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Rolling the contract in my hand, I headed for my office to contact Maxwell and let him know that the search was off. I’d found the mother of my future child.
* * *
There was too much work to be done, so I spent the rest of the day confined to my office. It was terrible. I hated this. Meeting after meeting, dealing with problems and making decisions in a never-ending cycle.
It was never what I wanted.
That was the reason I was going to such lengths to have an heir. My father never wanted me to be a part of the family business anyway, so it was for the best that I find a way out of it.
As I left my office, my neck cricked from hours spent hunched over my computer. Making my way to the dining room, I half expected to find Belle already there, devouring her meal like a ravenous animal, as she had done for the past three days, as seen on the kitchen’s security cameras. But she was nowhere in sight.
I settled into my seat, glancing over at the extra dishes the chef had prepared just for her. I hoped they wouldn’t grow cold while we waited for her. Placing my napkin on my lap, I served myself from the plates in front of me, my ears tuned in for the sound of her footsteps on the stairs. But they never came.
I struggled to chew my food as I fought the urge to grind my teeth in frustration, taking just two bites before my annoyance with her absence boiled over. Without warning, I pushed my chair back and stormed out of the dining room, making a beeline for her suite up the stairs. Bursting through the door, I quickly scanned the bedroom, but found no sign of her. However, the open bathroom door and the sweet aroma of vanilla bubble bath indicated she was making the most of the amenities, even if it meant neglecting her host’s invitation to dinner.
Peering through the bubbles, I noticed her curvy but frail body, adorned with bruises of varying ages. Despite firmly reminding myself that it was none of my business, I couldn’t help but wonder where the bruises came from. She was notoriously uncommunicative about herself and often refused to answer my questions.
I should leave. I knew that, preferably before she realized I was here. I tried to tell my feet to take me out of this private space, but they just wouldn’t listen. I cast my eyes around the bedroom, noting the pile of her filthy clothes.
I reached for my phone and sent a message to Barclay, who I knew would be tidying up in the kitchen, requesting him to come and retrieve the clothing items. Then, burn them.
As I glanced back into the bathroom, I saw her picking at a scab on her knee. Annoyed, I scowled and strode into the bathroom, causing her to jump in surprise. She quickly covered her breasts with her arm, but I focused on the bruises on her leg.
“You shouldn’t pick at that,” I admonished.
“What are you doing in here?”
I kneeled next to the tub and reached for a washcloth on the ledge. Gripping her calf to hold her leg in place, I internally cursed the bubbles that blocked my view of the best parts of her, which were beneath the water.
“Is this where you hurt yourself in the north wing?” I asked, running the cloth over the wound, washing away dried blood.
“Yes,” she said, nibbling on her lip. “But I can clean it myself.”
Desire licked up my spine at the sight. “There’s no need to be shy. You’ve already signed a contract agreeing to sleep with me, after all.”
Belle didn’t say anything in response, and I focused my attention on her wound, my anger when I came storming in here all but forgotten.
When it was finally clean, I heard movement in the other room. Barclay was here. I quickly stepped out of the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind me to prevent him from seeing Belle as she got out of the tub. He went about collecting her clothes, and Belle stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy white towel.
“You’re taking my clothes?” she asked.
I sneered. “If you can even call this clothing.”
“I know it’s not great, but it’s all I have. What am I supposed to wear?”
I didn’t have an answer for that, but before I could suggest that she wear something of mine, Barclay interjected.
“I can get her something from Charlotte’s closet.”
The mere mention of my deceased wife’s name caused a painful clenching in my chest, accompanied by a wave of guilt and anger that made my fists clench. However, as my eyes met Belle’s, I pushed those emotions down and gave Barclay a stiff nod before turning to leave. As my hand touched the doorknob, I paused and looked back at her.
“Meet me in the dining room once you're dressed.”
Chapter7
Belle
Icouldn’t resist trying on the blue halter dress Barclay had brought me, and I stood in front of the mirror with a smile on my face. Though it was a little too big for me, I didn’t mind. It was clean and comfortable, and I couldn’t recall the last time I had worn anything like it. My previous captors always dressed me in old, threadbare clothing with no undergarments or sometimes just a sheet, as if they wanted easy access to me.
