Chapter 6. Make a Deal Too

"You're home already? How strange, you're usually home late at night." Stella remarked upon entering the rental house and seeing Mia sitting on the carpet playing with her cell phone.

"I have something to talk to you about." Mia said, putting down the phone and looking at Stella seriously.

"Same here, I want to talk to you too." Stella replied, settling down on the carpet.

"Well, you go ahead and talk."

"No, Mia. What I have to say will take some time, so please, you go ahead." Stella suggested.

"What I have to say will also be lengthy."

"Instead of debating about it, why don't you go first? I promise to listen no matter how long it takes. We have plenty of time anyway. So, what's on your mind?"

"Okay." Mia replied, her eyes briefly closing as she caught her breath. Then, she fixed her gaze on Stella. "Damian came to see me earlier."

"Huh? What?" Stella exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. "What did he want?"

"He proposed a deal." Mia explained.

"A deal? What kind of deal?"

"He offered to return some of our property and pay off our debt to Mr. William. In exchange, he asked for a 25 percent share of the property. We negotiated the percentage."

"What? Negotiating the percentage? Hold on! You... agreed to the deal?" Stella's voice rose with incredulity.

Mia nodded.

"Geez, Mia!" exclaimed Stella, clearly agitated.

"Please, hear me out before you get upset. I can explain. Getting 25 percent is significant, Stella. It means we'll have a stake in our property again. We can return to our house and stop struggling in this cramped rental. Plus, we won't have to worry about debt collectors anymore. Once we're back home, we can reclaim all our belongings, just like Damian did."

"Do you really think Damian is that naive? He's not as foolish as you believe, Mia! He must have thought this through. How could a seasoned criminal like him slip up and let the police into his house? Think logically! He wouldn't have let his guard down after our break-in."

"Yes, but..." Mia began, trailing off.

"What kind of deal did you agree to, huh?"

"Well, I... I had to agree to marry him and become his wife." Mia reluctantly admitted.

"What?" Stella's eyes widened in disbelief. "Marry?"

Mia nodded.

"And you just went along with it?" Stella turned away, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips before facing Mia again. "You were the one who said that guy was no good, and now you're sealing the deal by marrying him. You're out of your mind, Mia!"

"Because I'm tired of being chased by debt collectors, Stella! I just want to return to the peaceful life we used to have. I want to live comfortably in our luxurious home again. I want to eat well, sleep well, and be at ease. Not like now, struggling with basic necessities, sleeping on the floor."

"But Mia, the debt has been paid off!" Stella exclaimed, her frustration evident in her voice.

"What? H-how? Paid off?" Mia's expression shifted to one of confusion and disbelief as she looked at Stella.

"Because I made a deal too!" Stella revealed.

"What?" Mia stared at Stella, her shock palpable. "So, does that mean... Damian is going to marry you too?"

"The deal was indeed a wedding, but not with Damian. He offered me a similar arrangement yesterday, but I immediately refused. I refuse to marry a man who was involved in the death of our parents. I won't even entertain the idea of being intimate with him. It disgusts me just to think about it." Stella explained, her voice filled with determination.

Mia remained silent, absorbing Stella's words.

"What I wanted to discuss with you is about this deal." Stella continued.

"If not Damian, then who did you agree to marry?"

"Mr. Marvin, the CEO of Esther Company," Stella revealed. "And he has already settled our debt with Mr. William."

"Why didn't you discuss it with me first? Why did you agree to the deal without consulting me?" Stella questioned, her tone tinged with frustration.

"And what about you? You didn't inform me either, you just went ahead and accepted the deal." Mia retorted, her gaze fixed on the ground.

Stella sighed deeply. "I didn't agree to the deal solely because I wanted to regain a comfortable life. There were other circumstances at play. I actually asked him to give me time to consider his proposal and consult with you. But as I was leaving his office, I encountered the debt collectors again. I panicked and returned to the office, only to find them waiting for me. It seemed like they were waiting to apprehend me. Faced with that pressure, I felt compelled to accept Mr. Marvin's offer. He promptly transferred funds to William to settle our debt."

The explanation provided context for Stella's decision, shedding light on the urgency and pressure she faced in that moment.

"But why would he help us? We have no connection to him whatsoever." Mia asked.

"He didn't disclose the reason before he had to leave for a meeting, but he mentioned having a purpose." Stella explained. "I also suspect he holds a grudge against Damian."

"And you... why? Why did you agree to the deal without discussing it with me first?" Stella demanded. "You should have talked to me before making such a decision."

"I felt like we had no other options. I'm exhausted from constantly being pursued! Plus, I saw it as an opportunity to infiltrate and potentially strategize to reclaim what's rightfully ours." Mia said.

"But Damian is cunning, Mia!" Stella's frustration was evident in her voice. "I don't want to hear it. Cancel the deal! Mr. Marvin is a more trustworthy ally because he shares our objectives. I trust him because he immediately fulfilled his promise by settling our debt. I even set conditions, and he agreed to them," she insisted.

Mia remained silent, her guilt weighing heavily on her.

"He even terminated the partnership with Mr. William's company after settling our debt, despite the potential loss in profits. He did it for us, which proves his reliability. Plus, with his power, we can reclaim what's rightfully ours from Damian's grasp," Stella continued, her frustration evident.

Mia remained silent, her remorse deepening.

"Just cancel the deal!" Stella demanded.

"How can I cancel it? I've already signed the papers." Mia confessed.

"What?! Are you out of your mind?"

"I'm sorry, Stella." Mia uttered regretfully.

Stella exhaled, her gaze filled with disappointment as she looked at her sister.

"What am I supposed to do?" Mia's voice wavered.

"I don't know!"

Mia closed her eyes, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of her mistake.

Continued...