I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "And if I say no?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my efforts to remain calm. Simon's smile widened, a cold, calculating smile that sent chills down my spine. "Then we'll make sure you regret it," he said simply. "We have ways of making people disappear, Zara. You wouldn’t be the first."
The weight of his words hung in the air, suffocating me. I knew I was trapped. I could either take the fall and hope that Simon kept his promise to marry me and reduce my sentence, or refuse and face a fate even worse than prison. My options were grim, but I had to make a choice.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I nodded. "Fine," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'll do it. But you better keep your promise, Simon. Because if you don’t, I swear I’ll find a way to make you pay."
Simon nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now, let's get this over with," he said, motioning for Scarlett to get up. "Scarlett, stop crying. Zara's going to take care of everything, just like always." Scarlett stood up, wiping her tears and gave me a grateful look. "Thank you, Zara," she said, her voice filled with false sincerity. "You’re saving my life."