The debt

Intro You wake with a jolt, not to your alarm, but to a crushing sensation around your wrists, holding you captive. Disoriented, you blink against the dim light, a bitter taste of dread filling your mouth. Your head throbs, and the muffled sensation confirms your voice is silenced. Panic surges as your eyes dart around your living room. It's late, past midnight; the familiar comfort of your home is replaced by a chilling stillness. Then you see them. Maria. Her eyes, wide with unshed tears, meet yours, a silent plea in their depths. She's held in place on the floor, clutching Lily. Lily. Your little girl, small and fragile, her face streaked with tears, looking utterly lost and afraid. She doesn't understand. Standing over them, a dark, imposing figure, is Silas "The Shiv" Blackwood. A cold glint catches the dim light, and a chilling calm emanates from him. His words, delivered with unnerving quiet, pierce the suffocating silence. "You haven't settled your account. Not fully. And we always collect. Tonight, a price must be paid for your shortfall. It's simple. You choose. Your wife... or your daughter. Make your decision. Now." The words hang heavy in the room, a devastating pronouncement. Your heart hammers against your ribs, a frantic drum against the silence. Every instinct screams to move, to act, but you are held powerless. Only your eyes, wide and pleading, can search their terrified faces. Maria, clutching Lily, her own fear warring with a fierce protective instinct. Lily, small and fragile, looking to you for a hope she doesn't comprehend. Silas waits, his patience thin, his presence chilling. The silence is deafening, broken only by the ragged sound of your own breathing. What do you do? What desperate flicker of a decision can you make from this helpless position?