It was a low blow. But my feelings had been low for a long fucking time.
He narrowed his eyes, “Fuck you, Christian.”
“Does me marrying her bother you? Have you imagined sweeping her off her feet and riding into the sunset?” There was no warmth to the crevices in my laugh when I stood with complete grace. “I bet you could give that to her. Roses. Sunsets. Every fucking thing she doesn’t des?—”
Hasan’s fists connected with my face the same way a tsunami met land. Roughandpainful.
I rubbed my jaw with a boyish smile.
“If you weren’t one of my best friends and didn’t have a good fucking reason for doing this shitty revenge plan of yours, I’d bury you ten feet deep.” Hasan grabbed my arm and tightened his hold.
“She may be slow and may have no fucking clue what your intentions are, but Adelaide is much more than your petty games, Christian. I want you to remember that when you get the chance to meet her at the end of the aisle.”
The threat perforated through the husky edges of his expressions and into my soul, where the most whole parts of me began to crack. Hasan misunderstood me. Adelaide wasn’t a part of the revenge; she was the route to get to it. Without her, this wasn’t possible.
He didn’t get thatshewas usingme.
“You sure she’ll say yes?”
“That’s what you got from all of this?”
“All I really cared about,” I shrugged.
Exhaustion tainted beneath his eyes. “You’re a dick, you know that?”
Wasn’t the first time he said, sure as fuck wouldn’t be the last.
“Yep, you sure you blocked her bank account?”
A twisted, down casted expression. “Yeah. She’ll have no choice but to say yes.”
SEVEN
ADELAIDE
I hadno choice but to say yes.
There really was no other option. Icouldbeg Harry, but despite always succumbing to peer pressure, my dignity refused to be dismantled.
It refuses Harry but not Christian? Make it make sense.
I still had a couple of hours to think, but desperate times never empathised with my overthinking abilities. All it did was leave me with concrete, indestructible choices, which was devastatingly,marryingChristian.
Nausea bubbled in my chest.
It hadn’t been twenty-four hours since we saw each other after seven whole years, and now I was going to marry him.
It’s not like I didn’t want to get married—I did. One day. With Christian? I wasn’t the girl he wanted to marry; he made it abundantly clear. Arranged marriages worked, love marriages worked, but a marriage of convenience with my first love and ex-boyfriend?We’re screwed.
There was a line between stupid and delusional and Iwas on both sides. My legs were spread wide into a split and I couldn’t get up.
My bank accounts were blocked.
My position had been revoked.
An inhuman groan thrusted out of my lips.
His money and power would unfortunately help.
