Tangled Vows

The letter lay before me, stark and unsettling in its content.

*Dear Kaelen,

"I pledge my hand in matrimony and promise you a son in exchange for half a million US dollars.

Sincerely, Vesper."*

Each word seemed to carry a weight.

As I absorbed its implications, a shiver ran through me. The transactional nature of Kaelen's and Vesper's relationship was chilling. Love seemed absent, replaced by a