“It’s time to stop playing, Ace,” he said calmly. “You’re marrying Sierra.”
The words hit me like a punch to the chest.
My mouth went dry.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
I let out a low, sharp laugh, shaking my head. “You’re out of your mind.”
His face didn’t change.
Sierra’s father cleared his throat, smoothing a hand over his tie. “Ace,” he said smoothly, “this is in everyone’s best interest.”
My pulse pounded in my ears.
“I’m not interested,” I bit out. “You can take whatever deal you cooked up and—”
“You will marry her,” my father cut in, voice soft now, dangerous, “or I will destroy Brittany.”
The room tilted.
For a second, I thought I’d misheard.
“What?”
He smiled then.
That slow, cold, practiced smile I knew too well.
“I know about her condition,” he said softly. “I know about the press conference. I know about the panic attacks. You think the media won’t rip her to shreds if I whisper the right word in the right ear?”
The blood drained from my face.
“Leave her out of this,” I rasped.
But he wasn’t done.
Sierra’s father stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back. “We have the means to make her life... difficult, Ace. And we will, if you refuse.”
My hands curled into fists.
“You don’t love her,” my father continued silkily. “You don’t need her. You need the future we’ve built for you. The empire waiting for you. You need to stop embarrassing this family with your reckless little—” his lip curled slightly, “—dalliances.”
My heart pounded so hard I thought it might crack my ribs.
I wanted to hit something. I wanted to tear the desk apart, to wipe that smug look off Sierra’s father’s face, to scream until the whole damn house came down around us.
Instead, I forced myself to breathe.
“Why Sierra?” My voice was hoarse.
“She’s smart. Beautiful. Comes from a powerful family. You’ll make headlines — the right ones,” my father said coolly. “And most importantly, the alliance will secure the business deal I need.”
I felt like I was suffocating.
“She’s not mine,” I whispered.
