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Myah is alone, lounging on the sofa in her pajamas while watching some sleazy drama. She looks so happy and calm, which I know is the exact opposite of how I am now.
So, where the hell is my father? Is it even really his car that is parked outside? Or am I just overthinking all these things?
Myah finally notices me and smiles, but a frown follows. “Sloane, are you okay?” I hate the note of concern in her voice. I don’t deserve that. “Do you feel faint again?”
The girl meets me at the entrance and locks the door behind us. Then, she ushers me to the sofa and holds my hand.
“Are you feeling anxious again? Do you need water? Wait. I’m going to get you your water,” she stands up, but I stop her.
“Myah. I’m so sorry.”
“Hey. Sloane, it’s okay. I want to help you. It doesn’t really bother me.”
“Myah, your father is on his way here.”
Her face turns from surprise to anger, and then betrayal. And that is what I hate the most. I hate that I disappoint her. She opens her mouth to voice her emotions, but then the knocking starts. She turns her eyes to me, but I don’t meet them. I just stand up and open the door.
Owen’s face greets me, and I meet his murderous glare. He starts to close the small distance between us, but Calvin, I think that it’s his name, steps in. I almost want him not to stop the General from hurting me because I deserve it.
“You,” he bellows. Calvin pushes him back before he can cross the line again. Owen glares at Calvin, then looks at me again. “How dare you take my daughter away from me!”
“Owen, I —”
“No. You don’t get to say a word. I know what this is. You are a great liar and pretender. It’s all an act, right? The helpless girl with her cruel father needs the help of the village idiot. That is why you acted so miserable at the restaurant. You want me to believe that you are innocent and that you can’t do something like this. You’re the worst.”
Owen’s eyes look hurt for a second, but then the anger returns. I know that I deserve all his rage, but I don’t want him to think that I acted like a damsel in distress just for him to notice me. That is below the belt. And I intend for him to know that.
I match his angry voice. “I understand why you’re angry. But what happened at the restaurant is not a lie. My father has always tried to control me. So why don’t you stop and think about how you are with your own daughter? Don’t you see in me what you do with her?”
I know I hit a nerve because I’m saying something true. And Owen knows that because he looks shocked. But he quickly regains his composure. He even smirks at me.
“I now understand your actual game. It’s all about the business deal, right? You just want to bargain my daughter so that I will sign with McKenzie tech. How long are you planning to keep her from me? Are your bosses in on this? You think you can win me with this stint, you bi—”
“Shut up,” Myah shouts and steps in front of me. I almost forgot that she is with us. Owen suddenly looks so smug, but then she adds, “I mean you, Dad.”
The General’s face hardens again, but the anger is slowly dissipating.
“Sloane didn’t kidnap me. I don’t know what kind of silly shit you are imagining,” Owen winces at the word shit, but he doesn’t interrupt his daughter. “And nobody can kidnap me because I’m perfectly capable of saving myself. Isn’t that what all those years of training were for? Sloane is innocent! And the truth is, I’m the one who was taking advantage of her by forcing her to take me in.”
Myah looks down, and Owen finally calms down. Thankfully, his daughter’s words mean something to him. So, I grab the opportunity.
“O- I mean General Lewis, please come inside. We can sit and talk in the living room if that’s alright with you.”
Owen nods and turns to his assistants. Calvin and Andrew nod back, then they step out and close the door behind them. It seems like Owen is finally calm enough to be left alone, so I breathe—I don’t even remember when I started to hold it. The General follows us and sits on the sofa. But before I can speak up, he looks at Myah, his eyes haunted.
“Myah, why did you run away?” he looks pained. “It actually hurt me.”
Chapter Nineteen - Owen
My daughter is alive, I repeat the words in my head. She is safe and sound, and that should make me happy. Yet, as I sit here in Sloane’s living room and wait for the coffee she’s preparing, I feel odd. I’m not exactly satisfied because a massive part of me is still reeling in anger. The reality stings my pride, and I realize that it’s fueling my rage.
