Chapter 8 – Arranged Marriage-1

“That’s impossible!” I gasp, staring up at him. “You can’t force me to marry someone against my will!”

He laughs at me, holding me too him, still looking down into my face. “It’s possible if I say it is.”

I press my hands against his chest, trying to push away. “It’s 2023! Nobody has arranged marriages anymore – this isn’t the eighteenth century!”

He laughs again and lets me go. I skitter away from him.

“You’re in my world now, Fay,” he says, calmly putting his hands in his pockets. “The world you were born to. Do you think laws really matter in the underworld, the world outside of the stupid bureaucracy you’ve deluded yourself into thinking keeps you safe?”

My jaw drops open at this arrogance. “I have rights!”

“You have nothing,” he barks, taking a step forward towards me. “The only thing that matters is power. Which is money. Which is might. You have none of this. The only thing which gives you anything in this world, Fay, is your bloodline.”

His eyes flick now to the piece of paper which lays crumpled on the floor. “Which you are so eager to dismiss.”

“But,” I say, falling a few steps back, trying to comprehend this. “There are laws “Leou o little

no

closer. “And your own recommendation that I stay

imprisoned forever. But here I am,” he spreads his hands out, demonstrative.

“Me, and men like me, Fay? Like your father? We control all of it. So, if I were you,” he looms over me again. “I’d be a little more grateful that I got you out of the club and restored you to the life of privilege to which you were born.”

I look up at him, truly terrified now, realizing that my life as I knew it is…completely gone. With one test, he’s wiped it away.

I’m trapped now, in this world – as the daughter of a don, engaged – oh my god, engaged – to the son of another. There’s no way I’m getting out.

As tears start to drip from my eyes, he shocks me by pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket and offering it to me. Slowly, hesitant, I take it.

“There’s much you don’t know, Fay,” he says. “But you’ll have to learn fast. I’ve notified your father – he’s away on business, but he’ll be back in two days, and he’ll want to meet you.”

I gasp, horrified – Alden has almost as bad a reputation as Kent Lippert. God, what a contrast to my gentle dad, sitting at home. My mind suddenly shifts to dad, who must be worried about me. I start to cry harder, putting my face in my hands.

“Please,” I say, my voice hiccupping with tears, with shock, with fear, “please let me go home – I’m begging you – I just want to pretend it never happened – I’ll never tell anyone –”

“No, Fay,” he says, stern. He glances at the door and I can tell

again.

I stare up at him, the tears still slipping down my cheeks, and feel my emotions change from desperation and agony to anger.

“You’re a monster,” I cry between my tears. “You’re ruining three lives tonight, just so you can get your way. A monster.”

Kent shocks me, then, by leaning forward and taking my chin in his hand. He smiles, bringing his face close to mine, and says, “Did you really think that was going to work on me, Fay? Calling me names?” He shocks me, then, by lifting his other hand to my face and wiping away a tear from my cheek with his thumb.

Then, slowly, he raises his thumb to his mouth and slips it inside, savoring the taste of my tears. “I told you before, I like my kittens with claws.”

Outraged, I try to push past him for the door but he laughs, faster than me, and puts out a hand that catches me in the chest. Another light shove – as he did before – and I’m knocked back onto the lounge.

says,

am, Fay,” he walking casually for the door. “After all, I’m going to let you

goodbye.”

B

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Gifts

8 – Arranged

and waves a hand through it. “A car is waiting to take you to your father’s house, where you will pack a bag. You will say your goodbyes and then return

just let me go home,

is ending soon. “You can go home and say goodbye, Fay. Or you can just stay here and

door, I get to my shaky feet and

bodyguard takes me by the arm and leads me down the

my small house. I had given the driver the address when we got in. The

guards, throwing myself through the front door,

I hear my dad’s anxious voice call from the

the three

up in his arms. “I was so worried –” he glances the

desperate. “Please tell me this is all a mistake that he’s not my real

anxious glances between me and the guards, who stand calmly in the room. They let us have our moment, but their threat is evident. Time

my tears from my

and I can

my hands in the lapels of his pajamas. “Please, dad,

who your biological dad is, Fay,” he says, looking

he, Dad?” I

says, his voice low. “This

66

shocked, my words hardly breath. “You know

him, seeking to put me behind him, but the

a hand. “We’ll disappear, you’ll never

the other men, all three spring into action. One comes forward, wrapping his arms around me, locking me within his grasp. I scream and

his arms around his back tie them – a gag in his mouth – a bag – oh my god a

up my dad and carry him out the front door. Deftly, without being seen, they tuck him inside the trunk as I’m placed into

guards that climb into the car on either side

We’d rather not do that.” Within his voice is the

– is out of my control. Suddenly exhausted, I again burst again

second guard says to the driver. Without a word,

E

Choose to Betray–1

When I get out of the car, Kent is standing at the

to the trunk to

did you do this,” I ask, glaring

“Because I knew that if I let you say goodbye, you’d tell the driver your address and lead

realizing, of course, that I did

to take your dad for leverage, you’d have clammed up and given him a

ashamed and

takes my arm and moves

carry my dad.

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