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This was news to her. Well, she knew George had hinted at it, but she hadn’t wanted to believe it.
Anna-Beth pressed a hand against her mouth. Her family were going to marry her off? Why? To silence her? Was she that much of an embarrassment?
This was … painful.
She knew she should stay behind that wall, and not make a sound, not even breathe, but she couldn’t. Her brother had come here to talk to George about her, and now, learning that he was in on the plan to marry her off, she couldn’t just stay quiet. She wore a robe and was more modest than some of his girlfriends were. She stepped out from behind the bedroom door, took the several steps to find them still in the hallway talking.
“Is this true?” she asked, drawing their attention.
“Anna-Beth,” Malcolm said.
She didn’t allow herself to look toward George. She had to stay focused on her brother and the pain he’d caused by laughing.
“Why are you—”
“No, you don’t get to ask questions, or imply anything.” She folded her arms beneath her breasts and glared at her brother. “You think I’m not capable of hard work. You truly believe I was messing up the company by helping those people?”
“Damn it, Anna-Beth, I don’t think we should be talking about this here,” he said.
“Why not? You didn’t seem to mind a couple of minutes ago, when you didn’t think I was here. I’d love to hear about how you, Mom, and Dad have found a suitable husband. Let me guess, you want me to be someone else’s problem?” she asked. “Am I close?”
“That’s not what this is about, I swear,” Malcolm said.
“But, you’ve still found me a husband?”
He didn’t deny it.
She pressed the tips of her fingers to her pursed lips. “Let me think. You, Mom, and Dad have gathered your impressive brains together and thought of a way to keep me in line.” She clicked her tongue. “O’Ryan, either his son, or him, right?”
The O’Ryans were personal friends of the family. His son was the same age as her brother and George. Both men were playboys. The father had already had five wives, and the son had never married.
They were known for being cruel and manipulative, but those rumors had been buried under many different lawsuits and other problems. No one knew what was true.
Her family would rather see her married off to someone who would make her miserable than deal with her.
Chapter Ten
George was pissed off. He was tired of Malcolm and the rest of Anna-Beth’s family treating her like a problem. She wasn’t anything of the sort, and he knew what a find he’d discovered.
He had every intention of drawing up a contract and having her manage his new division for small businesses. She had an amazing talent with people, and for spotting potential. George knew what he had, and he wasn’t going to lose it.
Staring at her now, and seeing how she’d been able to deduce what her family was doing, was pure genius.
“I can’t … seriously?” Anna-Beth asked, and he saw the tears in her eyes.
“Look, Anna-Beth, we all think this is for the best.”
“For you,” she said.
“And for you. Look what you’re doing. I don’t even want to know why you’re in the city, and why you’re currently with George.”
“You put me with him, remember? To keep me out of trouble. Guess what, I’m out of trouble, and you, Mom, and Dad do not have to worry about me causing any more issues. We’re done,” Anna-Beth said.
George stared at her and he saw her strength, and he couldn’t remember a time she’d been more beautiful.
“Anna-Beth—”
“No, you don’t get to say my name as if I’m a problem. You’ve made your decision, isn’t that right? You and everyone else get to decide what happens to me. I’m a thirty-year-old woman. I do not need you or my parents to tell me what to do. I’m perfectly capable of living my own life without you or them.”
