My breath caught, a nameless dread flooding through every inch of me.
Edward fixed me with a stare, all traces of warmth gone—he was pure ice now. “Sorry if this comes off harsh, but I did give you a choice. Will you keep your family safe and live in peace, or will you risk everything and step into the unknown?”
“Victoria, your first marriage let you jump from a regular family straight into the world of the elite. You already scored your big break,” he said. “If you hadn’t crossed paths with Ryan, we wouldn’t be sitting here talking right now. You should count yourself lucky—it’s only because Ryan’s into you that you even get a seat at the table with me.”
Edward rattled off his words, obviously furious. I could tell I’d really gotten under his skin. I had to admit, he was right. I’d leveraged my looks once to grab a shot at a better life, but if I dared to try for a second time, I’d have to seriously consider whether I had what it takes.
I remembered what Ryan said—if I ever made it to the top, our paths would finally cross for real. But right now, all I had was my looks and nothing else. No power, no influence. There was an unbridgeable divide between our worlds. Will there ever be a day when I can walk toward him with confidence? That all depends on what I decide now.
“What’s going on? Why are you sweating bullets?” Edward suddenly got up and came right over to me.
Maybe it was because my stomach was empty, or maybe it was the way he’d just scared the hell out of me, but I felt like I wasn’t even in control of my own body anymore.
His assistant, who’d been waiting outside, suddenly stepped in and said quietly, “Ms. Murphy probably hasn’t eaten yet. Maybe she’s just hungry?”
Edward’s brows knitted as he checked his watch. “It’s almost ten—don’t tell me you haven’t eaten yet?”
“I’m not hungry,” I gritted out. After the way he’s treated me—pushing me around, threatening me—there’s no way I’m eating anything he offers. I’d be cursed for life if I did.
Edward’s eyes were dark as he looked at me, a faint smirk on his lips. “What’s this, trying to go on a hunger strike at my place? If you pass out, don’t think I’ll be rushing to help.”
“Can I leave now?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Edward shook his head. “I’m not letting you go until you make a choice.”
“Are you really going to lock me up?” I shot back, my temper boiling over.
“Victoria, you’re not the only one with pressure. I’ve got my own,” Edward shot back, his voice icy.
“You’re loaded—how the hell do you have pressure?” I sneered, my tone dripping with sarcasm.
Edward’s brows furrowed. “Keeping my family’s honor intact? That’s more pressure than you could ever imagine.”
“Oh, so it’s all about your ego? You can’t take off that crown of yours, can you? Well, if you want to wear it, you’ve got to deal with the weight. You brought this on yourself,” I shot back, my words sharp as knives.
Edward just stared at me, momentarily speechless.
After a long silence, he suddenly broke into a laugh. “So, this is what weighs on me.”
I couldn’t stand looking at him when he smiled—he looked so much like Ryan, and when he did that, it was almost like seeing Ryan’s spirit in him. It made my skin crawl.
“I’ll be in my study upstairs. I told them to get you something to eat. Once you’ve made up your mind, just come up and find me,” Edward said, shooting me a look before heading for the stairs.
Watching him stride off in that sharp suit, all I could see was a power-hungry beast lurking beneath the polished surface. The guy was just plain nasty.
Not long after, someone brought in a whole spread—some of the dishes were even hometown specialties. It freaked me out how much effort Edward put into buttering me up and getting under my skin.
I turned my face away, even though my stomach was practically eating itself and my gut ached with hunger. No way was I touching anything he offered.
As the hours dragged on and midnight came and went, I sat there all by myself, staring at a table full of untouched food. My heart just kept sinking until there was nothing left but cold emptiness.
But if I keep caving in to fate, giving up every time and letting myself get pushed around, I’ll end up with no boundaries at all. No matter what, you’ve got to hold onto at least a shred of your bottom line—otherwise, you’ll have nothing left and just end up a mess.
Maybe I was still freaked out, or maybe my nerves were shot from driving all afternoon, or it was just the hunger making me see stars. Whatever it was, I left the chair, crashed onto the couch, and was out cold before I even knew it.
I drifted into a long, endless dream. I was a kid again, following my parents out to that little river on the edge of town, where my brother and I splashed around, trying to catch fish.
At first, my parents just sat nearby, watching as my little brother and I played. But after a while, I looked back—and they were gone. Panic hit me hard. I ran off in the direction they’d gone, but couldn’t find them anywhere. Freaked out, I rushed back to the river, only to realize my brother had vanished too. Right then, a thick fog rolled in over the water, and I was left standing there all by myself, scared out of my mind. I crouched in the shallow water, hands over my face, just crying my heart out.
“Victoria, have you cried enough yet?”
Half out of it, I heard some guy snapping at me, his voice pissed and impatient. I blinked, and as the fog cleared, Edward’s face came into view.