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He opens his mouth as if to speak, but I don't let him say a single syllable, pressing him even more into the woodwork and going into full harangue-mode as I lift him up, his Gucci loafers clean off the floor.
“I havenothing, and I mean, fuckingnothingin common with the likes of you! No decent man in the universe does!Whoare you? Who do youthinkyou are? Do you think you’re sharp? Strong? A grown-ass man who believes that if he has control over every aspect of the life of a twenty-year-old girl and breaks her spirit, he can use this nefarious act to prove to the world what exactly? His manliness? As far as I’m concerned, hell, as far asanyperson with a smidgen of sense, should be concerned, you are the furthest thing from a man that ever walked this earth! And since you think you can come over and celebrate your triumph still, even nine fucking years later, then by all means: let’s have it out! Let’s see what all these people really think of you! What kind of a man is one who doesn’t walk away graciously when the young girl he has been oppressing frees herself from him but instead torments her, publicly mocks her, and throws her to the gossipmongers with his deceitful tales of sorrow?"
I let him slide down the wall and turn around to take in the room, arms open, palms up. "Would you call a guy who's practically fucking forty and still has to prove to the world he has a dick that knows how to go north,a man? Wanna know what I call him? A deceitful little shit with no backbone and no honor and a disgrace to our society! Any man who does business with him is bound to be considered a laughingstock far and wide, and would never be welcome to shake my handeveragain!”
People around us are looking on in surprise.
My dad and Maxwell look practically shocked. I'm pretty level-headed, and public outbursts are not my thing, but since I'm managing not to kill this soulless waste of space, I'll call this a victory anyway.
I hear someone behind us murmuring Carina's name. Someone else mutters a ‘Well done’, and I hear another voice saying,It’s about time someone cut this jackass down to size’.
Someone else is calling him a lowlife, and I could not agree more, but it's too little, too late.
I don't really care for their opinions. I never did.
I have to leave.
Ihaveto. Before I change my mind, break every fucking worthless bone in this bastard’s body and do end up in jail today. My father grips my shoulder and pulls me further away from Withmore.
“Was he talking about Carina Preston?” he asks.
I nod. I shouldn't be surprised that my dad knows about this.
“You know her?”
I nod again and look away, and I see a flicker of understanding in his gaze.
My dad clears his voice. "You had it a long time coming, Withmore! Shaming that fine young woman in the gossip rags in such a way! She was promising and became successful despite what you were going around moaning about. We all know Preston International is doing great with her at the helm. What about you instead? We all know Withmore Investments, but certainly not for the same reason. You are driving it into the ground."
As Withmore sputters, getting redder and redder by the second, I hear Maxwell and even Mr. Fillion joining in.
"You should hear how his father-in-law's, Beaumont, is bemoaning the scads of money he threw into his so-called company now!"
"Oh, I know, Max, believe me. He talks of little else while we play golf. I hear he's bent on convincing Milan to walk away from him, and he’s getting closer to success as we speak since the poor woman is rather tired of his disgusting behavior.”
Suddenly Withmore stands up and starts shouting. “Lies! All lies! Allegations! I will sue you all! You heard me! All of you! Every single person in this fucking restaurant!”
I laugh, staring him down. "Please, do. I'll love to see you try, Withmore."
As I give my back to him to pick up my phone from the table, he lounges at me. I turn around, dodging his fist, and I take hold of his wrist, blocking a second hit. I press his arm back into his body and down until I hear it crack, and then I cold-cock him square in the jaw, sending him flat on his ass and knocking him out cold.
I ignore all the people calling my name, and after assuring my dad that I'm okay, promising I’ll be in touch soon, I storm off.
* * *
I stalkaround the corner and reach my building, trying to get the remnant of my fury in check. I still feel like a live wire is running under my skin.
I'm practically shaking, and I'm suddenly so tired I can barely walk.
I know I've been sleeping poorly and working myself to the bone, but those are not the reasons for my exhaustion. It's not even because of the effort not to strangle that motherfucker.
It’s still all because of her, and only for her.
I miss her so much. I feel at the end of my endurance. I'm completely burned out, desperate, and weary.
I don’t know what the fuck should I do, but I don’t think I can wait anymore.
I need to see her, hold her, even if only for a moment, even if she still can’t be mine. I just need to soak in her a bit and make myself strong again so that I can wait for her as long as it takes.
