HER DEAL WITH THE DEVIL

Zamel's smile grew wider as he revealed his true intentions. "I will collect part of your life as payment," he said, his eyes glinting with cunning.

The young man looked confused. "I don't understand. What do you mean by 'part of my life'?"

Zamel chuckled, clearly enjoying the young man's naivety. "According to my knowledge, you are destined to live for 95 years. Ninety-five good years," he emphasized.

The young man's eyes widened in horror as Zamiel continued, "you are 30, I will leave you with 10 years and take the remaining years..so in a nut shell,you will die at 40!"

Zamiel's expression was unyielding, his eyes cold and calculating. "That is the price you must pay for my help. Are you willing to accept it?"

The young man thought for a moment before nodding in acceptance. "I'll take it," he said, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Ten years is a long time for me to do what I want."

Zamiel smiled, seemingly pleased with the young man's decision. "What is it that you want?" he asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity. "Name anything, and it will be done."

The young man swallowed hard before speaking. "I want to be rich," he said, his voice filled with longing. " I want to be known."

Zamel's smile grew wider. "Done," he said, before vanishing into thin air.

The young man was left standing alone, wondering what had just happened. But before he could process his thoughts, there was a knock at the door.

"Are you Mr Peter?" a voice asked.

The young man opened the door to find a group of people waiting for him. "We'd like to offer you a a job as a director in our company," one of them said.

Another person approached him, microphone in hand. "Mr Peter, we've heard great things about you. Can we get a statement?"

The young man's eyes widened as he realized that his wish had been granted. He was suddenly famous, and people were clamoring for his attention.

He smiled to himself, knowing that he had to make the most of this opportunity. He had ten years to live his best life, to get rich, get married, and have fun.

With a newfound sense of determination, the young man stepped forward, ready to take on the world.

********************

Elena sat up with a start, rubbing her eyes as she realized she had overslept. A knock at the door broke the silence, and she reached for her phone to check the time. Her eyes widened as she saw that it was already past 10 am.

She quickly jumped out of bed and rushed to the door, opening it to find her secretary standing in the hallway.

"Good morning, Miss Elena," the secretary said, a hint of concern in her voice. "I've been knocking for hours. I was starting to get worried."

Elena apologized profusely, still trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. "I'm so sorry, I overslept. I didn't hear you. Please, come in."

The secretary nodded and stepped aside as Elena ushered her in. "Just give me sometime, I need to get ready," Elena said, hurrying into the bathroom.

******************

The birthday party was in full swing, with all the guests arrived and mingling. The foreigners, the chairman's business associates, were also in attendance, chatting with the other guests.

Clara, the chairman's second wife and Elena's stepmother, was busy greeting friends and acquaintances. "You're welcome! Come this way, please," she said, smiling warmly.

Some of the guests congratulated her on her husband's birthday. "Congratulations on your husband's special day!" one of them said.

The cahirman himself was also circulating, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with his business friends and partners, including his Chinese associates. "Thank you for coming," he said, beaming with gratitude. "I really appreciate it."

A few hours later, the party was in full swing. The sound of loud music filled the air, and there was a lively atmosphere of entertainment and celebration.

Elena arrived at the venue, accompanied by her secretary, who remained in the car. The secretary stayed in the parking lot, as the birthday party was strictly for family, close friends, and business associates.

As Elena entered the venue, she looked around, taking in the festive decorations and the crowd of guests.

As Elena scanned the room, she spotted her father, the chairman, chatting with a group of people. She made her way over to him, bowed her head, and wished him a happy birthday.

However, his response was brief, as he only nodded,and Elena felt embarrassed. She quickly returned to her seat, where she was soon approached by Maya.

"You're always so forward, aren't you?" Maya said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm just wondering, how you became CEO? You're not exactly... well-connected."

Elena was taken aback, unsure of how to respond. She stood up and walked away, feeling humiliated.

Seeking a place to clear her head, Elena wandered to a quiet corner of the building, where she found Louis, Maya's brother and her stepmother's son, smoking.

"Like mother, like children," Elena muttered to herself.

Louis suddenly looked up and caught her eye. "Oh, sis, you're here," he said, chuckling. "What are you doing hiding out here? The party's going on."

Elena shrugged, feeling awkward. Louis stood up, walked over to her, and blew smoke in her face. Elena coughed slightly.

"Listen, whenever you see me, just ignore me, okay?" Louis said, his tone dripping with disdain.

With that, Louis blew more smoke in her face and walked away.

Elena went back to the party,she sat there looking lost.

Elena sat serenely, lost in her thoughts, until a guard approached her and whispered something in her ear. She followed the guard out of the room.

They walked to a different part of the mansion, where Elena found her father standing by a transparent window, staring out at the wind. His back was to her, but as she bowed, he turned to face her.

His expression was stern, and his eyes seemed to bore into her soul."so you left the house...that doesn't mean you can run away from me!,When will you give me feedback about marrying Felix?" he asked gruffly.

Elena's eyes widened in confusion. "Father, I don't understand. I don't love him."

Her father's face darkened. "You shut up! This birthday is a perfect opportunity to announce to the whole world that you're going to marry Felix. And if you don't, I'll deal with you personally."

Elena felt a surge of hatred for this man. "Why are you doing this to me? You want me to marry someone I don't love, someone I don't even have feelings for?"

Her father's response was cold and calculating. "To hell with your feelings! You'll do as I say, or else."

He turned to leave, but then turned back, his eyes glinting with malice. "You must announce your engagement to Felix. If you don't, I'll make sure this earth is no longer habitable for you."

With that, he walked away, leaving Elena feeling trapped and helpless.