Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
As hard as I tried to keep him out of my heart, he broke through it like shattered glass. Even though my father didn't approve and our relationship would always be a secret, I didn't care. He was worth it...until he wasn't.
Six months have passed, and that's exactly how long it's taken me to get over what he's done. I never see him at my father's estate. My father never mentions him. Like he never existed at all, he's wiped from the face of the earth.
Until my father tells me he's going to stab Axel in the back and replace him with someone new. I know what a mistake that will be, but my warning falls on deaf ears.
We finally come face to face for the first time. His ingenious plan knocks my father off his feet and he takes the business for his own. If my father wants it back, it's going to come at a price. A price that he won't have to pay--but I will.
And that's to marry him.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
AXEL
SIX MONTHS LATER
I hadn’t seen my parents in six months.
They’d blocked my number, so I couldn’t text or call, and whenever I showed up to their residence, the guards barred my entry. Trust meetings took place in their absence, their lawyers acting as their puppets. The message was quite clear—I would never speak to them again.
But I knew they would be at the art auction this year, a social event they’d attended every year for the last thirty years, and while it wasn’t the best place to provoke them, I needed a chance to say my piece.
I didn’t inform anyone that I was attending, because if I did, they were certain not to show up. And sneaking into a hoity-toity party like that was easy. Security only watched the main entrance, but no one hit the main entrance when they snuck into a party anyway.
I walked down the alley and used the back entrance, waiting for one of the workers to step out and carry the trash to the dumpster against the adjacent building. He didn’t notice me, so before the door closed and would require his keycard to unlock it, I slipped inside. In my tux with my hair slicked back, I moved down the hall and encountered one of the workers. “Bathroom?”
“Down the hall to the right,” he said.
“Thanks.” I ignored the directions I didn’t need and stepped into the ballroom where the party was being held. Art pieces were on display, from both new and old artists, and champagne and hors d’oeuvres were being served by waiters. A small symphony played music in the corner, clichéd musical entertainment, and everyone there was rich and intent on showing everyone else just how rich they were.
I scanned the crowd and spotted my parents. My mother was in a black gown with sleeves and diamonds in her earlobes, and my father wore a tux identical to mine. They spoke with a couple I didn’t recognize. As I stared, I wondered if anyone ever asked them about me, and if they did, how did they react. Did they just ignore the question? Did they really pretend they didn’t have a son?
Someone appeared at my side. “You made it.”
I kept my eyes on my parents. “The back entrance is more my style these days.”
“So I’ve heard.” He cocked a smile.
I hadn’t smiled in six months.
Theo took a drink from his glass. “How do you want to play this?”
“Tell them you have a special piece you’re only showing a certain clientele. Their egos will diminish all suspicion.”
“Alright.”
“And then make sure they don’t leave until I’m finished.”
“Easy enough.”
“But no guns.”
His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at me. “What if they try to call the police?”
“Then take their phones.”
“What if they scream?”
“Then tell them to stop.”
“Just showing a gun gets a lot more done—”
“No guns.” I stared Theo down.
He stared me down in return. “You know, family reunions aren’t really in my job description.”
“But I am.”
He stared at me before he took another drink. “Ready for this?”
“Yeah. See you in a minute.” I headed down the long hallway and into the empty room that we’d already selected. It was far enough away from the party that a commotion would be inaudible. I moved to the other side of the door, so they wouldn’t see I was there until they were fully inside and the door was closed.
I waited for several moments, my heart pounding in my chest, a drum against my ribs. The sight of me standing there would be unwelcome, would probably cause a panic, but I was left with no other choice.
The door opened a moment later, and Theo let my parents enter first before he shut the door.
My father looked around the empty room, which only held a table and six chairs. There was no artwork on the walls either, so there was nothing for them to examine. “Where is the painting?” He turned around to face Theo, and he froze when he saw me leaning against the wall. He didn’t gasp, but the breath he sucked inside was audible like the wind on a stormy night.
My mother turned next, and she was the one who gave a gasp. “Alexander…”
My father looked at Theo again like he wanted to make a break for it, but when he saw the way Theo leaned against the door with his arms crossed over his chest, he didn’t try. He swallowed before he grabbed my mother and tugged her close. “Get behind me, Dorace.”
I started to approach them, my hands in my pockets. “I just want to talk.”
He continued to back up, keeping my mother behind him, his hands up like I had him at gunpoint.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Theo snapped. “He’s not going to hurt you.”
My father glanced at him before he started to move away from him too.