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CHAPTER 21
Title: The Day I Was Chosen
POV: Florida (Flashback)
> "You're not being punished, Florida. You're being... useful."
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It was raining the day the Kings came for her.
Not a soft drizzle, but an angry storm that hit the windows like thrown pebbles. Florida stood on the porch of the Smith estate, soaked to the bone after her shift at the hotel. Her part-time pay still sat in her coat pocket, damp, wrinkled, and unimportant.
She stepped inside the mansion, water trailing behind her — and froze.
There were suitcases by the door.
Three. None of them hers.
She turned slowly. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
No one greeted her.
Her father stood by the staircase with a phone in his hand and an unreadable expression.
Her stepmother leaned against the wall, arms crossed, as if this were a formality, not a decision.
And Vivienne — her perfect half-sister — lounged on the couch with freshly curled hair and a silk robe, eating strawberries like it was a private show.
> "She's back," her father said flatly. "Tell them to come in."
Florida blinked. "Tell who—?"
The doors opened behind her. Two tall men in black entered. No introductions. No emotion. Just silent, expensive shoes crossing the marble.
> "What is this?" she whispered.
Her father stepped forward, adjusting his cufflinks like a man about to sign a contract, not destroy a daughter.
> "Florida. The Kings have come for what was promised."
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The words dropped like a body.
> "What?"
"You'll be married into the Kings family. Today."
Her mouth parted. "Married?"
His tone stayed cool, like they were talking about rearranging furniture.
> "We owed them. The deal was clear. Twenty years. And your mother agreed to the terms."
"My mother's dead," Florida choked. "She didn't agree to this. I didn't agree—!"
"You're not being punished," her stepmother cut in. "You're being useful."
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Vivienne stretched, sighing lazily as she plucked a strawberry from the bowl.
> "It's not that hard to understand," she said, voice as sweet as the fruit. "They were supposed to take a daughter. And you… well, you're the one no one would miss."
Florida's hands shook. "You're giving me away? Just like that?"
"You've always lived here on borrowed grace," her stepmother snapped. "Now repay it."
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She backed up instinctively, hitting the edge of the table. Her heart raced in her chest. No one moved to stop the men as they stepped forward.
> "Don't touch me!" she shouted, voice breaking. "I'm not going with you—I don't even know them!"
Vivienne stood now, arms folded, eyebrows arched in amusement.
> "You don't need to know them. You just need to wear the ring."
One of the men picked up her bag from the floor — the one she dropped at the door moments ago — and slung it over his shoulder.
> "Florida Smith," the taller man said flatly, "your presence has been requested by the Kings family. You'll be treated well. You'll sign where necessary. The arrangements have been made."
"No!" she screamed. "You can't just—You don't OWN ME!"
Her father turned away. Not once did he look at her face.
> "It's done."
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The last thing she saw before being shoved into the black car was Vivienne's faint reflection in the window — smiling, untouched, still sipping her strawberries like none of it mattered.
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Rain beat against the windows. Her dress clung to her knees. Her hands clenched in her lap.
The driver said one thing before the car pulled away:
> "Welcome to the Kings family, Mrs. Florida."
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She didn't answer.
She didn't scream again.
She just stared out into the storm and made a silent promise.
Someday, if the world let her breathe again…
She'd choose herself first.
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End of Chapter 21
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