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He could break me. I shake the thought away, unsure where it came from to begin with. I don’t know him, whoever he is.
I’m about to turn to let my father know that I’m leaving when someone, no, not someone, a man comes to stand in front of me. My eyes lift to his face, he can’t be but a little older than me. He’s handsome in a my-father-is-rich-as-sin kind of way. Perfectly tailored clothes, meticulously styled hair, and a sharp jawline.
He smiles at me, showing off his dimples and a set of straight and sparkling white teeth. His eyes twinkle with mischievous, the color of deliciously melted chocolate.
“I’m pretty sure I’d remember meeting a pretty face like yours. You must be one of the freshmen?”
I smile as well because his smile is infectious, “Well, this is the freshman brunch, isn’t it?” I cringe at the words after they’ve already come out.
Mystery man gives me a low chuckle, it’s deep, and I can feel it in my bones, “I mean, yeah, but I’m not a freshman, and I’m here too, so …” His eyes glitter with amusement.
“Sorry, that was rude of me,” I apologize half-heartedly.
He nods, takes a sip of his drink, and for a split second, I let my gaze roam over him. Muscular chest, broad shoulders, big hands. He’s tall, much taller than me, towering over me by a good four inches. He’s got the body of an athlete, but somehow, I doubt he plays sports.
“Like what you see?” he says coyly.
My cheeks burn. “I wasn’t checking you out. I was just…” Shit, what was I doing?
“It’s okay if you were. I was checking you out too, and in case you were wondering…” He leans into my face, and as I suck a panicked breath into my lungs, I catch a whiff of his cologne. Sandalwood and patchouli. Warm, rich, and inviting. “I like what I’ve seen thus far.” He winks, and while his demeanor is playful, I can’t help but feel like there is a deeper meaning to what he is saying. I like what I’ve seen thus far. Like he’ll have the chance to see more.
“Willow…” My father’s deep baritone voice catches my ears, and I blink, pulled from my thoughts. Twisting around, I meet his hard gaze.
“Yes,” I answer even though I don’t want to.
“I’ll let you get back to spending some time with your family. I’ll see you around, Willow, is it?”
“Yes, Willow,” I force my lips into a smile and extend my hand out to him. He takes it, his warm hand encompassing mine, as he gives it a gentle squeeze.
“Warren,” he introduces himself, a boyish grin on his lips. Warren. The name seems to fit him. Prim and proper. “I’m sure I’ll see your beautiful face around.”
I nod, caught up in his words. Lifting my hand, he presses a kiss to the top before releasing it. It falls back down to my side as he turns and disappears into the crowded room like an illusion. Weird.
My father turns to where I had been looking, a moment ago. For a few seconds, he seems pleased with me, but we all know he can’t have that.
“Did you ask for his last name?”
I snort, “No, father, I did not.” I grind my teeth together so hard my jaw aches.
“Quit being difficult and just do what I’ve asked of you. I need at least one of my daughters to live up to the family name. Your sister has already disappointed me. Don’t do the same. I can only handle one family fuck up at a time.”
Turning to face him, I bare my teeth. How dare he!
“Ashton is not and never will be a disappointment,” I speak through my teeth, finally having reached my limit with his bullshit. You are the fuck up, I add in my head.
He takes a threatening step toward me, and I try not to react to the closeness; he is, after all, my father. I shouldn’t be afraid of him, but I’m not that naive. He’s not only rich but also powerful, even without all the friends he’s lost over the last two years. If I get in his way, he’ll squish me like a bug, daughter or not.
“Your sister cost me everything. She is more than a disappointment, and if you don’t fall in line with how I want things to be, then I’ll have no reason to keep supporting her. I’m doing this for you, and only you.”
Tears sting my eyes, threatening to spill over. “She’s your daughter,” I croak. How can he be so heartless toward his own child?
Darkness glitters his eyes, there is no remorse, not a single shred of compassion. If I didn’t know it before, I am certain now that my father is nothing more than a heartless monster.
