Married to the Rebellious Mr. Salvatore

Chapter 1: The bargain

Madison Crest was standing in front of her father's lavish estate, holding the crumpled piece of paper on which she had earlier written the address. A symbol of the money and grandeur she had never fully experienced, the mansion loomed before her.

She had always felt alienated, like a relic of her father's past, or like a member of an unhappy family. Her chest hammered as she approached the large entrance door. She had never asked her father for anything before, but her current plight had compelled her to.

Mandy, her weak and life-in-peril younger sister, was hospitalized. Madison and her mother Joyce couldn't handle the growing medical debt. Madison rang the doorbell with a trembling breath, and the sound reverberated down the expansive hallway beyond. The door suddenly opened, showing her stepmother Michaela and stepsister Dana. The contempt in their eyes was very much evident.

"What the heck are you doing here, Madison?" Dana grinned, her hazel eyes getting smaller.

Madison said in a voice that was unusually calm given the agony she was feeling.

"It's my dad I've come here to talk to," she said.

"Please let me see him," she added.

Before she could move on, Michaela intervened with a tone that was dripping with contempt.

"Madison, you have some nerve coming here after all these years. Your father is not interested in you."

Madison's jaw clenched, but she was unable to be discouraged by their animosity. Nothing would get in her way because she was focused on achieving one goal.

"I need to see him," Madison said, not allowing them to intimidate her.

Michaela sighed with frustration after a brief a standstill.

"Fine you can see him, but don't anticipate a friendly reception," she said.

Madison couldn't help but feel intrusive in her own father's life as she followed them through the lavish estate. She had only ever dropped in on occasion and had always felt alienated from his new family.

They eventually arrived at the huge study, where her father, Jacob Crest, was seated behind a commanding desk. He had a worn-out appearance, and when Madison came, he looked up in shock.

"Madison," he said as he slowly got up from his seat.

It has been years since he last saw his first child because their mother had refused them coming to see him. Seeing her made him so happy. He got up from his seat and approached her with wide open arms. He hugged her so tightly that Madison don't know how to feel. Dana and her mother were shocked by Jacob's reaction. They had expected him to turn Madison away.

When they broke from the hug, her father, Jacob, had tears in his eyes. He ushered her in and asked her to seat down while giving instructions to Dana and Michaela to give them some privacy. Madison took seat on the sofa as her father sat on the same sofa with her and faced her.

"Did your mother finally agree to allow you come to see me?" Jacob asked cleaning his tears.

"No she didn't; I came here on my own," Madison answered.

"I'm so glad you came to see me but did you come to see me because you wanted to or you came here for some other reasons?" Jacob said.

Madison took a deep breath before replying,

"Dad, I need some money. My younger sister and your second daughter with mum, Mandy, is sick and the hospital bills are too much for me and mum to handle. Everyone else we knew couldn't help and I just knew that my last resort was you. I found your address in one of mum's old bags so I came to find you. Mum doesn't know I'm here and if she does, she will kill me. I just need you to help me with the money to pay Mandy's bills."

Before Jacob could answer, Michaela and Dana barged into the study. They have been eavesdropping from outside the door and couldn't take it any longer when they heard Madison asking Jacob for some money.

"Who or what do you think your father is? It's so bold of you to come in here and ask your father whom you haven't seen for years to give you some money. But sorry to disappoint you Madison, you won't be getting anything from us because we do not have any money to give you or your family," Michaela said.

"But if I don't get this money my sister will die," Madison said.

"My love it's fine, I'll give her the..." Jacob was saying before Dana interrupted.

"Fine sister; we are going to give you the money but on one condition," she said.

"Which is?" Madison asked eagerly.

"If you agree to marry Robert Salvatore in my place, we would give you the money you asked for," Dana said, a wicked glint in her eyes.

"And who is Robert Salvatore? And why don't you want to get married to him?" Madison asked in confusion.

"He is the son of another wealthy family in this city. His father and dad wanted the two of us to get married so that the two companies can be joined together. But I don't want to get married to Robert because he has been in and out of prison a couple of times and I Dana can not get married to someone who's been in and out of prison, an ex-convict. It would look bad and my reputation and my fans who don't respect me anymore if they found out. So if you need us to help you with your sister's hospital bills, then you have to take my place and get married to Robert. After all, you are also father's daughter," Dana said.

"Dana, you can't do that to your sister. She's in desperate need here. I can just provide her with the money on my own" Jacob said.

"I'll do it," Madison said firmly.

All eyes turned to her.