Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“She had friends who tried to be there for her. They were there when I wasn’t.” My throat clogged. “Now they’re here for me. That school is a manure pile of dead-inside bullies who don’t care about who they hurt. But there’s also a lot of good people too. Kind people who are making sure the ones who hurt Winter don’t get away with it. If they can do that much for my sister, how can you ask me to do nothing?”
Mom stared at me for a long time. “You want to stay.”
“I do.”
“And you want to marry Victor Wilson at nineteen years old.”
I half-shrugged. “Honestly, I wouldn’t mind the wedding part being put off until after graduation at least, but this is what I agreed to.”
“Is it?” Mom snapped, rounding on Jack. “Because I’m still unclear on why anyone agreed to these terms. Why is this wedding even more rushed than the engagement? Why have I tried half a dozen times to speak to Martha Wilson, and her assistant keeps telling me she’s unavailable? Is she unavailable to you too, Jack?”
“My love, this isn’t some grand conspiracy,” he said, dropping to one knee. “The Wilsons want to make a match for their son now. They disinherited their eldest and wish to secure Victor’s future.”
“How does my daughter do that? Our family has nothing to offer the likes of the Wilsons.” She snapped between us. “What are you two not telling me!”
My chest panged. The same thing I feared the Wilsons and my stepfather weren’t telling me. “Victor said it’s because I’m the only one willing to marry him now. Most of these strategic marriages aren’t even brought up until the couple is in their late twenties. Victor is afraid his father doesn’t have that long, running at the speed he’s been at all these years.
“His father won’t hand the company over to a boy with no responsibilities, but to a man with a home, wife, and kids—”
Her eyes bugged. “Kids? You’ve discussed kids?”
“No,” I blurted. “I mean, not seriously. Victor was just saying—”
“Victor brought up kids? The eighteen-year-old who was a kid himself less than twelve months ago, wants to use my daughter and her womb to take over a company?”
My mouth opened but nothing came out. That is exactly what it sounded like, wasn’t it?
“N... No.”
She spun on Jack. “And you agreed to this?!” Mom tossed her head. “What am I saying? I agreed to this when I sat by and let it happen. So, let me make this clear to both of you. The wedding is off. Victor Wilson can use someone else to prove his manhood to his father—”
“But—”
“There’s no reason to keep up this farce because you no longer need his family’s protection.” She pinned me with a look. “You no longer attend Regalia University.”
“Mom—”
“Enough, Luna.” She got up, marching to the door. “The discussion is over.”
“No, it’s not!”
Mom froze, hand on the knob. She was almost as stiff as me—rigid at the shock that shout came from me. I never yelled at my mom.
Taking a deep breath, I tried again. “No, it’s not. I wanted you to ask what I want, but the truth is, you don’t need to. I’m not a child anymore, Mom. Where I go to school and who I marry became my choice six months ago. I love you but... I’m staying at Regalia U and marrying Victor.”
“Luna,” Jack said, warning lacing my name. “That’s enough.”
“It’s not enough, Jack, and you know why. This is what you need to know about the engagement, Mom. Backing out of it isn’t as easy as throwing the ring at his head. If we don’t go through with the wedding, Martha threatened to disinherit Victor.”
“What?” Mom cried. “That’s nonsense. She wouldn’t—”
“She already disinherited her first son, Adonis. The woman doesn’t bluff. I don’t know what she’ll do to Jack if I refuse...” I flicked to my stepfather, who looked away—jaw tight. “But I won’t risk that either. Our family and Victor’s life would be ruined. I can’t let that happen.”
Tipping her head back, she made a harsh noise in her throat. “It amazes me all that you believe you must take on your shoulders. It is not your responsibility to save us from the consequences of a situation you were manipulated into. You only agreed to marry this boy for tuition money. I let my child be sold,” she flung, and not at me. “I am putting this right, and I don’t care what Martha Wilson does about it. As for disinheriting her son, that’s her choice. No one is forcing her to banish her sons whenever they don’t fall in line.”
I swallowed hard. “I hope you remember you said that.”
“Excuse me? What does that mean?”
I looked between them. “I know what refusing you means. I’m not leaving Regalia U, but because you want me to, Jack is going to stop paying my tuition. Aren’t you?”