Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Fuck, she gave me chills. No woman had ever done that. “When all that shit went down with my ex, I assumed my parents would see right through it. And at first, they were on my side but only hesitantly. When my ex released more ‘evidence,’ they quickly turned on me. They disowned me, and it’s been that way for years now.”
Her entire body stilled when she heard all of that, her eyes widening in shock then narrowing in pity. “Jesus…”
“I met with them today because we have a family business that’s been in the family for generations, and they’re always searching for a loophole to get rid of me. Last time, my dad tried to buy me out. This time, he decided to sue me.”
“How could they not believe their own son?”
“I don’t know,” I said quietly. “They raised me. They know me. I’ve never demonstrated that sort of behavior, ever. Was never disciplined for wrongdoing. The worst thing I ever did was sneak my high school girlfriend into the house for a sleepover.”
“And even if you did do it, they should stand by you anyway,” she said. “There’s nothing I could ever do to make my father turn his back on me, to stop loving me. That’s how it should be, and their treatment of you is just wrong.”
I stared at the blank TV screen, seeing our dark silhouettes in the reflection. “It is what it is.”
“I’m sorry, Axel.”
I continued to stare at the screen because it was too hard to look at her. The emotions were like poison seeping into my organs, slowly making me sick and weak. “It’s shitty, but there’s nothing I can do about it, so…”
“Have you tried talking to them?”
“They won’t even look at me,” I snapped. “I tell them I’m innocent, and it’s like they don’t even hear me. They look at me like I’m crazy. They tiptoe around me like I’ll hurt them. Now I’m in a life of crime so they detest me even more, but I don’t care.”
She was quiet for a while. “Is that why you got into the game? They already thought the worst of you, so you may as well be the worst?”
“Yes, partially. But they also said I was an insult to their family lineage and I didn’t deserve any ties to the family estate, so they said they would do whatever they possibly could to remove me from those assets. The threat scared me because I’ve lived a billionaire lifestyle and wasn’t sure how I would manage without my family’s wealth. So I decided to get into a high-earning career. The connections were already there, so I decided to use them. Now I don’t need their money, but I refuse to go away just to piss them off.”
Her hand continued to rub my chest before it stopped over my heart. Her eyes were on the side of my face, and she stared like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. Her fingers started to move again, lightly touching my skin. “It’s both of your parents?”
“I can tell it’s mostly my dad. But my mom goes along with it.”
“How long has it been this way?”
“About five years.”
“And in all that time, there’s never been any kind of reconciliation?”
“No. Every picture they have of me has been taken down from their walls. They get together with other members of the family for holidays—and I’m not invited. I’m not sure how my aunts and uncles and cousins feel about everything because I’ve never really asked, but because my parents have taken this stance, they’ve all just gone along with it.”
“That’s unacceptable. Honestly, it’s senseless.”
“I think they’re embarrassed. By cutting me off completely, it will somehow preserve their untarnished reputation. Which is bullshit because our ancestors are guilty of worse shit, but whatever.”
She dipped her head to my shoulder and held me close. Both of her arms were wrapped around me.
“You’ve only known me well for a month, but you believed me without hesitation.” My hand moved up her thigh, feeling her smooth skin, the warmth of her beautiful flesh. “I didn’t have to defend myself. I didn’t have to do anything. You just knew.” An ache throbbed inside my chest. It was warm and good, but it was so intense that it hurt. I tried to will it away with my mind, dwarf it in size by ignoring it.
“I’ve never been with a man who makes me feel the way you do.”
My hand stopped on her knee, and I turned to look at her.
“They don’t make me feel beautiful. They don’t make me feel secure. They don’t make me smile.” Her eyes remained on my shoulder as she deflected my gaze. “I’ve told you to stop before, and you listened. You could have taken advantage of my sorrow that night, but you didn’t. You came to my defense when you could have just walked away. The man I know is incapable of doing such horrible things.”