Chapter 11
GREYSON
“Where’s Ada?!” I screamed, storming into my father’s office. The cleanup crew paused, waiting for instructions.
Father reclined back in his desk chair, his expression arrogant as all fuck. “Leave us,” he said with a swish of his hand. The staff dropped their rags immediately and departed without a word, heads bowed.
The only evidence of my former presence was a faint pink stain on the expensive rug where I’d left Annika bleeding out.
Immediately after, I sought Ada, only to find her missing.
Panic was thrashing through me as I meticulously roamed the estate for any hint of her.
Which inevitably led me back to him. The man of the house.
“Tell me where she is or I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” He smirked.
I pulled out the handgun tucked in my waistband and aimed the barrel directly in line with his forehead. I was a good shot, and he fucking knew it. I wasn’t stupid enough to go to that confrontation unprepared.
He didn’t seem perturbed. Instead, he looked smug. “More threats? You’ve made your stance perfectly clear, son. But because of your little debacle with the Sullivan girl, something had to be done. You’ve become too bold, too rash. I told you feelings were a weakness…and I finally found yours.”
Red filtered into my vision. A roar bellowed from my lungs. I vaulted over the desk and swung the butt of my gun down hard. He dodged the blow at the last second, preventing me from concaving his skull. I swiftly pivoted, dropped the weapon and wrapped my hands around his throat.
“FUCKING TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!!”
Father didn’t fight back, didn’t even bother resisting. Instead, he cackled like an old witch. His next statement made my blood run cold, his voice croaky and breathless. “Kill me and you will never see her again. ”
“Fucking FUCK!” I shoved away, pacing to the opposite side of the room—the furthest point from him. His bluish pallor slowly regained colour as my fingers twitched to reattach themselves around his oesophagus.
“What are your terms?” I asked, voice seething. My father was a businessman above all else, and I knew he’d use the leverage to his fullest advantage.
“You will return to Bartholomew and await instructions. The arranged marriage has fallen through due to your theatrics. I will have to broker another deal elsewhere.”
My teeth ground together, trying to hold back the venom lingering on my tongue. At that moment, I couldn’t do anything to jeopardise Ada.
So, with bitter hatred pumping through me, I gave my father a subtle nod and turned for the exit. Just before I could breach the threshold, his harsh voice cut through me one last time.
“Be mindful in how you proceed, Greyson. Accidents can happen anywhere. From an unfortunate fall to an irresponsible drunk driver…The repercussions could be catastrophic.”
His tone was sympathetic, but the threat couldn’t have been clearer. If I pushed back in any way, Ada would be the one to deal with the aftermath.
My hands balled into fists, frustration and resentment flowing off me in waves. Despite his musings, I didn’t need the reminder of his considerable reach. His statement just reaffirmed my suspicions of his role in my mother’s death.