Chapter 50
RENéE
The drive to my family’s estate felt like it stretched on for hours, though that might’ve been because Javier spent the entire ride looking like he was being driven to his execution.
He sat stiff as a board, tapping his fingers on his thigh in an uneven rhythm, his other hand tugging at his collar every few minutes like it was suffocating him.
“You’re nervous,” I said, unable to hold back the smirk tugging at my lips.
“Nervous?” he shot back, his voice just a tad too high to be convincing. “No. I’m… just staying alert.”
“Alert for what?” I teased. “A surprise ambush? Poisoned wine at dinner?”
His eyes darted to me. “Honestly? Maybe.”
I laughed, “Relax,” I said, biting back a smile. “You’re not walking into a lion’s den.”
He shot me a look that screamed otherwise. “Your father is a lion, Renée. The king of lions if we are comparing.”
I rolled my eyes, still smiling. “He’s not going to kill you, trust me.”
Javier gave me a sharp look. “You sure about that? Because I’ve done the math, and statistically speaking, I’d say there’s at least a 30% chance he tries.”
That made me laugh even harder. “Oh my God, you’re ridiculous,” I managed between giggles.
“I’m serious,” he said, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes now.
I nudged his shoulder gently, my laughter settling into a warm smile. “Look, my mother is going to adore you. And my father…” I hesitated for just a second. “He’ll come around. Eventually.”
Javier raised an eyebrow. “Eventually?”
“Well, he’s not the easiest man to impress,” I admitted, “but you’ve got one thing going for you.”
“What’s that?”
“Me,” I said with a grin.
His mouth twitched, the corner lifting into the faintest of smiles. “I’m all good then.”
“Yeah, you’re all set.” I laughed.
The moment I saw my mother standing by the entrance, waiting with that warm, familiar smile, I didn’t even hesitate. I ran to her, throwing my arms around her and holding on tightly. She smelled like lavender and home, and when she kissed the top of my head I felt like I was a kid again.
When I finally pulled back, I turned to my father. His presence had always been commanding, but today, there was warmth in his eyes that softened his otherwise stoic expression. I stepped forward, took his hand, and pressed a kiss to it. He smiled, pulling me into an embrace.
“Mijn meisje,” he said softly. “Ik heb je gemist.” (My girl. I missed you.)
I hadn’t even realized how much I missed him.
“I missed you too, Papa,” I whispered.
I blinked quickly, pushing back the lump that was forming in my throat, and stepped aside to where Javier was waiting. He looked a little overwhelmed but managed a small smile when I took his hand.
“Papa, Mama,” I said, my smile spreading wider. “This is Javier. He’s… my boyfriend.”
My mother was the first to step forward. Her smile widened as she offered her hand to him. “Javier,” she said warmly. “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you.”
Javier took her hand carefully. “It’s an honor to meet you, ma’am,” he said.
Then it was my father’s turn. Javier turned to him; his hand outstretched. My father let the silence hang for a beat too long, just long enough to make Javier sweat a little. Then, finally, he took his hand—but instead of just shaking it, he pulled Javier in close, clapping his other hand on Javier’s shoulder.
“Walk with me,” my father said.
I opened my mouth to protest, but my mother gently touched my arm. “Let’s go inside, sweetheart,” she said softly.
I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see my father leaning in to whisper something in Javier’s ear. Whatever it was, it had Javier looking like he’d just been sentenced to a firing squad.
By the time my father straightened and started walking toward us, Javier’s expression was somewhere between pale and frozen. He trailed behind my father, and when his eyes met mine, I couldn’t stop the grin that spread across my face.
Soft jazz music hummed in the background, mixing with the murmur of conversation and occasional bursts of laughter. The party wasn’t huge, just an intimate and small gathering, which I loved very much.
I was standing with Ezio watching Javier across the room speaking to Kian. Kian was the one doing most of the talking and Javier, for his part, nodded along, though I could see the tension in his jaw from here. He was terrified.
“Poor guy,” Ezio murmured and I shot him a glare.
“Where’s Aeros?” I asked looking away from Javier.
“He’s probably in Asia by now. Doing whatever it is if he does when he’s avoiding Father.”
I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess: partying, meeting women, causing chaos?”
“Bingo.” Ezio snorted. “I think he’s on a world tour of flings before Father corners him and forces him to settle down.”
The thought made me wince. I love my father, but I didn’t envy Aeros. Aeros was getting to that age, and with my heart set on another, Aeros was the next in line for an arranged marriage. Father is definitely going to make him choose a bride real soon.
“Poor guy,” Ezio said in mock sympathy. Then with a smirk, he added, “Better him than me.”
I laughed and Ezio gave me one last grin before wandering off, leaving me alone just as Javier appeared at my side. His hand found mine, his fingers curling around my hand.
“Dance with me?” He asked smiling.
