Chapter 46
Chapter
Forty-Six
KAYLANI
The air inside the limo reeked of expensive cologne. Masculine to the point of suffocating, it wrapped around the five of us like a blanket no one wanted.
My father sat across from me, staring out the window, his eyes never once meeting mine. Julian sat beside him while I was wedged between Sven and one of the Harrington guards, as if I were the dangerous one.
City lights blurred past the tinted windows. Mallorca glowed at night. Streetlamps bathed the stone streets in soft gold. Bougainvillea spilled over white walls in bright fuchsia cascades. The harbor lights flickered like distant stars across the black water.
In any other circumstance, it would have been romantic. Instead, it felt like a farewell to the life I loved.
I still clung to hope that Nathaniel and Goran would find me, but I also needed to be realistic. They could be too late. Or perhaps, my brother didn’t have the power to change the course of my fate.
A million scenarios had run through my mind, and I always returned to the same conclusion. Alone with no money was manageable. Being hunted, while trying to stay hidden, I could handle.
But if something went wrong and I lost my baby, and possibly the last tie to the man I loved, I wouldn’t survive that.
Scaling twenty-foot walls, clinging to the bottom of trucks, or sneaking away in a boat that I had no idea how to operate might look great on a movie screen. But in real life, I didn’t have those skills, and pretending I did was far more dangerous than Julian.
“You look lovely this evening, Kaylani.”
Julian held a crystal tumbler between his fingers, rotating it slowly. The sound of the ice clinking against the glass was unusually annoying.
“It’s what you asked for, is it not?”
“Yes, you’re right. You’ve been very cooperative since our little chat.” He glanced at the giant rock on my finger. I instantly wanted to cut my finger off so I’d never have to wear it again.
I swallowed the sarcastic retort and went back to staring out the window.
“But ignoring me is disrespectful.”
He just couldn’t leave well enough alone. The faint grin on his face revealed that he was purposely goading me. Why, I couldn’t fathom.
“You really like that word, Julian. Respect. But I was raised to respect those who have earned it. So far, you have done nothing to warrant my respect, despite what my father believes.”
Julain’s eyes narrowed, and the glass stilled. Sven went rigid beside me. He shifted just enough that I knew he was ready to grab his weapon if needed. I’d felt Goran do the same thing many times. Only recently had I recognized it for what it was, instinct in the presence of danger.
Father adjusted his cufflinks and finally acknowledged my presence.
“Tonight is important, Kaylani. For one night, can you remember that you’re a princess with manners?”
I inched forward in my seat and fixed him with a glare.
“Important for who?”
“For our family, your new family, and for perception.”
“You’re unbelievable.” I tightened my grip on my clutch. “I suppose that is the one good thing about marrying Julian. I’ll never have to see your face again.”
My chest ached as I said it. Father flinched, but I meant every single word.
He opened his mouth to respond, but the car slowed as we approached the venue. The restaurant glowed like a beacon in the dark.
“I rented the entire place for tonight,” Julian said, voice filled with arrogance.
If he expected praise, he wouldn’t get it from me.
The car stopped, and the doors opened. Music drifted in from the waterfront. Julian offered me his hand. It was in my best interest to play along now that we had an audience. I allowed Julian to help me out of the limo and lead me down the walkway.
Julian hadn’t merely reserved the restaurant. The Harringtons had taken over. Their guards lined the entrance, far more than usual. Men in dark suits with earpieces stood in pairs, scanning not only the street, but the rooftops above.
The amount of security present seemed odd for what amounted to an engagement party. Julian and my father had been tight-lipped about their business dealings, and not for the first time, I wondered if I wasn’t marrying into a family more corrupt than my own.
The sea breeze brushed a strand of hair against my cheek. Flashes went off somewhere to my left. Of course, Julian had brought in photographers. Everything would be documented, and the thought of Goran seeing the photos turned my stomach.
The rich aroma of food filled the air along with laughter and the clink of crystal. I felt it then…a flutter of dread that refused to be ignored. It had finally hit me that I was walking toward something inevitable.
For just a moment, my knees shook as my fight-or-flight instinct screamed at me to run for the limo.
A weight pressed against my chest, making it hard to breathe. Julian didn’t notice as he led me through the doors. The live string quartet near the windows played far too loudly, and the scent of roses and white lilies was so thick it almost masked the salt in the air, making me gag.
Spotting the washroom, I yanked my arm free from Julian’s grip, not caring who saw as I sprinted inside to the first available stall. Faintly, I heard Sven arguing with Julian and my father as I threw up.
