Page 217 of The Unwilling Bride
“Not a dime. We’re also suing him for a million pounds. By the time I’m done with him, he’ll wish he hadn’t been born.” Tristan bares his teeth.
His expression is that of a predator who has enjoyed a very satisfying lunch.
He must have found something hugely damaging in Miller’s past for him to agree to everything.
Not that I care how he pulled it off.
Man’s an absolute shark. Hard to believe he’s older than me, when I’m the one who feels exhausted inside.
"He needs to refute what he said." I drag my fingers through my hair.
"Only it was true." Harper firms her jaw.
She’s seated in the chair opposite me at my desk.
Why isn’t she next to me? That’s where I want her.
"You won over the brigade." A ghost of a smile touches her lips before it fades. "But the rest of the world knows that our marriage was one of convenience."
"She’s right." My uncle’s tone implies it pains him to agree.
I crack my neck from side to side. Thrice.
There’s truth in what they say. I’m aware that what’s done can’t be undone. It makes me feel so fucking helpless that, despite my best efforts, this will impact her.
"It may have started out as an arrangement, but it’s more now," I growl.
She looks at me with an unreadable look in her eyes. "Is it?"
The fact that she's questioning it at all lands like a fist to my sternum. I allowed doubt to exist in her mind.
I tuck my elbows, trying to contain what's rising in my chest. I cannot even name it; that is how far outside of myself I am right now.
I want to stand up in front of the world and tell everyone she's mine. Not because of a contract. Because I chose her. Because I keep choosing her.
I haven’t found the words to tell her so because I'm afraid of being vulnerable.
I feel her withdrawing from me. Feel her disappointment.
Yet all I can do is sit here, jaw locked, expression controlled, completely falling apart on the inside.
Is it too late? Have I held back so long that she's already decided not to give us a chance?
Tristan clears his throat.
"She’s right, again. The damage has been done. And while the video is down, it’s been screen recorded enough times to do the rounds online. The good news is this, too, shall fade away. But in the meantime, you’re going to have to weather it out."
I firm my lips. "I will not accept that. I must ensure that the fallout from this will not affect Harper’s reputation."
I want to tell her how I really feel, but the words stick in my throat.
The restraint I've spent a lifetime building, the same one that helps keep my OCD in check, that got me through being adopted, through loss, through war, has its teeth in me.
It does not know the difference between keeping me safe and keeping me from her.
She watches me closely. And when she swallows hard, I know, she senses the battle inside of me.
She’s disappointed that I’m not saying anything more. I sense her retreat. She picks up her phone, peruses it, then frowns. “The video has certainly affected bookings at The Edge."
