Page 58 of Bought By Santa

Alan laughs harder, even slapping his stomach. “That’s the place. Your sister’s fiancé was very insistent, so I’ve pulled some strings. There’s a spot open for you if you want it.”

Before Will can answer, I inject. “Umm, if this is something you’d rather take your time to—”

“No way,” she almost shouts. “There’s nothing to think about. That place is the dream. If I can get a spot there, I’ll take it.”

“Fantastic,” Alan says.

Then she looks up at me, the light dimming slightly in her eyes. “I mean, can we afford it?”

“The spot we’re holding for you is part of a program that helps those who need it. All your expenses will be taken care of,” Alan lies smoothly.

Before I left this morning, I made Nick call ahead to make sure Will never finds out we’re paying for her spot. Not that she isn’t worth it, but I know my sister well enough to know she’d feel extremely uncomfortable. And now, since she seems to know a lot about the place, I don’t regret that decision.

If the money wasn’t for Will, I’d never accept after learning how many zeroes are needed just to cover the monthly expenses. But… for my sister, I’ll swallow my pride.

“Actually, I’m headed over there within the hour. Would you like to come with me?” Alan asks her.

“Yes!” She fist pumps the air and smiles widely.

“Do you want me to come with you?” I ask.

To my surprise, she shakes her head. “No. If it’s okay with you, I want to go by myself. But I’ll totally call you later.”

Hours after saying goodbye to Will and Alan, I’m back in Nick’s apartment, sitting alone in the spacious living room. After checking my phone every minute for updates from my sister, I retrieved Sienna’s diary, needing to know more about this family I’ve apparently agreed to marry into.

I still don’t know how I feel about that.

Overwhelmed, confused, dizzy—like the earth is spinning too fast on its axis, and I’m just expected to keep up with it. Butwhat’s more is that I think I want to. I like what I have with Nick, and even though I probably shouldn’t, I feel safe with him.

It’s more than that, though. It’s like every minute with him is an exciting exploration, a test of wills and strength. Despite not having any power of my own, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more capable or strong than I do with him.

I know it makes no sense that I accepted his proposal—his claim—when I don’t even know if I love him. Honestly, that’s part of the thrill.

They expect us to be broodmares, nothing more.

I feel the weight of their gaze, ever-present, calculating my worth by my ability to produce an heir…

There’s no date on the first fifty entries or so. I guess that makes sense since it sounds like she was locked up. Caspian’s words from the family dinner echo in my head; Sienna was bought at some kind of twisted human auction. Yeah, of course she wouldn’t know the date, and depending on how long she was held captive, maybe not even the year.

Today it happened. I was bought like I was an item to be bid on rather than a person.

My new owner’s name is Caspian, and he says I can call him that. The way he said it made it sound like a big deal, and I suppose it is. At the place they held us before the auction, they told us to never assume we were allowed to use our owner’s name.

The expectations are clear: I’m here to be his wife and to provide heirs.

The weight of that expectation is heavy. They say it’s vital for the family, for the legacy, but it feels like a lot to bear.

What if I can’t fulfill that role? What if something goes wrong? I’m afraid that failing to meet these expectations might mean more than just disappointment…

Then, I finally get to an entry with a date, but no year. Did Caspian not tell her what year it was? Or did she simply not want to commemorate it in her diary?

July 10th

Caspian seems to have a genuine interest in me, but can I trust that this is more than just a duty to him?

The way he talks about the future, it’s as if there’s no room for personal connection or genuine affection—just an obligation to produce heirs and maintain the family line.

I want to believe there’s more to this, that there can be warmth and understanding between us.

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