Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 173

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Chapter 173: How To Pay

Hailee’s POV

My brow furrowed. "Another way?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Nathan nodded once. "Yes... another way. You have to pay me back." His tone was flat, cold, as if every word was carved from ice. He leaned back in his chair, stretching out, his eyes never leaving mine.

I stood there in front of him, my knees weak, my chest burning. My heart broke all over again—but what was I expecting? That he would pull me into his arms after everything? That he would tell me he missed me, that he still loved me, that he still wanted me? Fool. I was a fool.

Instead, he sat there like a stranger. Like a man who wanted nothing but repayment.

I lowered my gaze, biting the inside of my cheek, forcing myself not to cry. He wanted me to pay him back, and I wondered how.

My brow furrowed deeper. "Which other way?" I asked, barely above a whisper.

Nathan’s gaze sharpened, his glare fixed on me. "You’ll work in my packhouse as staff. Domestic staff."

My stomach dropped. The words slammed into me harder than any blow.

He leaned forward, his merciless eyes on me. "Every month, five thousand dollars will be deducted from what you owe. Do the math, Hailee. Three million dollars... at five thousand a month."

My lips parted, my breath stalling. My mind tried to keep up, but it hit me like thunder when I realized— "That’s..." My voice cracked. "That’s six hundred months... fifty years."

Nathan didn’t blink. "Exactly."

I staggered back, my hand flying to my chest. Fifty years. A lifetime. Tears blurred my vision as I stared back at Nathan. Fifty years. A lifetime. Was he serious? Would he really keep me as nothing more than a servant, chained by debt until I grew old and gray?

My lips trembled, my heart aching more. "O-okay..." I whispered. "If that’s what it takes... I’ll do it."

For a moment, a tense silence hung in the air. His eyes narrowed, like he was expecting me to say something else. Then, in a blur, he was on his feet.

Before I could move, his hand shot out and wrapped around my neck. My breath hitched as his grip pressed firmly—not enough to choke, but enough to remind me of his strength. His face loomed close, his eyes blazing with rage.

"So you won’t beg for my mercy?" he growled, his voice full of fury. "You’ll just take the order I give you, like some obedient slave?"

I gulped hard but didn’t say a word. My eyes fixed on his as he tightened his hand around my neck. He shook his head. "You are not my Hailee," he spat, his lips trembling. He was right... the Hailee he knew years ago was no longer here.

He released me with brutal force, making me stumble backward. My hands flew to my neck as I rubbed it, staring at Nathan while he sat back down calmly on the couch. I swallowed hard, putting myself together before I spoke. "My sons... what about them... what becomes of them?"