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My grin falters.
“You have your choice of lavish wedding dresses, flowers, jewelry, decorations, everything you want for your inevitable wedding to Ryan Holt.” He leans forward as if he wants to make sure I hear him, his hazel eyes darkening at the movement.
“No!” My self-control is but a memory now, as my tone heightens.
“You have a duty toward this family!” My father’s voice follows mine, an octave higher, enough for my feet to feel the urge to take a step back.
“Marrying a man I don’t even want to be with is not a fucking duty! What Cillian is doing, training to take over your business, that’s fucking duty! This is a forced union, a marriage of convenience, and it’s notmygoddamn convenience!”
“Not yours? So all we ever gave you, all we’ve provided, the troubles we got you out of, the protection, the studies, the money, the car, the roof over your head… and the simple fact that you never had or have to work a day in your life, even though you keep fucking insisting on it, is not convenience enough?”
Now I do step back, just as he rises from the sofa. I’ve played this game before with him, and I know exactly what’s coming. It’s in these moments that the fiery attitude I’m known for sizzles out, my body shutting down from years of this… this displaced dominance, the emotional distress that a father… or a boyfriend, should never cause. As my eyes flicker to my mother, I can see that she knows what’s coming as well.
“I didn’t realize that there were conditions attached to parenting. I didn’t know there was a price to pay for being your daughter!” I guess I have nothing more to lose.
His brows furrow, but the deranged smirk on his lips screamsperilas he rushes toward me, his steps falling heavy on the parquet floor. I back up quickly, and the moment my shoulder blades hit the wall, his heavy hand slams against the left side of my face. My head whips to the side in a flash of pain, and the metallic taste of blood flows over my tongue.
“There’s always a price to pay, girl! Just be thankful that at least you like Ryan.”
“I don’t,” I say quietly, licking the cut on my inner cheek, resisting the urge to rub my hot skin, or my aching jaw. But I’ve shown enough weakness to this man, and I’m not about to fuel his abusive ego further.
I catch my mother’s eyes as she turns toward the window, a flicker of sadness in them. But it’s gone as fast as it appeared.She’s fucking useless.
“You will marry him, you will have his children, you will do your duty to this family.” He steps back and I refuse to bow to him, so I step forward.
“Why… why are you so desperate to unite our families? Or whatever is left of his,” I ask.
“You always ask too many questions that don’t concern you, wanting answers you couldn’t begin to understand.” He raises a busy eyebrow at me.
“So that’s how it is. Fine.” I smirk. It’s not a pissing game, and I don’t plan to prove myself to him. “If you care about me at all, don’t send me to the man that wants to break me.”
He blinks slowly over hazel irises, and it’s in that gaze, beyond those colors, that the terrible truth lies. He doesn’t even bother to hide it.
“I’m nothing to you…” I whisper, moving a little closer. “I’m a tool, the right kind of currency for you to pave your way down the fucking lawless rabbit hole you’re digging… I’m nothing.”
He doesn’t speak, just shifts a little closer to me.
“Did you ever care? Was I ever anything else but a trade commodity?” My voice cracks, disappointment, fear, rage, all mixing together.
He’s so still, blinking in boredom like he can’t fucking wait for me to just stop existing in his universe.
“You fucking bastard!” I slam the side of my fists on his chest. “I’m your fucking daughter, goddamnit! Your fucking daughter, and you’re selling me without a fucking second thought!” I’m screaming now, a guttural sound that scrapes my throat. “You can take back all your shit! You can take my goddamn business diploma, my clothes, my room, take it all! You’re stealing my fucking life away! Well, goddamn take back the price I paid and just leave me alone!”
I don’t see the next move coming. The moment his palm slams across the side of my face again, I’m thrown straight to the ground, my ribs hitting the side of an end-table, all air leaving my lungs on a hitched breath.
I swallow the sharp pain, because I refuse to show him any more weakness.
“You’re not going anywhere. You’re not giving anything back. It will simply go to waste, so it might as well stay with you. And you’re not getting out of this. This is your forever.”
I get up on a strained exhale then, pushing the ache away, and without blinking, I slap my father so hard across his cheek, his glasses fly off.
“You’re no fucking father, not to me anyway. Not anymore.”
I catch that stunned, furious look in his eyes for a moment, before I turn on my heel and storm out. I rip open the front door and almost run into my brother, who was just about to come in.
“Wow. What are you…?” He stops, narrowing his eyes and cocking his head as he takes me in further.
“Don’t. Just fucking don’t. Unless the next words out of your mouth are ‘Morrigan, I’m your brother, I care about you and I will help you get out of this bullshit,’don’t speak to me.”
