a little conversation with this peculiar individual would help to get everything back on track. I'll have to talk sense into his head and show him that I wasn't a coward who would merely follow his orders out of fear. I shifted into drive and headed out, mentally bracing myself for whatever was ahead.