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“And you’re throwing it all away for some tramp,” my father sneered, anger twisting his features.
“Don’t you dare talk about her like that!” I spat. I could feel fire in my veins as I marched over to him and stared him straight in the eye.
“I love Dani,” I hissed defiantly. “And you aren’t going to change that, old man.”
“Boy, you don’t know what love is. You’re blinded by pussy,” my father snapped. “I’m here to tell you, you have a choice to make.”
“And what choice is that?” I asked, not even trying to hide the disgust in my voice.
“You have to decide what’s more important to you. That girl or this company.”
My expression grew incredulous. “What do you mean? You must be joking.”
But Hugh’s expression remained closed.
“You think I’d give you my company without a few conditions? If I wanted to, I could take Maddox Media back.”
“You can’t do that,” I said, walking towards him. “Mother wouldn’t let you.”
That’s when his expression grew devious.
“Who do you think decided that I should do this?” My father smiled and his face lit up. It made my skin crawl. “Elaine thinks you’re in over your head and that you need to be reined in.”
“You’re lying,” was my flat statement.
“You mother and I know you are going to make a stupid decision unless we interfere. That girl? She’s nothing.”
“How would you know what she is? You’ve never met her before.”
“I have my resources,” said Hugh. “This Dani person is nothing, comes from nothing, and will ultimately ruin you. Do you think she loves you? When the girl looks at you, all she can see is the money and a nice life in her future. Her eyeballs have dollar signs in them, even I can see it. Don’t be foolish, boy.”
“Dani isn’t like that,” I growled, not letting him see my face.
But Hugh wouldn’t stop.
“Girls like that, that’s all they want. Don’t be ridiculous. She sees you as someone who can give her an easy life. A get-out-of-jail free card. And you’re so in love with her pussy that you can’t see past that.”
“That’s not true,” I said fiercely. “What Dani and I have together is real.”
My dad shook his head with exasperation.
“Son, I’m looking out for you,” he said.
“Well, you’re wrong,” I spat at him.
But Hugh is a relentless negotiator who doesn’t play fair.
“You have a choice. The woman or this company. And if you choose her, I will not only take this company away from you, I will also make sure you get nothing when your mother and I die.”
And with that, the old man stood up and let himself out of my office. The silence that followed after he was gone made my heart curdle. I didn’t move from where I stood as I stared out the windows, a raw ache in my chest.
Maddox Media was all I had. My wealth, my connections, and my social standing were all tied to being the scion of a powerful family.
Was I ready to give it up for the woman I loved?
Chapter Eleven
Dani
“I can’t believe summer is over,” Justine said, as I slowly packed my bag for the trip back home. It was my last night. Tomorrow, this would all be gone.
I’d already talked with my mother on the phone that evening, and she was ecstatic for my return. Me? I was sad to leave but also hopeful about the future ahead. Because Hunter said he loved me, and we’d figure out a way to be together. So I smiled weakly.
“Yeah, I can’t believe it either,” was my reply as I folded another silky blouse Justine had bought me. Despite my best efforts, Justine hadn’t let me return any of her lavish purchases. “This summer went by so quickly.”
“Yeah, and I wonder why,” she said with a wink. I rolled my eyes. Justine threw herself onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling. “It’s our last night together. What are we going to do?”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that….”
She turned to me, looking at my guilty face. “Oh, come on, it’s our last night together! I can’t believe you’re ditching me!”
“I’m not,” I said. I bit my lip. “I just…I just want to see him, that’s all.”
Now Justine was the one rolling her eyes. “Come on, it’s not like you aren’t going to see him at college. He did say he was going to visit you.”
“Well, you can come visit me at school, too,” I said as I closed my suitcase. “Whenever you want to. How about that?” I turned to her. “Come on, I’ll just be with Hunter for a few hours. I promise I’ll be back in time for us to change into our pajamas and have mini-makeovers.”
Justine sighed and got up from my bed. “I guess. But I’m only allowing you a few hours.” She narrowed her eyes and gave me a stern look. “And you better come back!”
