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“I’m pretty tired,” I say, stifling a yawn and trying to pull away. “I think I’m going to call it a—”
His eyes blaze in vicious fury as his grip on me tightens. His fingers dig into my hips possessively. “No!”
Spencer has grown up with all of life’s privileges, and no one has ever refused him. I guess that’s to be expected when you’re the sole heir to a mammoth family fortune. I’ve tried to ignore some of his bratty and entitled tendencies, choosing to focus on how he could be sweet and caring. But I was over his petulant temper tantrum tonight.
“No, Spencer,” I insist, tugging myself out of his grasp with force. “I’m going to bed. Really.”
His cheeks redden. I’ll leave him to drown his sorrows, then he can grovel over the breakfast table like he always does. I turn to leave, but he doesn’t want to let me go. He grabs my shoulders and forces me to face him.
“I want you to come to the Collingsbrook Ball with me,” he says. “You can meet my friends and family. I want to show you off to everyone.”
The ball is an esteemed social event I’d love to attend, but this isn’t how I envisioned him asking me to be his plus one.
“Let go of me,” I say, struggling to free myself from him. “You’re hurting me.”
“Say you’ll come to the ball with me.”
“Ask me again tomorrow,” I say.
“I’ve given you everything!” he yells. “I moved you out of the slum you were living in. I gave you a new home, bought you a new wardrobe, took you to the best restaurants, and this is how you’re going to repay me? You’re an ungrateful bitch, Ivy!”
“We’ll talk about it in the morning,” I say. If I don’t stand up to him now, I never will. What started as a fairytale whirlwind romance was turning sour. “When you’re sober.”
With that, he grabs my hair, wraps it around his fist and uses it to propel me across the room. I fall to the ground with a thud, whimpering as I raise my hand to my scalp, not believing what just happened. I knew he had a vicious streak when he drank, but I never thought he’d be violent.
I expect him to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness, but he doesn’t. He cackles and advances. He picks up a heavy oil lamp and throws it in my direction like a child throwing a Lego block. I manage to dodge it, but he keeps picking up more items. A paperweight, books, and a vase fly across the room while I crawl to safety behind the sofa.
“Spencer!” I screech. “Stop!”
He doesn’t. His shoes crunch on the broken fragments under his feet as he continues his pursuit. I clamber to my feet and use the sofa arm to balance me.
“This isn’t you,” I say, trying to reason with him, but he can detect the fear in my voice, which only makes him laugh.
“You can’t hide from me,” he warns.
I try backing away, but he has me cornered. My body trembles as he pins me against the wall. His hands clasp around my throat.
“Spencer, stop!” I wail, hating how pathetic my voice sounds as he raises his hand to strike me across the face. “I’ll come to the ball with you, okay?”
He freezes as if time stands still, and his face breaks into a dazzling smile. He drops his hold instantly and leans to brush his lips against mine like nothing’s happened.
“I knew you’d make the right decision,” he purrs. “I’m going to show the world that you’re mine, Ivy Penrose. All mine. Now that I’ve got you, I won’t let you go.”
I knew I had to leave him after that night.
That decision changed the course of my entire life.
Years later, Spencer Bexley still hasn’t paid for what he did to me, but his time will come… if I can live long enough to make sure justice is served.
CHAPTER 1
CALLEN
PRESENT DAY…
Great job, dipshit.
Why did Bram have to act like a gentleman?
