Page 6
“Jacob,” the man—Jacob—said, his voice deep and smooth.
Alluring.
“Uh, hello,” I replied, giving him a tight smile.
A heavy silence settled around the room as Jacob stared at me, his gaze so intense that it felt like he was peering into the essence of my soul. With some effort, I looked around the room, finding my mother and father exchanging nervous looks, adding to the trepidation pumping through my veins.
Unable to stand the tension, I huffed. “Will someone please tell me what in the hell-”
“Charlotte!” my mother berated, scowling at me.
“Would I be right in assuming you haven’t told your daughter why I’m here?” Jacob glared at my mother, returning the photo to its place on the mantelpiece.
Again, my parents exchanged another nervous look. “We thought…that,” my father stuttered before my mother cut him off, a regular occurrence.
“We didn’t want to worry her, so we thought it would be best to tell her on her birthday. We didn’t expect you to arrive so soon, though.”
My mind raced to keep up, an array of thoughts rushing through, none of them good.
“Tell me what?” I asked, my voice coming out weak. Feeble.
A flash of anger washed over Jacob’s face as he stepped away from the fireplace and snarled at my parents. “I told you I would collect her on her eighteenth birthday, which, according to my watch, started eleven minutes ago.”
Collect me? For what?
“Yes, but-”
“Enough,” Jacob growled, his tone filled with a warning. “Explain to her now.”
Painful tears stabbed my eyes as I looked from him to my mother. She shifted awkwardly from foot to foot before roughly grabbing my hand. “Charlotte,” she started, her gaze looking everywhere but at me. “You’re an adult now, and you’ve been brought up to understand the world we live in.” I blinked at her, unsure where this was heading. “You’re aware that you were betrothed to the son of the Carmichaels, but plans have changed.”
“What?” I replied, my mind spinning.
She squeezed my hand, silencing me. “A better opportunity arose for you, and your father and I have, well, we agreed-”
“Cut the bullshit,” Jacob interrupted, venom lacing his tone. “Tell her the truth.”
“Mr. Du Pont-”
“The truth, Sybil.”
His tone brooked no room for argument, and as she fell silent, she dropped my hand and walked away, leaving me to fight my fear alone. Learning that she didn’t have the courage to be honest with me hurt more than I thought it would.
With no other choice but to ask the stranger, I forced my words out. “The truth?”
Jacob’s features softened as he crossed to me. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, angel.”
He reached for my hand, lifting it and lowering his mouth to kiss the back of it. All rational thought vanished in a heartbeat as tingles spread up my arm, traveling through my body.
I swayed on the spot as I inhaled a deep breath and was hit by his intoxicating scent, a heady mix of salt air and mint, which did nothing to ease the strange swirling in my stomach.
Too soon, Jacob released my hand. “As for your parents, they borrowed money from me. A lot of money. When they couldn’t repay it, I gave them a choice. Either sell their belongings and home to pay me back, or hand you over to me when you turned eighteen.”
An invisible knife plunged into my chest, taking my breath away as I gaped at him.
They…what?
My gaze slid to my parents, who were standing together by the couch. My father’s head was lowered in shame, while my mother glared back at me, her features completely stoic. Fury, betrayal, and sorrow wrapped around my heart, squeezing it impossibly hard and making it hard to breathe.
