Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 135378 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135378 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
My spine stiffens, but I nod tersely. “I’m not wrong. Sophie’s it for me. Everything will work out. No one else needs to get involved.”
“You have the weekend,” he states. “If she still wants to leave come Monday, we have to reevaluate. I’m trusting you on this, Silvan, but I won’t let some random girl endanger the family, and I trust you won’t, either. If she won’t play ball, she has to go. You’ll meet plenty of women who will.”
That’s not much time, but I guess I’m not really in a bargaining position here.
I’ll have to make it work. I’m confident I can.
After all, I fell for her in the space of an evening. Surely, I can make her love me in a weekend.
“She will,” I assure him. “Sophie isn’t replaceable,” I add, just so he knows where I stand and that I’m serious about her.
He nods, his gaze watchful. “Then I hope you’re right, and she falls in line—quickly.”
I didn’t need the added stress of Dad watching over me this weekend, but I know he won’t bend on this, so I don’t try to negotiate for more time. Doing so would only make him think I’m not as confident as I say I am about being able to convince her.
Locking my jaw, I give him a terse nod of understanding, then I turn to leave.
“Silvan,” Dad says, causing me to turn back around.
“Yeah?”
He holds out the newspaper Mom tried to read. “Can you toss this for me before you head back upstairs? It’s old news. I don’t need it anymore.”
I walk over and grab the paper. “Sure.”
Mom’s gaze flickers to it, but Dad grabs her waist and tugs her legs across his lap, murmuring, “We’re going to stay in here for a while longer.”
Mom smiles playfully. “Oh, are we?”
I shake my head at them and hasten to leave the room before I hear something I don’t want to hear.
I pull the study door shut behind me and consider stuffing the newspaper into a waste can in the nearest bathroom, but then I consider Sophie’s enthusiasm about recycling the Christmas trees. I’d never hear the end of it if she caught me not recycling a fucking newspaper.
I head to the kitchen instead to put it in the recycling bin. I should probably grab a couple of bottles of water out of the fridge to take upstairs for us anyway.
I toss the paper in the empty bin for the housekeeper to take outside tomorrow, but when the newspaper lands, I catch sight of something that snags my interest.
I retrieve the folded-up paper and unfold it. Frowning faintly, I flip it over to the article Dad had it open to.
The headline reads: Investment Banker Found Dead of Apparent Suicide
Accompanying the article is the man’s picture.
My frown deepens because I recognize this guy.
Mom would have, too, which I’m guessing is why Dad didn’t want her to see it.
I don’t always know who Mom’s fucking aside from Dad, but I do know she was involved with this guy a few months ago—the affair is why they’re so loved up now. Dad was pissed at her because she was more careless than usual. A friend spotted them out together and asked him about it.
Fucking someone else is one thing, apparently, but embarrassing him is unacceptable.
I didn’t know the guy well and didn’t like him since my loyalty lies with my father, but he’s the last person I would expect to off himself. He was new money and acted like it. Cocky and self-important, always telling stories about his travels and boasting about his accomplishments every chance he got.
Suspicion stirs in my gut.
I suppose it could be a coincidence, but is it?
Maybe I’ll ask him about it tomorrow.
Maybe I won’t.
Right now, I need to go let my lovely little captive out of her cage and make her start falling in love with me.
Chapter Twenty-three
Sophie
When the lock disengages, I’m sitting on the fur-covered chair Silvan sat on last time we were in here, when he had all the answers, so he sat back and watched me do all the work.
I don’t rush to jump up. I don’t even know if he’s letting me out or if he’s coming in.
There’s no bathroom in here, so surely, he doesn’t mean to keep me locked in here the whole time.
I’m relieved when he drops the axe on the ground inside the room and offers his hand.
“Am I free now?” I ask, a bit sourly.
“No,” he says, his green eyes glinting with mischief. “Just moving you to a comfier cage.”
“What a prince.” I take his hand anyway and follow him out of the escape room.
“I think you’ll change your tune once you’re in my bed. It’s extremely comfortable.”
“For you, maybe. I don’t have any of my stuff. I don’t have my books or clothes. I have homework, you know.”