I had just finished my tea, putting my cup in the sink, when my phone beeped with a notification. It was from the fake business that Saint Security set up to communicate with me incognito.
The campaign has launched. The messages are posted.
I gripped the edge of the sink as I realized this was it. My father was on his way to my front door and the devices were recording.
When the knock on the door sounded, I inhaled a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. All I had to do was listen to my father rail at me and tell me to go after Max. His disappointment and yelling were nothing new. As long as that was all he did, I’d be okay. He’d never been violent with me in the past, so there was no reason to think he would be now. At least that's what I told myself as I reached for the doorknob to open my door.
The minute it was unlatched, it pushed open hard, causing me to stumble back.
My father barged in. "I told you to stick to the plan."
I was so nervous I could swear my teeth were shaking. Dax and I had practiced different things for me to say to my father. It was important that my father gave away the plan without my leading the conversation. I had to keep my responses vague so that my father would be forced to speak of the terrible thing he'd done.
"You need to go to court and withdraw your annulment papers." He spat his words at me.
I stepped into the room, hoping he'd follow me and move closer to where I knew the recording devises would best be able to capture him. “I can’t.”
My father's face pinched tight as his dark eyes stared at me menacingly. "You think you can stand up to me, little girl? I gave you the perfect husband. I know you like him.”
"It doesn't matter. Max doesn't want to be married to me. He’s of no use to you."
My father stepped toward me, and instinct had me wanting to step back, but I didn't want to show fear. If he could tell that my knees were knocking, he might think something was up.
"You think you can go against me? You know what I'm capable of. I can make sure that your business goes down in flames. And don't think that my reach is only in Las Vegas or Nevada. Wherever you go, I will be there. Or you can live a happy, secure life with a man I know you’ve been fucking.”
My breath hitched to hear my father talk to me like that.
“All you have to do is take back the annulment. He must've seen something in you before, although I don't know what.” My father's gaze scanned me up and down, looking at me with disdain. "You're not the prettiest woman out there, but he saw something in you, and you need to make him see it again."
"Why are you doing this? It's not like you don't have power and influence. Why are you doing this to me?"
My father laughed derisively. "You? It has very little to do with you. One of my men spotted you with Max Clarke, who has tons of money and influence, and I want a piece of it. Frankly, I don't know why you don't want him. A smart woman would.”
I shook my head, wondering if maybe my father was crazy. I wasn't being hyperbolic. I really thought that maybe something was mentally wrong with my father.
I turned my thinking away from my father's mental health to wondering if I had enough to prove what he had done. I didn't think so. He hadn't admitted to drugging us, even if he had indicated that he’d arranged our marriage. So I needed to continue on.
I sat on the couch, hoping I looked nonchalant even though the reason for my sitting had to do with my legs wobbling. "Why did you do it, Dad?"
He stared at me with his hands on his hips, his eyes still glowering at me. "Do what?"
"All that sneaking around and maneuvering?"
His eyes narrowed. "Why?" His suspicious tone made me nervous.
"It just seems like a whole lot of work for a whole lot of nothing. Even if I wanted to stop the annulment or wanted to be married to Max, he doesn't want me. And he's not going to care about anything you say or try to do to him. His power and influence are bigger than yours." The moment that last bit was out of my mouth, I winced.
As expected, my father's dander rose. He pointed his finger at me. "Don't you dare underestimate me. And if Max Clarke underestimates me, he’ll learn just how much damage I can do to him. Even to his family."
The Clarke family was well-established, well-liked, but in this day and age, it didn't take much to ruin a reputation.
I decided to take a different route. "I don't know why you think I'd be happy. Even if Max and I wanted to get married, I missed my own wedding. I didn’t get to plan it or enjoy it.”
He shrugged. "Weddings are overrated and expensive. Honeymoons are better, and from the looks of things, you two didn't need any help in that department."
My skin crawled as I wondered how much my father was able to infiltrate my life. But I still hadn't gotten him to admit that he drugged us and forced us to get married, so I plodded on.
"Considering all the arrangements you had to make, I suspect that this wedding wasn't inexpensive."