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Before last night, I never thought Brendan would want to marry me, so I didn’t see the need to end the charade. Now that he has claimed me, it's time to stop this mess.
I have plans for the future. It’s time to start living for myself.
Standing in front of the door, my confidence starts to wane a bit. I mutter under my breath, “You got this, Suri.”
I straighten my shoulders, take one last breath and enter the mansion.
I walk into the living room to find my Dad and Mallory sitting on the couch whispering to each other. They both seem tense, but Mallory is giving off waves of anger. Something is going on, but that doesn’t matter. It’s showtime.
“Dad, can I talk to you?”
My dad looks over to me with concern written all over his face. He looks me over, furrowing his brows when he takes in my attire and then rumbles out. “Suri, where have you been? We’ve been worried about you!”
“I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to worry you. I went out last night with Ella.”
Which is true, but not the whole truth. If he knew what I did last night, it would be even more awkward.
“We know that you weren’t with Ella,” Mallory rudely interrupts.
Usually, I would cower if she talked to me that way but not today. I’m going to show her exactly who I’ve become. I look straight into her eyes before I state matter of factly, “I was with Ella last night. We went to the new club, Midnight.”
As we continue to stare at each other, never breaking eye contact, I feel the tension filling the room. My dad clears his throat and drops the next bit of information “Suri, one of our associates saw you at Brendan’s penthouse last night.”
Crap, I guess I have to confess more than I wanted to. Mallory interrupts him again and starts to ramble on getting louder and louder as she goes. “Yes, we have proof. You know you're supposed to stay away from him. You’re engaged to Kieran. Do you know how this looks? What if he saw you or heard about this? It’s his brother, Suri.”
Tired of hearing her, I turn my back to her and bring all of my attention to my Dad. “Dad, that's actually what I came to talk to you about. I was with Brendan last night because I love him. I don’t want to marry Kieran.”
“Suri, we have already committed to this marriage.”
I huff trying not to let my anger cloud my thoughts. In a sharper tone than before, I respond, “Dad, you said that you wouldn’t force me. I’ve been in love with Brendan my whole life, which you would know if you ever listened to me before.”
My dad grabs my hand and pulls me to sit down next to him on the couch. With a soft voice, he says, “You know, Suri, when you were born I fell in love with you and vowed to give you the best I could. I know I haven’t always been there for you…especially after your mom died. If you don’t want to marry Kieran and want to be with Brendan. I will support you-“
“Richard. You can’t,” Mallory interrupts. He gives her that look and she shuts up immediately but I can tell that she’s still angry. He stands up. “Let me call Brian and see what we can work out.”
With those parting words, he walks to the back of the house toward his office. I wasn’t expecting that. I can’t believe he gave in so quickly. I thought he would threaten, guilt me, try to make me see the error of my ways. Maybe my dad loves me more than I thought? Happy tears start to well up in my eyes, thinking about how close I am to my happy ending. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I look over at Mallory, and if looks could kill I would be dead right now. I need to get away from her. Besides, I can't wait to call Brendan. As I walk past her, she grabs my arm, her nails digging into my skin.
“You little bitch. You might think you’ve gotten your way but I will get the last word.” Venom drips from her words as she stares at me.
I lean into her and calmly whisper, “You might want to be careful, Mallory, before you push me too far. I won’t be marrying Kieran, but I will always be a part of their family.”
I can see the disbelief in her eyes. Good. Now she knows what it’s like to be threatened. Ripping my arm from her, I walk up the stairs to my bedroom with a smirk on my lips. Closing the door, I grab my phone and dial Brendan.
“Princess.” God…that voice does things to me. Just hearing it settles my nerves and makes my thighs clench.
“I talked to my dad and told him I won’t marry Kieran. That I love you.”
“How did he take it?”
“He said he just wanted me to be happy. Can you believe it? Did you talk to your parents?”
“I did. I have a few things to take care of and we’ll talk about it tomorrow. But don’t worry. You. Are. Mine.”
A huge smile takes over my face. I can’t believe things are starting to fall into place. I whisper, “I love you.”
“I love you too, princess.”