I raised an eyebrow genuinely shocked. “You’re asking me to dance?”
He nodded, looking way too confident for someone who had stepped on my toes twice the last time we danced.
I tilted my head. “If I remember correctly, just over a year ago you were very adamant about the fact that you’d rather die than dance.”
“I never said that.” He denied immediately, his lips twitching into a half-smile.
I gave him a look. “You basically said that. Maybe not those exact words, but whatever you told me at the time meant the same thing.”
Javier let out a dramatic sigh, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he laced his fingers through mine and led me toward the center of the room, where a few other couples had already started swaying to the soft music. His hand settled on my waist, firm yet gentle, while the other remained in mine.
And just like that, the world blurred at the edges, everything else fading into background noise.
I let myself sink into his touch, into the rhythm, into him.
I pulled back slightly, arching an eyebrow. “Okay, did you somehow go backward in the improvement cycle since last time?”
He huffed out a laugh. “I told you it’s not my thing.”
I grinned. “Javier, you literally stepped on my foot twice already.”
“It’s part of my charm,” he said, straight-faced.
I snorted. “Right. Clumsiness is so attractive.”
He gave a dramatic little spin, almost pulling me off balance, before steadying me again with an arm around my waist. “You’re still here, aren’t you?”
I rolled my eyes, but my smile never wavered.
“Besides,” he murmured, his voice softer now as his fingers brushed against mine, “I’ll get better… if it means I get to hold you like this.” And that made my heart stutter.
This man.
I just smiled pressing closer as we swayed to the music.
When we finally stepped off the dance floor, my mother was waiting, her face lighting up when she saw us.
“You look so happy,” she said, pulling me into a quick hug.
As expected, my mother had already warmed up to Javier. It took less than half a day for her to be completely taken with him—laughing at his jokes, smiling at him like he was already family.
My father, on the other hand, wasn’t as easily swayed. He didn’t say much, didn’t let anything slip, but I knew him. He wasn’t enjoying Javier’s presence in the slightest. He was tolerating him. For me.
I’d take that as a win.
And just when I thought the night couldn’t get any better, the doors swung open.
I turned at the sound, already grinning. “Hael!”
Before I could even reach him, Ezio launched himself forward.
“You’re suffocating him,” Kian muttered before prying Ezio off and immediately pulling Hael into a bear hug himself.
And then it was my turn. I wrapped my arms around him, inhaling the familiar scent of leather and expensive cologne.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” I said when we pulled apart. I hadn’t seen him since he left for France two weeks ago.
“How could I miss this?” Hael grinned before shaking hands with Javier.
“Secured the goods?” Hael asked, his voice low.
Hael gave a curt nod. “Everything’s in place.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What the hell are you two talking about?”
But before I could press for an answer, Hael stepped aside, revealing the woman who had been standing just behind him. She was petite, and strikingly beautiful, with sharp features, jet-black hair, and piercing blue eyes.
“This is Sophie,” he said casually. “Remember Claude? My friend from Marseille? This is his younger sister.”
Sophie offered a polite smile. Her voice was smooth, her French accent lilting as she said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
Hael moved toward my father, greeting him, and Sophie followed, staying close to his side like a shadow.
I watched her for a moment. She looked far too delicate, too untouched for the world she was born into. But when her gaze flicked to Hael, there was nothing innocent about it.
I chuckled under my breath. This is going to be interesting.
Before I could make a comment, Javier’s hand closed around mine, tugging me gently.
“Renée,” he murmured. “Come with me.”
“Where are you taking me?” I laughed, letting him lead me away from the party.
“I have something for you.”
He guided me up three flights of stairs, and down a quiet hallway, before stopping in front of a locked door. He pulled a key from his pocket and slid it into the lock.
I looked up at him, an amused smile playing on my lips. “You’re being very dramatic about this.”
Javier didn’t answer. He just pushed the door open.
And when I stepped inside, my breath hitched.
Tied to a chair in the middle of the dimly lit room, his mouth bound, his eyes wide with panic as he squirmed—Henri.
I turned to Javier, my pulse a slow drum in my ears. He was watching me, waiting, his expression unreadable.
“This is my gift to you,” he murmured, stepping closer. His fingers curled under my chin, tilting my face up to his.
“I will make him bleed,” he promised, his voice dark and steady. “And that will be my offering to you. He will pay, with his blood, for every sin he’s ever committed against you. I’ll break him until there’s nothing left. Because there’s no pain too great, no punishment too severe, for anyone who dares harm what’s mine.”
I let out a slow breath.
Then I pulled him down, crashing my lips against his, pouring every ounce of gratitude, of want, of love into that kiss.
When I finally pulled away, I turned back to Henri.
His breathing was uneven, eyes darting between me and Javier. He was afraid. Good.
I took a step forward.
And I smiled.
“Shall we begin?”
THE END