Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
His fingers wrapped around the head of a knight as he twirled the piece between his thumb and forefinger. “Was that your angle? Prey on my daughter’s need for validation from her cold-hearted, bastard of a father. I didn’t think taking advantage of a woman’s vulnerabilities was your style, Reid.”
In a bold move, I shifted my king to take his queen. “If your daughter was susceptible to such tactics, you have only yourself to blame.”
It figured this man considered a desire to be accepted and loved a vulnerability. It was a basic human need to strive to belong, to be a part of something. Whether it was family, religion, a career, we all wanted to feel as though we mattered.
The wonderful thing about Charlotte was how her need was expressed through music, a noble endeavor to bring beauty and light into a dark and uncertain world.
The drive to entertain, enlighten, and soothe our fellow man was one of the most, quintessentially human of all. It was a goddamn miracle that growing up in this man’s frigid shadow, she had somehow held onto that ability.
It was one of the things I loved about her the most.
How essentially her vulnerabilities were actually her greatest strengths. With an upbringing like hers, she should have been a spoiled, jaded bitch. And yet she was kind, sweet, and giving.
I couldn’t wait to see what she was capable of accomplishing with the right sort of love and support behind her.
His gaze narrowed as it fell on his captured queen in my hand. “Are you questioning my parenting in my own home?”
“Not at all, sir.”
Lucian relaxed.
With my forearms on the table, I leaned forward and continued. “There’s no question about it. I’m calling you a piece of shit father who valued money over your daughter’s affection.”
“I should kill you for saying that to me.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You could try. Then again, a man like you doesn’t build a billion-dollar empire from nothing by surrounding yourself with yes-men. Family may be a means to an end with you, but the straightforward truth still counts for something.”
He intertwined his fingers as he stared intently at me over the board. “You want straightforward? I don’t give a damn about your money. You’re not good enough for my daughter. And you’re not good enough for this family. Marriage is about strengthening positions and securing the future for the next generation. All a marriage to you would bring is money. I have plenty of that, and I have no interest in filthy oil or acres of wasteland in Texas.”
“Connections like the Zeiglers?”
He adjusted his seat. “I’ll admit that was a… miscalculation.”
“A miscalculation. You almost married your daughter off to a violent, inbred sociopath.”
Lucian steepled his fingers and pointed at me. “Says you. He says differently. According to Romney, you framed him for the boat heist in an effort to get him out of the way so you could steal Charlotte from him.”
“She was never his. Charlotte was—and will always be— mine.”
“That is yet to be determined.”
I shifted my knight forward. “Checkmate.” Rising, I drained my glass and slammed it on the table. “I don’t expect us to be like family or even friends, but I suggest you don’t make me an enemy. Try to come between your daughter and me, and it will be war between us.”
After saying all I intended, I turned my back on him and crossed to the threshold.
Lucian called out, “Does Charlotte know about your millions?”
I shifted my head to the right but didn’t turn. Again, I remained silent.
He continued, “I only ask, because I’m told she has built up quite the domestic fantasy about a hand-to-mouth existence with her down-to-earth, blue-collar man. How do you think she’ll take it when she learns you’re one of the heirs to a billion-dollar fortune?”
My jaw clenched as I curled my fingers into a fist.
Fuck.
It turned out I wasn’t the only one who knew how to strike at a vulnerability.
CHAPTER 35
CHARLOTTE
My father was meeting with Reid.
I wasn’t just nervous. I was terrified at what my father was going to tell him.
Would he bribe Reid with some exorbitant sum to leave me alone?
Every single moment my mind was filled with scenarios of Reid walking in to tell me it was over.
That my father had paid him some ridiculous amount of money to never see me again.
Or worse, what if my father bribed him, and he left without even saying goodbye?
Every time I thought about what my life would look like if Reid left me, my face would get hot. It became hard to breathe, and my heart rate monitor blared, making the nurse have to rush in to make sure I wasn’t suddenly dying.
I didn’t want to believe Reid would do that, but when you took someone working class and waved a check with a lot of zeros in front of them, it had to be tempting.