AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“All to propagate the lines?”
I can’t believe this. It’s madness. Essentially, they’ve agreed to dispose of an entire family in the business if their demands aren’t met.
“What happens if I never marry? Or what’s to stop you from disapproving of any woman I bring forward, so you can take over?”
“If you present us with a candidate who fits the criteria and has no black marks against her, we won’t disapprove,” Paul says, speaking up for the first time. “Your support in our business ventures is more of a perk than your money. We have plenty of that. If you never marry or you die before giving an heir, the business will go to Sylvia.”
The men all make faces that don’t hide their disgust at that announcement, as if the thought of a woman boss is foreign to them. I think they also don’t want to be tied to Sylvia’s family in any way either. I want to point out that the only heir Vincent has is his daughter, Ginny. So, what will he do? If they are against women being in charge, he has a problem on his hands. But I don’t point it out.
But I need the money. I can’t let it go to Sylvia. At least I know I’m pretty safe from them killing me.
“Looks like you’d better start wife-hunting,” William says, leering at me.
When our eyes meet, he winks, and I feel a surge of violence rise in my chest. I want to hurt him. I hate these men. I hate what they stand for and what I know—but can’t prove—they support.
“Gentlemen,” I say, pushing to stand. I look them each in the eyes as I glance around the table. “It’s been a pleasure.”
Antonio stands and throws me the file that has the paperwork in it, stating the terms of marriage, and I scoop it up.
I stride from the room without looking back, my mind whirring with what they’ve saddled me with. When I called this meeting, I was expecting business details and papers, the inside scoop, information.
Instead, I got treated like a child and was given orders.
Fuck them and their rules.
I won’t get anything until I get married? Otherwise, I’ll forfeit everything to Sylvia?
I pull the door open, and Geo immediately straightens. I jerk my head to the side, and he nods, speaking into an earpiece. Then, we leave the back room at the gentlemen’s club.
I’m thankful that Geo doesn’t ask any questions on the drive. I don’t think I could even talk right now, stunned as I am.
Where the fuck will I find a woman to marry in thirty days?
But I smile when I realize what was left out. They didn’t say I had to stay married.
6
WRYN
Iopen my eyes the second morning I’m here and fight down a scream. A girl is hovering over me, her eyes narrow and focused in on my face. Her long hair brushes my chest, and she has me pinned in with her arms and legs.
“Who are you?” I croak out, my voice still thick with sleep. I’m trying to scramble up, but I can’t get my arms out from under the comforter.
“Who are you?” she fires back, and I try to shrink further into my pillow.
“I asked you first,” I say, feeling like a child, but she’s freaking me out. “And why are you on top of me? How did you get in here?”
I glance toward my door, but it’s closed, the guard still presumably outside. There are two of them that switch out days, and neither will talk to me.
“Fern let me in,” she says, and I wrinkle my nose.
“Fern?”
“Fernando. The guy at your door.”
Ah, the one who saw me in all my glory and now can’t look me in the eyes when I pop my head outside.
“My warden, you mean?” I say sarcastically, not really expecting an answer.
