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Julian and I were the epitome of oil and water. We’d never learned to work together. The more he tried to control me, the more I tried to buck the system, within parameters of course. But it was like I was speaking binary and he was speaking Latin.
Not to mention, I had a few thoughts on what he did for a living. Nothing like learning your father is a glorified criminal from your schoolmates to really color your feelings about him.
Mostly it was rumor and conjecture. At least that’s what I told myself. After all, how would he still be walking around free? At the same time, I knew enough to know he worked with shady characters and I wanted nothing to do with any of that.
That was one of our biggest points of contention. He wanted me to take over a part of his business. I, having no desire to be controlled, refused. It was just one of the points we constantly argued about.
But the one area we agreed on was my sister. He’d been trying to help me find her for years. I sometimes worried that if a man with all of his connections couldn’t find her that something had happened to her. But I couldn’t let myself think that way.
She was out there, somewhere trying to find her way back to me too.
Because of our legendary arguments, we’d come up with our arrangement. Julian, for the most part, didn’t interfere with school and my personal life, and once a month I was forced to show up for dinner or an event with him.
For the most part it worked.
Does it though? You weren’t allowed to study at Edinburgh like you wanted. You couldn’t study photography like you wanted. And he still vets all your mates.
Okay, so he still very much had his thumb on me. But that would change soon. With graduation looming I’d soon be free.
Today, I knew declining the summons wasn’t an option. Julian’s personal bodyguard and driver, Felix, had been outside my door when my roommate, Jamila, and I left the flat this morning.
I did my best to tamp down my nerves as I stepped out of the Bentley when Felix opened my door. I politely took the umbrella from him and jogged up the stone steps in front of my father's house. On either side of the stairs sat massive stone lions. Behind them were several potted plants leading up to the glass front doors. A massive portrait of my father hung in the foyer above a sitting area. I had grown up at Montgomery Manor, at least for part of my childhood. I hated everything about the place. I couldn't wait to leave it.
But of course, no matter what I did, my father kept yanking my strings, tugging me back into the fold, and all I wanted to do was escape.
If you play your cards right, you will finally be free of Julian Montgomery.
All I needed to do was finish school and I was out of here. For years, I’d been squireling away money. Hiding it. Getting ready for my grand escape. Somewhere he couldn’t reach me.
There is nowhere he won’t look for you.
My father's butler, Dennis, opened the door with a tight smile. In the nearly ten years I'd known him, I had never known the man to show a genuine smile. “Jeeves, you’re as uptight as ever, I see.”
“Madam.”
“Jeeves, you've known me for years, yet you still call me madam. Maybe you should try my name.”
The man never showed emotion beyond pressing his lips firmly together. “Madam, you insist on calling me Jeeves. My name is Dennis.”
I give him a smirk and a tap on the shoulder. “Touché, Jeeves. Touché.”
I took a left toward my father's study, but I was surprised to find him in the massive living room. “Oh good, Nissa, you're here.”
“Well, you did summon me. We had a deal, Julian. Can I assume that I’m here because you have good news for me?" I knew better than to get my hopes up too high, but it couldn’t be helped. Just the kernel of hope was enough to keep me going.
As always, my father was dressed impeccably. He wore an Italian silk tie that brought out the blue of his eyes, and his bespoke suit was expertly tailored. He made an imposing picture.
And that was just how he liked it.
He frowned. “Good news?”
“About Lenora. Why else would you summon me outside of our monthly dinners?”
“Sorry to break it to you, but I have more important things to discuss than your wild goose chase.”
“My what? You’re the one who has always said you wanted to help me. This wild goose chase was your idea.”
He blew out an exasperated breath then folded his hands into his lap. "This is important, Nissa. If we could set aside the theatrics for one day, that would be preferable."
