Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
“Why?” I mutter. “Why now?”
“Hmm?” He looks up at me from his plate.
“All this time, you kept me in that cage, and now you suddenly treat me like a guest?” I don’t trust this one bit.
“Did you forget you were the one who chose to go back down there instead of staying in my guest room?” he quips, licking his lips at me in a way that makes me feel like he wants to lick me instead, and my skin feels like it’s crawling with bugs.
“No,” I respond. “But why do you care so much if I eat? If I live at all?”
He laughs. “Oh girl, you really are stupid.”
I’d be lying if I said that didn’t sting.
“I am not—”
“You think I’d let you ruin my property?”
Property?
What?
“Why do you think your father owes me?” The sudden rage in his eyes catches me off guard.
“I don’t know,” I say.
He tilts his head. “He didn’t let you in on his business, did he?”
I wonder where he’s going with this. Why he invited me here to eat all this lavish food in this expensive dress. Why I’m being treated like a pretty doll on display.
“What do you want from me?” I ask.
“What do I want?” He takes another aggressive bite of his bacon. “You know what I want, girl. Money. And your father’s head on my goddamn fork.” He shoves it into his mouth like it’s no big deal, while my stomach almost spins upside down.
“But you and that Beast have been getting in the way of what I want,” Lex says.
“What?” I mutter, completely confused.
What does Beast have to do with this?
“You two have been getting along nicely, haven’t you?” he adds.
It feels like all the blood is draining from my face.
“Even after you admitted you’re only using him to get out.” The vicious smile on his face makes it impossible to breathe.
“No screaming, no slapping, no fighting, nothing …” he mutters, grabbing a piece of bread and taking a big bite. “I have to say, I’m a little disappointed.”
“Stop,” I hiss.
He chews and swallows. “Or what? What do you want to do, Aurora?” he muses, putting down the bread. “You wanna take a stab at me?”
“Don’t tempt me,” I say through gritted teeth.
He laughs gratuitously. “Oh, I love a little bit of sass.”
He’s making a joke out of me, and I hate it. I hate even being here in this dress, at this lavish table, with this man, in this freaking house. I just want to be free, but this guy won’t let me.
“Be careful, girl. That kind of violence can come back to bite you,” he says.
“Like it’s come back to bite you?” I reply.
But the way he glares at me instantly makes me regret that decision.
“The only thing that’s come back to bite me is my decision to loan money to your pig ass father all those years ago,” he growls, spitting out pieces of bread. “Do you even know what it cost me?” He grabs a glass of water and chugs it down, spluttering half of it out as he adds, “My fucking company is on the brink. I need that money now.”
I swallow back the shame. “Lending my papa money was your decision, not his. And I can’t force him to give it to you.”
He slams both hands on the table, making me scoot back in my seat. “It wasn’t my choice to spend it all on surgeries to make you look normal!”
My pupils dilate, and I sit frozen in my chair.
It feels like the air has been forced out of my lungs.
What’s been unspoken for years is now out in the open.
And every guard, every server, every person in this room heard.
Including Beast.
Time slows down as I turn my eyes away from this world, my ears ringing with the words he said. Words that strike me so hard my heart begins to palpitate. As sweat drops roll down my forehead, I clutch my chair.
And without thinking, I shove it back, running for the door as fast as I can.
Too late.
Not quick enough.
Two arms catch me halfway there, stopping me from exiting the room.
I panic and struggle against their grip.
“Where are you going?” Lex jests behind me. “Trying to leave now, when we’ve finally gotten to the good part?”
The guards grip me harshly while I look right at Beast and beg him with my eyes. “Please,” I mutter.
And even though his eyes are riddled with pain, he doesn’t budge as he stands near the wall like a stone giant, watching the whole scene unfold. His head tilts, the collar blinking in the lights. A stark reminder of his place in this world.
And mine, as the guards pull me away from him.
Lex marches toward me and forces me to look at him by grabbing my cheeks and pinching them. “Look at him.” He turns my face to forcefully look into Beast’s eyes, and the tears begin to roll down my face. “You haven’t even told him, have you? Has he seen?”