My sapphire-blue dress pooled around the stark white porcelain, mocking me. Everything in my stomach made a reappearance, and then I was left heaving. Flushing the toilet, I leaned against the wall, eyes closed, trying to catch my breath and hoping I wasn’t about to be sick again.
“How far along are you?”
Terror washed over me like a bucket of icy water. My eyes snapped open, and I turned to see my father standing near the door.
Straightening my dress, I walked out to the sink.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I had bad seafood for lunch, that’s all.”
He chuckled and moved closer.
My heart raced as I washed my hands, then rinsed my mouth. I was trapped.
“Kaylani, do you think I am a fool? I have four children. I know the signs. With the boys, your mother was always sick at night, but with you, it was far less. That makes me think you’re having a boy. Now, answer me. How far?”
I grabbed a small towel from the stand and dried my hands, eyes shifting toward the exit that felt miles away. Finally, they returned to his face.
“You’re mistaken. I’m sorry Mother had such a terrible time, but—”
“Enough,” he growled, his voice taking on a hard edge that made me tremble.
My hand flew to my stomach before I could catch myself.
His eyes tracked the movement. “How far?”
“Nine weeks.” My voice barely rose above a whisper.
He swore a long string of curses, spinning away from me and gripping the edge of the sink. My bottom lip trembled as I reached for his arm.
“Please,” I begged.
He shrugged me off, but I wasn’t letting him go.
“Kaylani, this is not something that can be hidden. What were you thinking? Why didn’t you take care of this?”
Fury overtook me, and I slapped my father across the face so hard that it stunned us both. The sting in my hand erasing the fear and reminded me of who I am. I jabbed a finger at him, the rage and fear mingling into a single, potent cocktail.
“Don’t you dare say that. This is my child we’re talking about, not some boardroom deal you want fixed.”
It was so silent between us as we squared off that all I could hear was the pounding of my heart.
He pointed at the door.
“What do you think Julian and his family will do when they find out you are carrying another man’s child?”
“If you hadn’t forced me into this marriage it never would’ve been a problem. But, they won’t, I have it figured out.”
Father shook his head and stepped back from me, but desperation drove me to clamp onto the front of his suit.
“Please…Father. If there is any part of you that still loves me, then you will keep this secret.”
He averted his gaze, jaw tight. The lump in my throat felt like glass shredding my insides.
“We have been at odds and I’ve been very angry with you, but you were my hero once, and I need you to be that again.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I clung to his jacket.
“I will marry Julian, and he will never know. I will make sure of it. But this is me, your daughter, begging you not to take this sliver of happiness away from me. I already lost the love of my life. Don’t crush my heart. Don’t do this to your grandchild.”
I searched his face, my entire body trembling. The hard lines finally softened just a fraction. There was a beat. A moment where everything slowed. No bathroom. No family war. No, marrying Julian. Just me and my father.
The door opened, and Julian stepped inside.
“Is everything okay in here?”
The moment shattered as the party sounds crashed back in, and I jerked back like I had been struck.
Father gently held my hands as he eased them away from his jacket.
“Yes, Julian, everything is fine,” Father said with a practiced smile. “Kaylani ate something at lunch that didn’t agree with her. Can you give us a few more minutes?”
“Alright, but don’t be long. Everyone is waiting.”
The door closed with a thud.
“Arrogant asshole,” Father muttered, and I couldn’t help but grin at the irony.
“Does this mean—”
“I won’t say anything, but you must ensure he never finds out. Julian does not forgive humiliation. If he learns of your deception, more than just your life and reputation will be at stake.”
Relief washed over me. I wrapped my arms around my father, hugging him the way I had when I was a little girl.
“Thank you, Dad.”
“Please don’t say you never want to see me again. I know marrying Julian is not easy, but I can’t lose you forever. You’re still my daughter, and even though I don’t show it well, I love you.”
The tears continued to flow as we embraced.
“Shh, that’s enough now. You’ll ruin your makeup.”
With a soft laugh, I grabbed some tissue to dab at my eyes. Luckily, my waterproof mascara was top-of-the-line.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded and grabbed his arm before he could walk away.
“I hate that you’re making me do this and I don’t know if I can ever forgive you. But you’ll always be my father and I love you.”
A single tear slid down his cheek. He wiped at it, staring as if trying to understand how it had appeared. I had never seen my father cry before.
Things would never be the same between us after all that he had set into motion. But keeping my pregnancy secret felt like a start, a powerful step toward repairing our fractured relationship.