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“I’m not property,” I hiss. “You and my father don’t get to barter for me.”
He ignores me. “You know what’s crazy? I’m still willing to marry you. I understand this arrangement is important to both of our families. You are a spoiled brat that has no idea what it means to have responsibility and loyalty. This merger of our families ensures we all have solid footing in the world. No one can take us down.”
“I don't want to be involved in the family business. That's not the life I want for myself. There are plenty of other women you can marry. I don’t want that life.”
Adrian just shrugs, taking another sip of his drink. His icy blue eyes meet mine as he flashes a grin that doesn't quite reach them. "Unfortunately for you, this isn't about what you want."
I can barely keep myself in check. Anger boils beneath the surface, stoked by his arrogance and entitlement. He's so sure of himself, certain that he can control everything and everyone.
"I won't marry you," I spit out, my words sharp as daggers. "You can lock me up here or even threaten to kill me. But you can't make me walk down the aisle with you."
“It’s too late to back out of the deal that's been arranged for us since birth,” he shrugs. “Trust me, I don’t want you, but I understand my duty to my family.”
The door opens and my father strolls in, his fury palpable as he looks at me. “Your mother and I have been worried about you,” he says.
I know better. He was never worried about me—he was only worried about his precious reputation, about how my disappearance would reflect on him and his standing in the community. “Your mother has told everyone you’re backpacking across Europe or something. It’s a story that’s just barely managed to be believable. She’ll be happy to know you’re fine. The jet is being fueled for our return to California.”
“I’m not going,” I state.
“You will go. That’s not up for debate.”
“I refuse to marry Adrian,” I snap and jump to my feet. I hate being forced to look up to them. “I refuse to be a pawn in your twisted game of power and control.”
“This isn’t up for debate. You have a role in this family. We’ve never asked you to do anything, but you will do this.”
“No,” I say with my hands balled into fists at my side. “I will not marry Adrian. I'm in love with someone else. We’re happy together.”
The slap comes so suddenly that I barely have time to register the sting before the pain blossoms across my cheek. My father curses me, his words are like venom as he accuses me of betraying him and our family name. I put my hand to my cheek, still in shock that he’s hit me. He’s never hit me before.
But before the situation can escalate any further, my mother bursts into the room. “Paige!”
She rushes towards me but stops short when I remove my hand from my face. She spins around. “What did you do?”
“Something that should have been done a long time ago,” he replies with anger coloring his face red. "She disobeyed me!" he seethed, his eyes on fire as he paced back and forth. “Your daughter thinks she’s going to defy me. I won’t have it.”
My mother's gaze flits between us, her lips pressed in a thin line and quivering slightly. "Is this how you treat your own daughter? She is not going to respond to violence.”
“Then you talk to her!” He throws his hands up like he has done so many times in the past when he’s been angry with me.
“Leave,” she orders Adrian and my father out.
“Talk some sense into her,” my father mutters on his way towards the door. "We're leaving in an hour," he says, his tone final and unyielding. "End of story. She comes willingly or forcefully. Her choice. We will all be on that plane back home in an hour.”
Both Adrian and my father leave the room, and only then do I let myself crumple onto the couch, burying my face in my hands. My mother sits down next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders in a feeble attempt to provide comfort.
“Why can’t they understand?” I sob into her shoulder. "Why won't they just let me be happy?"
“It's not about happiness, Paige," she sighs. "It's about power. It always has been. You’ve known this was your future. I don’t know why you fight it. Adrian isn’t a bad man. You’ll be well provided for.”
“But I'm in love,” I insist, pulling away from her to look into her eyes. “I don’t want being provided for to be the only reason I get married. I love Hunter. He’s the man I want to be with.”
“I don’t know who Hunter is, but that’s simply not possible,” she sighs. “Adrian will be your husband.”
Chapter sixteen
Hunter
I'm at work, trying to focus on the task at hand, but my mind is elsewhere. My mind is blown. I’m going to be a daddy. A little baby. Me. Me a father. I'm on cloud nine, filled with a sense of excitement and terror at the prospect of becoming a father. It wasn’t really something I had given a lot of thought to before meeting Paige. My life as a pilot kept me on the go a lot. I never really imagined myself as the kind of guy that settled down, got married and had a family.
