Page 65 of Possessive Mr. Pen

“You’re the one who beat him black and blue, aren’t you,Uncle Levi?”

She spits the name like a curse.

A tense moment passes as they lock eyes.Her shoulders slump.

“Because he hurt me.Goddamn, this is messed up.”

I cup her calf.She stiffens and shoves my hand off her before addressing the man I’ve looked up to for decades.

“Thank you, Mr.Carter, for avenging me.You won’t need to do it again.He’s my husband.I’ll keep him in check from here on out.”

Joy and awe bloom deep in my soul, and I can’t stop my smile any more than I can prevent my love and devotion from shining from my eyes as I stare at her profile.

He graces Hilary with a rare smile, rises, bows, then retrieves his shoes and disappears down the hall and into his office.

When Hilary pivots to face me, my stomach drops through the floor, and I know, despite my hopes, our wedding night will not be full of sensual satisfaction.

For hours we spar, box, and practice with me as the target.I don’t dare utter a single complaint.She vents years’ worth of anger on me, and I gladly accept.

Anything for my warrior queen.Anything.

Even abstinence.Although it kills me, I give her the space she needs to process the depths of my deceit.

With plenty of distractions to keep us busy—including normal work, an accelerated revenge timeline, wedding planning, Hannah’s treatments, and a secret project I hope will help shift me back into her good graces—days blur into weeks until the annual Koch shareholder meeting approaches.

Hilary’s insights shed light on several matters, and we double down until the last second.Unwilling to take chances with her safety, I commission us each suits with built-in bulletproof vests and run through plans and backup plans until she rolls her eyes at me.

I’ve spent twenty-four years of my life plotting revenge, but as the finale nears, I find it’s no longer my purpose.

Keeping Hilary safe and by my side for the rest of my life reigns supreme.I won’t be able to forgive myself if I don’t avenge my mother, but it’s all for nought without my warrior queen.

My desperation for her body grows.The sexual tension between us reaches fever heights, but she still demands I stay on the couch.

She’s vicious and glorious in her retribution, and I know without a doubt the moment we’re victorious in my revenge, we’ll go scorched earth.Nuclear.

She’ll take all of me.I’ll worship every inch of her, inside and out.

Hilary Pen is mine.

I can’t wait.

Chapter 17

Hilary Pen

Fear sweat gathers in my armpits, but I follow Mr.Pen into the opulent conference room, a step behind and to the right of him like I always do as his personal assistant.

Silence permeates the room as everyone locks eyes on us.

As I help my boss settle in, we work without a word spoken between us—a perk of spending eight years learning each other’s body language—while every eye in the room scrutinizes us.

Most people watch us with curiosity since we’re the newest and mostly unknown attendees of the Koch shareholders meeting, but Jocelyn Koch openly glares at me.Her thick makeup threatens to crack every time she sneers at the godawful ring on my finger.

Table seats are only for shareholders, while personal assistants, advisors, and secretaries sit along the outer wall, so I ignore the empty seat beside Mr.Pen and settle in the wall chair directly behind him as we agreed.

The meeting begins.

I play my part sitting in the background and absorbing the various reactions as Alex drones on.Connor slips his pen out from his pocket and creates a slow, unimpressed click-click as he pushes the back end on the table.