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Maybe it wasn’t just a river in Egypt after all.
“I’m not marrying him,” I reiterated. “End of story.” Rising from my seat, I went to leave the office, wanting to clean off the disgusting film this conversation had left on my skin.
White-hot pain pulled at my scalp. I cried out as I was wrenched backward. My feet stumbled, but the hand in my hair kept me standing. Another hand wrapped around my throat, squeezing hard enough to cut off precious air.
“You listen to me, you little slut,” he hissed, spittle flying. His face was red hot with anger, his eyes bulging as he glared down at me. “You will apologize to him, and you will be marrying him. Otherwise, I will sell you off to the highest bidder. There are men out there who would take great pleasure in breaking you. So you are going to be a good little whore, just like your mother, and do as I say? Understood?”
Air. I needed air.
I nodded my head the best I could, tears streaming down my cheeks as I fought the blackness surrounding me. My father tightened his grip on my throat before letting me go completely. Coughing, my knees buckled beneath me, and I sank to the floor, holding my throat and crying.
“I have given you everything, Bailey,” my father reminded me as he looked down at my crumpled form. “None of that was given for free. You will obey me in this, or there will be consequences. Your mother faced hers, and I’ll make sure you face yours.”
My brow furrowed. What did he mean by that?
“How did my mother die?” I rasped. “Did you kill her?”
He hesitated. It was barely there. Less than a microsecond, but I caught it.
“You know how she died, Bailey,” he uttered in disgust. “She overdosed.”
“Sarah said her throat was slit.”
There. The slight widening of his eyes before he shook his head.
“Sarah is no doubt drunk and rambling. You’ve caused her a great deal of stress over the past few days.” He walked back behind his desk and took his seat. The overlord on his throne. “Now, get out of here before I decide to call Fernando in to give you a real punishment.”
Something wasn’t right, but the threat of a beating from Fernando was enough to get me to drop the subject and hightail it out of his office like my ass was on fire.
I wasn’t going to let it go, though.
Not yet.
* * *
I barely resisted slamming the door shut to my room after the talk with my father. The only saving grace was that Drew wasn’t there to gloat in my face. That and I had managed to get a good look at the safe as well. While he’d had his hand around my throat, I’d stared over his shoulder, gauging the safe’s keypad.
“So finally Rapunzel has returned.”
I gave a small gasp, my hand flying to my chest as I spun around toward the unexpected intrusion. Drew sat casually in one of the chairs by my window, his phone resting in his hand. He’d dressed himself up in a black Armani suit and crisp white shirt. He liked to dress in suits because he believed that it gave him more power. Made him seem manlier. Drew had the muscles of a man who spent hours in the gym, but he was a coward who would never use them. One punch, and he’d be crying on the floor, begging for his mommy.
I’d seen it.
“What are you doing here?” I rasped, my voice still hoarse from the swelling. Drew tilted his head before he stood from the chair. Depositing his phone in his pocket, he straightened his jacket before casually strolling toward me. I took an instinctive step back, only to hit the door.
“Where have you been?” His arms caged me in on either side.
“None of your business,” I snarled.
He chuckled, the sound mirthless. His eyes were narrowed down at me, face cold.
“You’re my fiancée, Bailey,” he sneered. “Everything you do is my business.”
A growl erupted low in my chest. “I stopped being your fiancée the moment you stuck your dick where it didn’t belong,” I hissed. “Should have suspected it, though. Honestly, I should have known it was you the moment Brittany described the micropenis she was fucking.”
His hand snagged in my hair, wrenching my head back painfully.
“Who have you been fucking, little Rapunzel?” he demanded. “You think I believe for one moment you were out there mourning me cheating on you?”
