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Something was coming.
I could feel it.
My gut was churning, and that was never a good thing, and my gut was never wrong.
26
“The gala is only two days away,” Sarah pointed out petulantly. “You can’t expect to take her with you. She hasn’t been announced, and god knows she doesn’t have something appropriate to wear.”
I wondered if I could crawl under the table without being missed.
“I’ve already added her to the list,” my father told her firmly. “She deserves a reward for coming to terms with her engagement to Drew, despite his indiscretions. Isn’t that right, dear?” His tone was laced with a threat. Arsenic threaded with the lace of civility.
“Yes, father.” I lowered my eyes in submission. Fake as it was, he bought it, sending me a large smile.
“Good.” He turned back to Sarah. “Everything is settled, dear. Dalia didn’t want to attend in the first place, and Drew wants to show off his fiancé officially.” Something about the way he’d saidofficiallymade my skin crawl.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a while,” Drew admitted casually as he cut into his steak. “It has been years in the making. A great buy, if you ask me.”
“Indeed,” my father agreed as he pushed his finished plate away, waving to the server with an idle hand.
I’d barely touched my food. My tongue was thick in my mouth, heavy with the words I wanted to slash their way. I remained silent, like a good submissive daughter, despite the volcano of emotion erupting inside me.
“Well,” Drew pushed away from the table and stood, “As much as I appreciate the hospitality, I have someone I have to get back to.” His eyes drew to me, categorizing my reaction to him mentioning that Brittany waited at home for him.
Good. He could fuck her while I figured how the fuck I was going to get into my father’s safe.
“Of course.” My father stood as well, offering his hand and shaking Drew’s. “You’re welcome anytime.”
Drew smiled thinly at my father, then cast one last glance at me before strolling out of the room.
“May I be excused?” I murmured.
“Yes,” my father approved. “Sarah will have some dresses delivered to your room tomorrow for you to try on. Do remember to be on your best behavior.”
“Yes, father,” I mumbled as I left the table, head lowered. Dinner had been suffocating to the point where all I’d wanted to do was flee. Run and never look back. The more time I spent at that table, the more I’d begun to realize that what I had seen in those documents the twins had given me was true.
If that was real…what stopped those photos of him raping underage girls from being true as well? As a reporter, I’d always been taught to be unbiased. To not form opinions of my own. Reporters were observers. Fact-checkers.
Shit.
Work.
Closing my bedroom door behind me, I dragged out my cell phone and dialed my boss, Lucas.
“Hello?” His voice rang through.
“Lucas, it’s Bailey.”
“Bailey!” He sounded surprised. As if he’d thought he wouldn’t be hearing from me. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” I told him. “Look, I just wanted to check in. I know I’ve been MIA the past few days but…”
“MIA?” he asked. “What do you mean?”
“Umm…well, I haven’t checked in. I’ve been working on—”
“Checked in? Bailey, you put in your resignation last week, kiddo,” he told me. “I know I’m getting old and senile, but that usually means you don’t have to check in.” He chuckled.
