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I didn’t hear him right. He couldn’t have said what I thought he said. But as I glance around the room, taking in the incredulous expressions, I know I heard him correctly.
“What do you mean nay?” I jump to my feet, hands on my hips, and stand next to Sebastian. “You said you were onboard with this.”
“I was, before Landon admitted to conspiring against me.” Liam crosses his arms. “That changes things.”
“It changes nothing.” Landon glares at the chancellor. “We’re supposed to be giving her a choice, and her choice is Sebastian.”
“If I still had the option to marry her myself, I’m not sure I’d agree to such a scheme.”
“So that’s it? You’re just going to back out, to hell with the consequences?”
“No, but I have a condition.”
“Of course you do.” My brother drags a hand down his weary face. “Let’s hear it, then.”
“The details will remain between Novalee and me.”
“The fuck they will.” Sebastian laces our fingers together, and we confront the chancellor, a united front. “Your manipulations stop now.”
Liam’s attention falls on our joined hands. “You need my vote to move forward. Once I have Novalee’s agreement, I’ll oblige by voting in favor.”
“What makes you think she’ll agree?”
“Because she wants to marry you,” Liam says, his tone matter-of-fact. “She wants it enough to go into the bedroom and hear me out.”
“You fucking bastard.” Sebastian goes rigid beside me, and I tense, preparing for him to lose his cool.
Vance shakes his head. “I believed you to be more honorable than this, Chancellor.”
“You overestimated my honor when it comes to Novalee.”
“Can’t you guys vote without him?” I turn wide eyes on my brother, my gaze pleading for him to find a way around Liam.
“As chancellor, he has the power to veto, and that’s assuming we get the majority without him.”
My heart thuds to the bottom of my gut. They need Liam’s cooperation for this plan to work.
“How can you do this to me?” I try to catch his eyes, but Liam averts his too-serious gaze. “You’d rather I get passed around by the Brotherhood?”
“That’s the last thing I want.” He gestures to the bedroom. “If you’ll come with me, I’ll tell you what I want.” Liam disappears into the hall, leaving it up to me on whether to follow him.
“You don’t have to do this.” Sebastian’s grip on my hand tightens. “We’ll find another way.”
I exchange a glance with Landon, and I know we’re both thinking the same thing.
How?
“Everyone is here already, and Liam is the only holdout, so…”
“Baby…” Sebastian grits his teeth. “Don’t even think about giving in to his demands.”
“I’m just going to hear what he has to say.” I work my hand free from his. “I’ll be okay, I promise.”
He tries to stop me, but Hugo and Tatum hold him back, telling him to let me go. I head down the short hallway, and it takes everything I have to wipe his furious gaze from my mind as I make my way to the bedroom.
Alone.
