Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A week later, Jack was riding through town, his horse trotting slowly through the busy streets. As he approached the local farm shop, he dismounted and entered the store. He noticed a group of men talking animatedly near the counter. They spoke softly, looking around.

Jack picked up a bag of feed, feigning interest as he listened to the conversation. Two men, Jim and Earl, were arguing in low voices, but loud enough for Jack to catch every word.

"Did you hear the latest?" Jim said, his tone grave.

Earl nodded, his eyes full of concern.

"Yes, I did. Tomorrow is the big day. Clayton's daughter is going to marry old Silas. God have mercy on her soul. Because Silas won't have it, the man is a scoundrel."

Jack's heart stopped for a moment, a wave of anger and despair running through his body. He knew Clayton was willing to do anything to get out of debt, but he never imagined he would go through with such a cruel and rash decision.

"This is absurd," Jim continued. "Silas is a monster. No one deserves this, least of all a lovely young lady like Charlotte."

Jack felt his blood boil. He knew he had to act fast. With renewed determination, he left the feed on the counter and left the farm, quickly mounting his horse. He had little time, and only one chance to save the young lady from this terrible fate.

He determined to go to Clayton's farm, ready to confront him once more. He needed to find her before it was too late.

Jack galloped down the dirt road, his heart pounding with adrenaline. He knew the mission would be risky, but he was willing to do anything to protect her from a horrible and irreversible fate.

Jack arrived at Clayton's farm in a whirlwind of dust and determination. He dismounted his horse in one swift movement, pulling the revolver from behind his back and letting the animal loose. With firm steps, he climbed the porch stairs, his gaze fixed on the front door. He pushed open the door, entering the house with determination. The atmosphere was tense, the silence almost palpable. As he crossed the entrance hall, a young woman appeared around the corner, her face contorted in fear at the sight of Jack with a gun. "Ahhh!" she screamed, instinctively stepping back, her hands covering her mouth. Jack lowered the revolver immediately, realizing that the woman was panicking. "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you," he said, trying to calm her nerves. "I need to talk to Clayton." The woman looked at him, her eyes wide with terror. "He... he's in the office," she murmured, pointing to a door at the end of the hall. Jack nodded, walking past her carefully, keeping his revolver lowered. He knew Clayton wouldn't give in without a fight, and he was ready for anything.

As he reached the office door, Jack kicked it open. Clayton was sitting at his desk, standing up abruptly at the noise. His eyes widened when he saw Jack armed and furious.

"Jack, what the hell are you doing?" Clayton shouted, his voice shaking with surprise and fear.

"You know exactly what I'm doing, Clayton," Jack replied, his voice thick with anger. "I heard about the wedding. You can't do this to your own daughter!"

Clayton tried to regain his composure, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Jack, calm down. This isn't what it looks like. I'm just trying to secure her future."

"Handing your daughter over to a monster like Silas isn't securing her future, it's dooming her!" Jack stepped forward, holding the revolver steady but not pointing it directly at Clayton.

Clayton stepped back, clearly scared.

"You don't understand, Jack. I'm out of options," he said through gritted teeth.

"Find another solution, Clayton. Because I won't let your daughter pay for your despair." Jack took a step forward, his eyes burning with determination.

Clayton looked around, searching for a way out, but he knew Jack was serious. His jaw was jumping with each passing second.

"What do you suggest then?" he asked, his voice now filled with fear and resignation.

Jack took a deep breath, trying to control the fury he felt.

"I agree to marry Charlotte, Clayton. But that will only happen under certain conditions," he said angrily, pointing the gun at Clayton who raised his hands again.

Clayton arched an eyebrow, surprised by what he had just heard.

"And what would those conditions be?" he asked sarcastically, but with a certain curiosity.

Jack took another step forward, his gaze steady. He lowered his hand even though his finger was close to the trigger.

"First, let's do this properly, through a contract. No informal agreements, I don't trust you. I want to make sure Charlotte is treated with the respect she deserves. And second, I will forget your debt to me. Completely."

Clayton hesitated, processing Jack's words.

"A contract... does that mean everything will be legalized?" he asked, a little worried and apprehensive.

"Exactly," Jack confirmed, bluntly. "I want Charlotte to be safe, and that includes clear and fair terms on paper. If you agree to this, I'll take responsibility for her and her debt."

Clayton took a deep breath, realizing that this was his best and perhaps only option to resolve the situation without losing everything.

"Okay, Jack. I agree, but I want to secure my future. You know this year's cotton harvest wasn't the best, I lost a lot of money. You can keep my daughter and you'll also give me another three hundred thousand dollars. Let's make the contract."

Jack pursed his lip, the bastard wanted more money for his daughter. With a frown on his face, he accepted. If it weren't for the madness of the man he always called a friend, he wouldn't be getting himself into this situation.

"Great. Tomorrow morning, we'll go to the city attorney to draw up the contract. And remember, Clayton, if you deviate from what we agreed, you'll be dealing with me again and you'll face the consequences of your actions," he said, showing him the revolver to make him better understand his intentions.

Clayton nodded, feeling the weight of the decision and fear.

"I understand. Let's do this properly."

Jack was about to leave the office when Clayton called him:

"Don't you want to meet your fiancée?"

Jack turned to Clayton and for the first time he had no answer to such a simple question.

"Wait here, I'll call her."

Before Jack could say anything, Clayton opened the door and called Charlotte. The young woman appeared after a few seconds, her hesitant steps echoing in the hallway. Jack immediately recognized her frightened face, the same one he had seen when he entered the house with the revolver in his hand.

Now, calmer, he took a better look at the young woman's angelic face. Her delicate features and wide, frightened eyes were striking. She looked so fragile and vulnerable, wrapped in a long dress that hid her figure. Jack swallowed hard, surprised that he had been staring at the young woman. "Charlotte, this is Jack Colt," Clayton said, trying to sound friendly. "Jack, this is my daughter, Charlotte." Jack stepped forward, extending the same hand that had just hidden the gun in his clothes. "Hello, Charlotte. I'm Jack. I know this is a difficult situation, but I'm here to make sure you're safe." Charlotte looked at Jack's outstretched hand, hesitating for a moment before finally shaking it. Her eyes searched for some sign of trust and assurance in Jack's face, and she found a sincerity that calmed her a little. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Colt," she said, her voice shaking slightly. Jack felt a twinge of guilt at the fear in her eyes. He knew she was being forced to accept a fate she did not choose, and he promised himself he would do everything in his power to make it as painless as possible.

"Please, call me Jack," he replied, softening his tone. "We'll work this out together, Charlotte. I promise."

Clayton, watching the exchange, seemed anxious for everything to be resolved quickly.

"Very well, then are we all agreed? We'll go to the lawyer tomorrow morning to formalize the contract."

Jack nodded, but his focus was on Charlotte.

"Yes, we'll work it out tomorrow. For now, let's all rest. We have a long day ahead of us."

Charlotte looked at her father, then at Jack, and finally nodded, accepting the situation with sad resignation. Jack felt a weight on his chest, knowing that he now had a great responsibility not only financially, but also emotionally.

As he prepared to leave, Jack took one last look at Charlotte. He knew that from that moment on, his life would change drastically. But he was determined to protect and care for her, no matter what lay ahead.

“Until tomorrow, Clayton. Charlotte,” he said, tipping his hat before leaving the house.

As he mounted his horse and rode away from the farm, Jack couldn’t stop thinking about the young woman he had just met. As his father and the men at the farm had said, it was true: she was lovely.