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He sighs as he sits beside his wife, who appears to have frozen into stone. When we walked into the room, she looked as if a bad smell invaded her perfect world, which angered me more than any words she could speak. Women like Anna Kensington bring out the worst in me and not only because she didn’t even greet her only child. If anything, she wished we weren’t here at all, and I hurt for Abi more than myself.
“That wasn’t part of the agreement.”
“Shit happens.” I speak, loving how her mother winces at the hard edge of my words.
If they thought I would be begging for acceptance, they’ve got another thing coming and the only begging to be done is their forgiveness for treating their daughter this way.
“Judge Stevenson is arranging an annulment and nothing more will be said about it. You will leave.” He stares at me with an autocratic glare and then flicks a look of disappointment at his daughter, who just squeezes my hand even tighter.
“I understand you are blackmailing Jefferson Stevenson.” He turns his sneer onto me, and I shrug. “It happens when someone steps out of line. I’m sure you have used similar tactics yourself, Jared, and I’m guessing you’re about to use them again.”
He recoils a little, probably not used to anyone speaking back and firing off truths like bullets into the room.
“Possibly, but my manipulation isn’t for criminal purposes.”
“Are you sure about that?”
I fix him with my deadliest stare and snarl, “You had your reasons for allowing Abigail to walk away with me. I was surprised that you never even put up a fight and just allowed it to happen.”
“You gave me no choice.” He snaps and I laugh out loud. “Don’t treat me like a fool, Jared. If anything, you think I am one.”
I lean forward and stare at them both long and hard. “I’m guessing it was to rid yourself of a problem that only a man like me can carry out.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
He stands firm and I shrug, casting a dismissive gaze at his disapproving wife.
“You wanted me to dispose of Mario Bachini because he was becoming a threat you could no longer ignore. He was going to blow your world apart when he demanded to marry your daughter.”
Jared visibly pales and I realize I’m right as I hiss, “You didn’t reckon on me taking his place. Making her my wife and ruining your well-orchestrated plan. Marriage to Jefferson would keep them under your control. Your perfect world would continue nicely and there would be no public humiliation in having Mario Bachini as a son-in-law.”
He remains frozen and my mind goes into overdrive as I hiss, “Remove the Bachinis from your life and the threat is gone. Abigail and Jefferson will be the golden couple, and you will retain respectability and secure your business for the next generation.”
I shake my head. “What I don’t understand is your connection to Sam.”
I glance at his wife and see the fear in her eyes, and I wonder about that.
“I heard you were an old school friend of his wife.”
She flinches but sits straight-backed and stares in front of her as Jared hisses, “Our family history has nothing to do with this. If anything, you’re right, because I did want Mario Bachini removed from Abigail’s life. She has been groomed to take the highest position in society and that is why you must walk away now, because you will never be accepted into this family.”
“Then we will leave now.” Abigail stands and faces her father with all guns blazing.
“How dare you?” She hisses and the shock on their faces makes me laugh out loud and I settle back to watch the part of the show when the worm turns.
“I have done everything you wanted. Played by your rules, been the best daughter I could and yet you never gave me any credit for that. If anything, I was just a doll to you. A chess piece to move across the board so you win the game.”
She glares between them and says sadly, “You wanted me to marry a man who fucked whores in his spare time. Who didn’t love me and treated me like another possession. We had no relationship and were just carrying out your orders and you expect me to be happy about that? To liveyourdream, not mine, just because I owe you for all this somehow.”
She waves her hand around her and says sadly, “Is this so important to you that you would sacrifice decency and love? Nothing else matters but the empire you’ve built on dirty money.”
“Abigail!” Anna jumps up and faces her daughter, finally breaking out from her ice palace and facing her daughter with blazing fury in her eyes.
“We have given you everything. You are a spoiled bitch who needs to learn manners. We are your parents and demand your respect.”
I step forward in a flash and catch the arm that threatens to slap her daughter around the face and as I grip it hard, I say roughly, “Nobody touches my wife, ever!”
I push her back and she stumbles beside her husband, who yells, “Enough!”
