AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Marco typed on his phone, controlling his empire even at five fucking thirty a.m.
"Olivia," Jolette finally said, her voice oozing disdain. "So nice of you to join us.”
“It ismyapartment,” I said lightly.
Her eyes finally snapped to mine at my tone, her red lips pursing in displeasure. Disrespect may have been the only way to immediately get her attention.
Marco slipped his phone in his pocket, his tone dripping with condescension. "You know better than to leave without notifying us. It's all about security, princess."
I held in the shiver his pet name gave me, trying to think instead of what it had felt like for Walker to whisper “angel,” as he thrust inside me, his soft expression as he stared.
“Are you listening?” Jolette snarled.
I clenched my teeth, trying to hold myself back, because this was a situation I couldn’t win. I didn’t need to make it even worse—like her putting a guard at the door. I’d just gotten rid of that six months ago.
"I went out, alright? I needed some air," I snapped back, my defiance cutting through the tension.
Jolette's icy blue eyes bore into me, her perfectly styled hair framing her face like a judgmental halo. "And where exactly did you go forair?”
“Harley’s hockey game. It was a big game,” I finally whispered, hating the way her eyes flashed with disdain. Harley was her nephew through my father—and since she loathed thatman almost as much as she hated me, Harley wasn’t her favorite person either.
I didn’t give her any other details. I wouldn’t… Everything she touched turned to ashes, all the good about anything burned away.
Jolette's laugh was a mockery. "Did the hockey game last all night, Olivia?" She held up her phone and the 5:30am that was blaring from the homescreen.
I blinked at her slowly, my hands fisted at my side.
“Like I said…I needed some air,” I said through clenched teeth.
I was embarrassed standing there. Pretending to be someone else for a night…it was dangerous. It had made me forget for a second how life really was. It had given me a taste of…freedom.
And that was as dangerous as having…hope.
There was a beat of silence, like both of them were waiting for me to break and spill my secrets.
But I stayed quiet.
“Being stubborn this morning, are you? I guess we’re being too lenient, Marco. She’s getting a wild hare again.”
Dread filled my gut at the reminder of what happened the last time they’d thought I was trying to break away.
Marco was still staring at me, tracing his bottom lip idly like he was deep in thought.
"Let’s remember to give someone a head’s up next time you leave, princess,” he finally said dismissively, shocking me with how he seemed to be simply letting it go. But his next words were like ice water in my veins. “Jolette, why don’t you go home and get some sleep. Olivia and I have some things to discuss.”
Jolette's gaze hardened. “You’re too lenient on her,” she snapped, like I was an unruly child instead of a fucking adult.
Shame turned my insides like spoiled milk.
Shame and rage.
There’d never been anyone to help me. My mother and Marco had manipulated everything around them to keep me under their thumb.
No one would listen to me.
What little freedom I had came from giving upeverythingI’d worked so hard to get.
Those feelings slipped into fear as she left the room without a look back.
