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But none of that matters to my father. He places the idea of reputation over the concept of romance. Sometimes I wonder if he even still remembers what the warm embrace of romance should feel like.

I get out of the shower, dry myself off, and hop into bed in the nude. I am too tired to dress, the thoughts of Ada and Josephine weighing heavy on my mind. But even in the depths of my fatigue, I hope what I said to that sweet girl from the coffee shops resides in her. If she just gives it a chance…

I have a dreamless sleep, then head back to the office early in the morning. I feel like I am at a loss for options. I keep glancing over at my phone, trying to summon a response from Josephine.

I try to sneak into my office unseen by my coworkers. I start to feel my phone blowing up with messages from the very people I don’t want to hear from: my sister, my mother, my father and Ada.

I ignore all of them, trying to leave the line clear for Josephine. Soon, it is obvious I have made a mistake by thinking work will help me pass the time. Being here, the clock ticks by slow as molasses, and the only calls I am getting are from my infuriated family.

“God sake,” I whisper when another one comes in, looking down at my desk.

At around noon, I hear the distinctive clicking of heels. My indifferent mood plummets and turns sour when I see Ada swing around the frame of my door.

“What the fu…”

I cut her off before she gets a chance to make a scene.

“Come inside, Ada.” I try to sound reasonable. “Talk to me, don’t include the entire office.”

She stands in the office after I close the door, barely moving. I can see that her fists are clenched, and her chin trembles before she speaks.

“Where thehellwere you?” she says, seething like a snake. “And don’t you ever answer your phone?”

I sit back at my desk, rubbing my eye sockets so hard I feel they might burst. I hear her heels click as she comes closer to me.

“Aiden!” she yells. “Are you going to answer me or what?”

There is no point in talking to her. She is merely a pawn in this game. I have to go and talk to the king.

I rise up from my desk abruptly.

“Is he in?”

She blinks at me. She knows I mean my father.

WIthout waiting for her answer, I race out of the office. She follows me, and I can feel my ears are steaming. Anger has likely made my face as red as a candy apple.

I can hear her faintly calling after me, but I don’t care. I have to face this beast in order to conquer it.

I don’t knock on the door of my father’s office. Instead, I shove it open and see he is already standing beside his desk. We come face to face, with Ada rushing into the room behind me.

“I need to talk to you…”

I take a step towards my father. Before I have a chance to speak, he connects with a righteous slap across the right side of my face. My head sways to the side, the strike starting to sting, the shock only beginning to settle in.

“You are a disgrace to this family!” he begins to yell while one of my ears starts to ring. “Do you have any idea what you did? You embarrassed everyone you are supposed to love!”

My hand comes to my face. The skin is warm, beginning to throb with the agony of betrayal already. I can barely hear what my father is saying. All I can think of is Josephine. She needs to take my deal. Or this is all that is left for me.

“If you don’t straighten up and fly right, young man, you will not have a job. You will not have your exorbitant wealth. And you willnotbe welcomed back into this family, ever again!”

I turn to him, feeling bold and daring. I feel a smirk spread across my face, which only makes my father even more enraged.

“Do you hear me?” he shouts, taking a step towards me. “These are not idle threats, young man!”

“I am not your puppet,” I say softly, taking a step away to avoid his further wrath. “I will marry the woman that I love. I will bring her to the annual ball. You will see. I promise. You will see.”

I swivel around and start to walk out of the room. Ada is standing there with her hands over her face, shocked by the progress of aggression. She steps aside for me, and I open the door to leave.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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