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I didn’t know who the man was closest to Elias' father, but he did bare some resemblance to the family with his buzzcut hairstyle and striking cheekbones.
Then two carbon copies of my husband stared at me, it was obvious which one was Silas and Eli. Silas wore a small smirk like he was planning something. It was unsettling; deviant even. He had a bit of stubble as well, like my husband. If I didn’t know better I would think they were twins too.
While Eli’s face was doing a poor job of concealing his anger. His jaws were clenched, something clearly displayed by his clean-shaven jawline.
Compared to his two brothers, he had few tattoos, but he was just as handsome as them both.
“Are you ready to eat?” Elias said as he stared at me, stealing my attention for himself.
I didn’t know the relationship between the family, but I figured it was less strained than mine. However, as the room shared nothing but competitive silence, there was nothing more I wanted than to eat as quickly as I could stomach and escape to my room away from these vicious-looking men.
I nodded, not wanting to keep the family waiting any longer.
Chapter Fourteen
ELIAS
Louise served us all, but I saw how taxing it was for her. She was getting older. I needed to find someone else to manage my home and allow Louise to retire. She dedicated enough of her life to my family. It was time now for her to enjoy life on the coast, free of worry and contented.
My family was silently eating, only the sound of the cutlery hitting the glass plates was loudest in the air. It was peaceful, at least to me.
When I glanced at my wife, she was hardly eating her food. It seemed she was unsettled by my family at the table. Who wouldn’t be? They looked like they all had a stick up their asses, especially my father who stared at me with a scowl on his face.
Leaning to whisper in her ear, I said, “Should I take over?”
She looked at me shocked, quickly looking around the table to see if anyone heard me before turning to me again.
“No, I can do it.”
I sat back, staring at her, waiting for her to put more food in her mouth. She narrowed her eyes at me but I found it amusing- like I always did- which I figured was not the intended reaction.
When she realized I wouldn’t falter, she sighed and began to clear her plate.
“Good girl,” I whispered causing her breath to hitch and me to lightly smirk at her response.
My wife was truly innocent and pure, even after everything that life had thrown at her.
Then like all things my father ruined, he decided that dinner was the best time to address his non-attendance at my wedding.
He dropped his fork and knife at the side of his plate, his eyes zeroing in on my wife and me.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us? That’s the least you can do since you went and got married without your family. I had to find out from your fucking waste of a brother,” he said, sneering at Eli.
Everyone in the room seemed to be at a standstill; the air like it was sucked out of the room at my father’s outburst.
I stared at him, my hands still holding my utensils, and continued to chew the few bits of food in my mouth.
Like the rabid dog he was, he snarled. It was surprising he didn’t begin to drool at the mouth.
When I was sure all bits were cleared from my mouth, I took a sip of my water. I saw my wife from the corner of my eyes, her hands gripping the sides of her chair; her nails enough to break.
“You’re scaring my wife,” I said, plainly and took another piece of meat from my plate and began to chew.
I could hear my mother trying to calm him, something along the words of “In private, not here.”
He wouldn’t listen to her because my father loved a show. He had no power, no position. He was just seen as an old man who lived longer than anyone hoped for. No one wanted him as head of the Galdur family anymore, and, therefore, to him, his life’s purpose was to make mine hell- the boss they did choose.
He wanted to show that he still commanded his family; that everything still happened with his permission. Only it didn’t. And to him me running off and marrying ‘some girl’ he didn't vet was a spit in the face to the man that built the very throne I sat on.
