Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
His stare continued like he could look at me forever. His arms were on the armrests, and on his left hand was the black ring he’d bought himself because he knew I wouldn’t buy him one.
“You knew I’d stolen that ring…” The memory came back to me, the two of us talking in front of that painting, my heart rate slowing after I’d gotten away with the theft.
He continued his hard stare after a heavy stretch of silence. “Yes.”
“You didn’t say anything.”
“I knew what you were doing. And I knew your father was the one who put you up to that.”
“What do you mean, you knew what I was doing?”
“I knew your father was collecting the skull rings to present to Theo,” he said. “To get rid of me for good.”
My father’s plan had been doomed from the beginning—and he’d had no idea.
“I also know you would never do something like that unless you were forced to—”
“He didn’t force me—”
“Yes, he did.”
“He asked me, and I said yes.”
“Asking someone to do something when you know they don’t want to is forcing them.” His gaze turned cold. “Pretty despicable, if you ask me.”
I looked away, feeling ashamed for what I’d done and also hurt that he spoke of my father that way. “This marriage isn’t going to work if you insult my father like that.” I looked down at the menu even though we’d already ordered, just to have something to look at.
Axel didn’t say anything, but his silence was heavy.
A minute passed. Then two. I looked up once again.
His stare was cold. “He’s got you pinned under his thumb, and he knows it.”
“I helped him because I wanted to—”
“Bullshit. You helped him because you live for his validation, live for his love. Because your mother didn’t want you, you feel indebted to him for raising you. You’re blinded by your gratitude, but you should never have to feel grateful for someone loving you. Because if it’s real, it’s unconditional—”
“Didn’t realize you were a licensed psychologist.”
He paused, his expression angry. “If you took him out of the equation, you wouldn’t be in this world. You would be a chef running a Michelin-starred restaurant. You wouldn’t be stealing rings from men who could snap your neck. You know I’m right.”
I turned my gaze and looked out the windows, the lamps in the room casting a gentle glow around the suite. “I meant what I said. Insult my father, and this marriage is over.”
He stared at me, his fingers balling into a fist. “My job is to have your back, tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. That’s not going to change, and you’ll be grateful for it someday. I don’t like your father for a lot of reasons, but I hate him for what he’s done to you.”
“What has he done to me?” I snapped. “He believes I’m capable of taking his place—and that’s the greatest compliment he could give me.”
“No.” His fingers remained tight in a fist. “He never believed that. He tried to hook you up with Theo so he could be connected to someone powerful through marriage, like this is the fifteen hundreds or something.”
“That’s not true—”
“Then why did he press you to date him?”
“Theo asked me out, and he just suggested it—”
“No. He told Theo he would work with him if he married you. That’s what fucking happened.”
I stared at him, my stomach clenching painfully. “I don’t believe you.”
“Then fucking ask him.”
“He just wants a man who can protect me—”
“You’re his fucking pawn, and you’re too blind to see it—”
“Fuck you.” I pushed out of the chair and stormed off, ready to leave the room and walk in the fucking cold to my father’s house. I was barefoot and in my pajamas, but I didn’t give a shit.
“Scarlett.”
I marched to the front door and flung it open. “Fuck off, Axel.”
He pushed his body against it and forced it shut, his chiseled physique like a mountain against the door. “Listen to me—”
“Move.”
“I said, listen to me—”
I slapped him across the face. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
He moved slightly with the hit but didn’t retaliate, slowly turning back to look at me again. “I’m sorry.” He inhaled a slow breath, processing his annoyance. “This is not how I wanted this night to go—”
“Then don’t try to poison me with lies and turn me against my father. I’m not stupid. You said you wanted to marry me, but now I wonder if this is all a scheme for revenge, to take away the one thing my father actually cares about—”
“I married you because I wanted to.” His eyes bored into mine, beautiful and angry at the same time, his back still against the door. “I married you because I want to be with you, because I fucking miss you, because these last six months have been shit without you. And I know you believe me when I say that.”