AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Did you only marry me for my money and status?"
"Of course not," I protest. "I never said that."
"You didn't have to." He stalks across the room like a caged animal, gesturing wildly. "It's obvious you regret tying yourself to me. As if I'm not enough, as if you need an escape hatch in case a better offer comes along."
"Dare, stop. That's ridiculous and you know it." I struggle to remain calm, though his accusations sting. "I love you. I chose you, and I don't regret it for an instant."
"Then why are you so eager to get rid of your ring?" He points an accusing finger at the wedding band on my finger. "Our sacred symbol of commitment—you can't wait to cast it aside!"
"My fingers are swollen from the pregnancy. The ring doesn't fit right now." I spread my hands in supplication. "You're reading too much into this."
"Am I?" His eyes are chips of blue ice. "Or have I simply been blind to the truth all this time? Maybe you only want me for my money after all."
"I don't care about your money!" Tears of frustration prick my eyes. "I married you because I love you. But right now, I don't even know who you are."
Dare flinches, but quickly hides it behind a mask of indifference. "Perhaps we've both made a mistake then," he says coolly. "If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."
With that, he strides out of the room, leaving me alone with the ruins of our fight.
ChapterTwenty-Three
DARE
The leather seat sticks to my back, sweat pooling between my shoulder blades. My heart thumps an anxious rhythm as our SUV crunches up the winding gravel drive.
“I don’t think our grandfather needs to know that you got my wife pregnant. Why can’t it stay a secret between the three of us?”
Burn's gaze burns a hole in the side of my head. "Just tell Remy the truth. It's the only way."
I rake a hand through my hair, tugging at the roots. "He's going to disinherit me, and this time it will be for real. I’ve lied to his face for months."
“I think you are putting words in his mouth. You don’t know that he’ll care who the father of the baby is.”
The baby. My baby.
I sigh. How did I let things spiral so far out of control?
"You didn’t lie to be malicious. You were protecting Talia. He'll understand that, once he cools off."
Once he cools off. As if Remy's temper is a summer squall, swiftly fading into the distance. More like a hurricane, leaving devastation in its wake.
“I lied to win the inheritance race between us. I think he’ll be furious.”
"You have to tell him. Do not let him find out some other way. Control the narrative."
He's right, of course. If multiple people know the secret of my baby's parentage, it's not going to stay secret forever. Even the best kept secrets eventually leak. And letting Remy know now is the only way to have full control of the story I'm telling.
The SUV slows, coming to a stop outside the sprawling Tudor estate. Home. The place I've spent my whole life, yet never felt like I truly belonged.
Burn puts his hand on my shoulder, his eyes searching my face. "We're in this together, remember? I'm right beside you."
I swallow hard against the lump in my throat and nod. Together. Just like the old days.
The doors open, sunlight spilling into the manor. Our footsteps are quick, sounding loudly as we march in time to Remy’s office. I take a deep breath, steeling myself, and step out to meet my fate.Knocking on his door is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
“Come in,” comes a muffled voice.
I open the door and step through the doorway, trying not to look as nervous as I feel. Burn is right behind me, backing me up. Remy stands at the window, gnarled hands clasped behind his back. His pale eyes gleam under bushy white eyebrows, and his bloodless lips twist into a sneer.
