Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 93482 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93482 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“If you want a war with my husband and father-in-law, then they will happily give you what you ask for. They do not back down from a fight, and they do not lose. If you strike me, then that war is exactly what you’re going to get.”
“You are my daughter, and I will do as I please.”
“I am Amelia Manwarring, wife of Luc Manwarring, and I am under his protection. Hit me and face the consequences.”
The way she spoke to Mother was amazing. She really had grown into her own skin, and Luc was an incredible influence on her. For just a second, I let my mind slip and wonder what it would have been like if I could have my own Manwarring protection.
Would our relationship be different if he weren’t Father Manwarring, but just Thomas?
I shook the thought out of my head as I left Amelia to deal with and distract Mother. Running upstairs, I went to pack my things. I grabbed a few outfits and put them in a weekend bag, then I took my large suitcase and loaded it with all of my art supplies. Everything that I thought I would need to get him out of my head.
Canvases, oil paints, watercolors, charcoals, all of it. I was going to let my creativity and obsession run wild, and I didn’t want any limitations. By the time I came back, I was going to be sick of him and needing a new subject.
When I came downstairs twenty minutes later, Amelia and Mother were still facing off, but Amelia didn’t have a red mark across her face and Mother’s hands were clutched tightly into fists at her sides.
Her gaze turned to me, and she sneered. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“You seem to think that I have brought shame on this family and embarrassed you. I can’t think of what I could have done to do that, but if you say it, then it must be so. I am removing myself from the situation to allow you time to discover whatever slip-up I may have made and do the damage control without me creating a bigger mess.”
Those boring business classes came in handy again as she glared at me, trying to figure out how to argue with me. Instead, she rolled her eyes and told me to leave and not come back until she told me to.
Then she turned back to Amelia. “Remind your husband and your father-in-law that I still have friends I can call on. I still have connections that can do a lot of damage.”
Amelia and I looked at each other. We never spoke about it, but we knew Mother had hired the Irish mob on more than one occasion. How far would she take this?
We ran out the door, and Amelia tucked me into the car with her and her driver.
“Wait, what about what Mother just—”
“I’ll handle it,” she promised. “Luc will handle it. There is nothing to worry about.”
“Are you sure Luc will not be mad that I’m borrowing his helicopter?” I asked, chewing on my bottom lip.
“It was actually his idea,” Amelia said, reassuring me. “Also, you’re not staying at the Astrid chalet. You’re going to stay at the Manwarring chalet. It’s across the lake and gets better northern light. Also, nobody’s there. You’ll have the run of the entire place. Luc called ahead to make sure that it was completely stocked, and a caretaker is going to come by a few times a day to make sure that you have food and anything you could need, but mostly you’re going to be on your own. Is that okay?”
“That sounds perfect.”
Within fifteen minutes, I was already on the helicopter on my way to the chalet. As I watched the New York skyline disappear, one dark thought entered my head.
What was going to happen when Father Manwarring discovered his little angel had flown away?
CHAPTER 24
THOMAS
It had been a long couple of days.
Rose wasn’t answering her phone or coming to church. I had considered going over to the Astrid's home to confront her directly, but when I talked to my network of housekeeping spies, they informed me she had run away on some type of holiday.
They did not know where she went. All they knew was that she was not in the state, and that she had taken her paints with her.
Fuck.
Although watching Mary Quinn slowly lose her mind as she tried to regain social status without her blackmail to force people’s hand was… entertaining.
I didn’t know who called her bluff, or how it got out, but people were whispering about that safe deposit box. After going through all the files more thoroughly, avoiding the far-too-many photos of my father, I realized she didn’t have nearly as many families under her thumb as I thought. Only the most powerful.