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"Another word and I'll make sure you can't sit for a fucking week," he snarls, and I shrink back in terror, watching him laugh at me. "What, you thought you'd get special treatment around here? What exactly have you done to deserve that?"
"Well, she is your fiancé, Booth," Hawthorne says, giving me a look filled with pity.
Of all the monsters here, he's the most unlikely one to come to my rescue, and yet he's the only one who dares speak up.
My father is just standing there, regarding me with a look that's bored of my predicament.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't question me," Dexter retorts, and his tone is cool enough to stop Hawthorne in his tracks.
The man merely nods at my fiancé’s words, motioning for his son to walk away with him. They leave me sprawled out on the floor with Dexter and my father watching me. None of the other guests have taken notice, which makes me wonder whether this kind of family dispute is a normal thing at these gatherings. It makes me fucking sick.
"Now,” my father speaks up again. "I'd suggest you learn how to treat my associates. My word is law here, and I will always be above you. I thought you'd learned your lesson, but it seems to me like you're so dead-set on being a little brat you're forgetting who owns this town – and not only that, but your ass, too. So, learn to be a goddamn lady, or get the hell out of my sight."
Dexter is silent, regarding me coolly. Then, he wipes his palm on his suit trousers as if he's somehow dirtied it by getting his hands on me when he slapped me to the ground.
"Shall we, Oakes?"
My father nods, throwing me one last pitying look before walking away with my fiancé in tow.
I try to pick myself up. Nobody comes to my aid. My knees are buckling beneath me, and I feel crippled by fear as I stumble, falling back down yet again.
Then, the pretty blonde appears out of nowhere, wearing the staff's sky-blue-and-white uniform and a warm expression on her face.
“Are you okay, miss?”
She sounds almost apologetic, as if it’s her fault my own father is such a piece of shit. I’ve seen her around the house – she and her mother work for us.
"Let me help you get up."
I accept her help wordlessly, but gratefully, and let her lift me to my feet. She busies herself by dusting off my dress, offering me a shy smile as she lifts herself up to stand by me. She's taller than me by at least a foot. Tall, slender and willowy, reminding me of a fairytale creature. She is heart-stoppingly beautiful, and it sends a pang of jealousy through my body as we exchange glances, and her cheeks color in a pretty rose blush.
But when I take another look, I soon realize there's a stark difference between us. She's part of the staff, meaning she's got it worse than I ever will at Oakes Estate.
> "Thanks," I mutter.
I was taught not to interact with the staff. Even the thank you I've offered her is considered being friendly, which I'm under strict instructions not to be. There's a hierarchy in Eden Falls, and my father has made it very clear I'm to adhere to these social rules at all times.
As if she's just realized this herself, the girl looks down, bowing slightly in front of me before scampering away. I keep my eyes focused on her, watching her pick up a tray of champagne and carry it from guest to guest. They all treat her like an object. The women regard her with cool jealousy while the men don't hesitate from copping a feel of her gorgeous figure.
There’s only one person who never takes his eyes off her.
My brother, Brazen.
His gaze is stuck to the pretty creature, following her every step while his fingers clutch the glass he’s holding, his knuckles turning white.
Interesting. I make a mental note of it. Perhaps I can use it against Brazen.
I watch as the men ogle the girl, getting almost as upset as my brother when I watch them fondle her.
At least my life is less fucked up than hers, I tell myself, struggling to believe my own lies.
Four
Dexter
I watch my fiancée out of the corner of my eye. Even though she's pretty fucking plain, there's something about her that pulls me in like a goddamn magnet.
"See something you like, Booth?" Caspian winks at me and I groan, shaking my head. "Thought you weren't interested in the new girl."
