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Jacob’s arm around me tightened as the four of us turned to the newcomer, and without any introductions, I knew straight away that he was Jacob’s brother; they could have been identical twins with how much they looked alike. There was one strikingly obvious difference, though. Where Jacob’s eyes held affection for me, his brother was smirking at me with malice glinting in his eyes. For a reason I couldn’t fathom, a tremor slithered along the length of my spine.
“Edward, darling. How lovely to see you.” Mrs. Du Pont’s mouth curled into a beaming smile as she launched herself into her other son’s arms.
Strange, she hadn’t shown Jacob the same affection when he arrived.
“I wouldn’t have missed my younger brother’s wedding celebrations for all the tea in China. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your wife, Jacob?” he said, releasing Mrs. Du Pont from his grip and shaking his father’s hand.
I peeked up at Jacob when he didn’t instantly reply. His eyes had darkened, and a muscle ticked in his jaw as his brother smirked at him. “Charlotte, this is my brother, Edward,” Jacob finally said, his voice holding a note that suggested it was taking him every effort not to throttle his brother. “Edward, this is my wife, Charlotte.”
Edward’s smirk turned into a beaming grin as he held out his hand for me. “Charlotte, it’s lovely to meet you.”
My instincts screamed at me to not take his hand, not just because Jacob wouldn’t like me touching another man, even if it was his brother, but because something about Edward scared the hell out of me. For once, I decided to listen to my instincts.
“It’s lovely to meet you too,” I replied politely, keeping my hands by my side.
Jacob’s grip on me loosened when Edward lowered his hand, and I knew if I looked, pride would be shining on Jacob’s face at me refusing to take his hand.
“Well, uh, welcome to the family,” Edward said, faltering slightly. “I hope my brother is treating you well. He isn’t known for his kindness.”
A bubble of rage burst from me before I could stop it. How dare he insult Jacob? Yes, he had his flaws, but didn’t we all? Besides, he was wrong. Jacob was one of the kindest people I’d ever met… mostly.
I twisted in Jacob’s grasp, looping my arms around his neck, and addressing him as I spoke. “Actually, Jacob has been nothing but the perfect husband. He’s attentive, thoughtful, and very loving. He is the kindest man I know.”
Lifting onto my toes, I placed a light kiss on Jacob’s mouth. Butterflies fluttered to life in my stomach when he moved his hand to the back of my neck so he could deepen the kiss. I didn’t care that we had an audience as I opened my mouth to allow Jacob’s tongue access to mine. For all I knew, this was the last time I would get to kiss him, and I didn’t want it to end.
Breaking apart, Jacob’s heated gaze bore into mine, and I suspected that if we weren’t in a ballroom filled with people, he would have ripped my dress off and fucked me right there and then.
I would have let him, too.
Nearby, a deep cough dragged my attention from Jacob. Mr. and Mrs. Du Pont were wearing matching sneers of disgust, while Edward’s lips were pulled into a smirk, his brows pulled together as if he were silently questioning what he’d just witnessed.
“Try to have a little decorum, Jacob,” Mrs. Du Pont hissed. “This may be a celebration of your marriage, but I don’t wish to watch you maul each other.”
“Ah, leave them alone, mother,” Edward said, taking her hand into his. “They’re newlyweds, and it’s obvious they’re deeply in love.”
At the sarcasm in his voice, Jacob took a step toward his brother, his free hand clenching into a fist, only to be stopped when Mr. Du Pont put his hand on Jacob’s chest. “Enough, Jacob. This isn’t the time or place for your incessant squabbling. Anyway, before the celebrations get underway, we have things to discuss.” His gaze dropped to me. “In private.”
“I’m not going anywhere without Charlotte.”
Mr. Du Pont’s features hardened. “She will go and speak to her parents while we attend my office and discuss setting up a postnuptial agreement between you and your wife, seeing as you were irresponsible and didn’t get a prenuptial agreement sorted before the wedding.”
His tone held one I’d heard from Jacob before: an “I’m not taking no for an answer tone, and an image flashed into my mind of a much younger Jacob trying to refuse his father’s demands and earning himself a punishment for it.
My heart broke for the little boy, and for the man he was now. The two of us needed this night to be over so we could both get away from the people who had caused us miserable childhoods. At least I could decide that I wanted nothing more to do with my parents; I doubted Jacob had that luxury.
Before Jacob could retaliate with what I was certain would be defiance, I tugged his hand to grab his attention. “It’s okay, Jacob. I don’t mind speaking to my parents-”
“Angel-”
“I know,” I said, interrupting him before he could remind me of my earlier wish not to speak to them. “But I’ve changed my mind. I want to be the one to tell them that I no longer want them in my life. Please, the sooner you go with your father and speak with him, the sooner we can be together again.”
I held his gaze, imploring him to understand that I wanted him to go with his father to avoid causing a scene, and not because I wanted to use the opportunity to run away or ask my parents for help.
“Okay, angel,” he said. “But I won’t be long.” He kissed my forehead before addressing his father. “I assure you now, this whole conversation will be a waste of time; Charlotte and I will not be separating. Ever.”
Once Jacob and his father had disappeared from the ballroom, followed by Edward after his father demanded he join them, I excused myself from Mrs. Du Pont’s company to find my parents. Truthfully, I didn’t want to talk to them, but it beat sticking around Jacob’s mom, who clearly despised me.
Making my way through the guests and ignoring the curious stares, I found my parents huddled in a corner, attempting to make conversation with another couple who didn’t seem interested in anything my parents had to say.
