Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
He isn’t.
He’s just a monster who doesn’t deserve respect.
Dad remains motionless. His expression doesn’t change, but his jaw clenches. “You will not get anything from me unless you apologise, Claire.”
“I’ll never apologise for turning you in, Dad. That was the best decision I made in my life, even if it flipped it upside down.”
I stand up because it’s useless to try to extract information out of him. He’s right. We’re both too stubborn, and he won’t give me anything unless I comply with his condition.
“They’re only after you because you’re my muse now, Claire. They’re after me, not you.”
“Then I hope they get you.” A tear slides down my cheek as I stare him in the eyes that are identical to mine and, in a way, it feels like I’m bidding farewell to the little girl I always saw in those eyes. To the me from the past. “This is our official goodbye, Dad. I’ll never visit you again. If you still want to go on with the parole process, I’ll stand there again and tell them you deserve every second you spend in prison.”
I take one last look at his face, at the drawn brows and the golden beard and hair and I finally grieve my father.
When I get out of the building, I inhale a deep gulp of air.
Real air.
Actual air.
The feeling of being alive hits me straight in the chest and it’s so strong, I have to brace myself against the wall for a second.
I’m finally alive.
Finally breathing.
I’m finally out of that grave. Literally and figuratively.
“Are you all right, Miss?” One of my security men clutches me by the elbow.
I straighten, clearing my throat. “I’m perfect. Thank you.”
“Mr King has been calling nonstop,” he says as he leads me to the awaiting car.
Of course he has.
Once I’m in the back seat, I check my phone, and sure enough, there are a dozen missed calls and emails.
From: Jonathan King
To: Aurora Harper
Subject: Answer The Fucking Phone
Refer to subject. Don’t make me come find you from fucking Oxford.
Then another one.
From: Jonathan King
To: Aurora Harper
Subject: I’m On My Way
You better be ready for that arse to be turned red.
I power off my phone. Dad didn’t deny that Jonathan could be the one behind Alicia’s poisoning. If he is, this will get ugly.
“Miss.” The bodyguard hands me his phone with a pleading expression. “Please answer or he’ll fire us all.”
The fucking tyrant.
I swipe the green button.
“If you don’t put her on the fucking phone right now, consider your future ruined.”
My heart picks up speed at the sound of his voice, and I want to murder that heart. I want to bury it with Alicia so it never beats again.
“I’m on my way home,” I say in a bland voice that I don’t even recognise. “And stop threatening people.”
I hang up before he can say anything.
By the time we reach home, Jonathan has called the guards’ phones a few more times, but I took them and powered them off.
“Tell him I did it,” I say to the men as I leave the car and stride into the house.
They nod, but their expressions remain unsure.
My steps are long and confident. Jonathan better be ready for the hell I’m going to bring him the moment he walks through the door.
He’ll tell me everything, and he better be convincing, because I’m not in the mood to be trifled with today.
A shadow passes in my peripheral vision, and I freeze. The screeching sound of my heels echoes in the silence.
Oh, no.
No, no, no.
I make a run for the entrance. The security guys are there and —
A body hits me from behind and we both crash to the ground. I scream, thrashing and clawing at them. A hand covers my mouth from behind, muting any sound I have to make.
I manage to roll onto my back and claw at the mask covering his face. I remove it, my nails pulling at his hair, then I freeze. The dragon tattoo. How come I didn’t see it before?
“You,” the word falls from me in a murmur.
Renewed energy rushes through me and I hit him in the crotch. He wails and I use the chance to jump to my feet. Adrenaline tightens my muscles and I’m about to make a run for it again when something prickles my nape.
I fall into the shadow’s hand, eyes rolling to the back of my head.
“J-Jonathan…” I whimper as the world turns black.
30
Jonathan
“Fuck!”
I grip the phone tightly as my security guy hangs up on me.
I’m willing to bet it’s Aurora again, not him. She has that fucking attitude that drives me insane.
But she had no business visiting the fucker Maxim. If he tells her anything that will worsen her state of mind, I’ll murder him in his cell.
“Faster, Moses.”
My driver speeds up, not caring if we get a few tickets in the process. As long as I reach Aurora, nothing else matters.