18. Madeline
Madeline
“My beautiful granddaughter, what is this I hear you ended your engagement?”
“We just wouldn’t work well together. I’m sorry, grandma.” Noah Voss was a pig. But the family wanted to stay associated with them.
At least I got some satisfaction knowing he was in hospital recovering from throat surgery. His family had been very secretive about what had happened to him.
“Well, don’t you dare settle. Your father settled.
” She shook her head. “Not one son. Your Aunty Diana was first proposed to your father, but no, he went with your mother. Two sons she gave your uncle.” My grandmother clicked her tongue.
“My daughter refused to listen to me during her pregnancy and look how it ended. One girl and a removed uterus.” She tapped my hand, “Your poor father.”.
“Do you need anything else, grandma? I’m just going to check on mom.” I placed her cup of tea beside her.
She scoffed, “So you should. That’s her seventh drink. I have been counting. Only depressed people drink as much as your mother.” casting a look in my mother’s direction. “And I saw what she ate at dinner.”
God. Family events were exhausting. Walking across the room over to mom and aunty Diana.
Mom sighed, staring at my cousins. “Such a great moment for the family. You must be so proud, Diana.”
I fought to be seen. My cousins just had to stand in a room.
“Maddy, do you need that? It is a waste of calories. If you need alcohol, have a shot.” She shook her head. “It has only been weeks since the cancellation of the wedding and she is already letting herself go.”
“Oh, we did hear about that. Noah is marrying Rhiannon now.”
Mom sighed. “She will make a beautiful bride.”
“So why was the merger canceled?” Aunty Diana asked, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. God forbid I hurt her son’s expansion plans.
“Maddy refused to step away from the business. Even though the boys can clearly handle it.” She gestured at my cousins. “All that planning wasted. Well, Rihanna won’t need a sunset wedding. That woman doesn’t need shadows to help hide anything.”
“Mom, do you need another drink? I’m going to check on dad.”
Mom shooed my hand away. “No, dear, I’m fine. Gosh, you might not care about your figure, but I’m not losing mine.”
I nodded, walking towards dad at the bar. Tonight was hard on him. He was the eldest. That territory should be going to his sons. Sadly for him, he only had me.
Touching his shoulder, as I leaned against the bar beside him.
“Maddy.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Have you eaten?” I asked, looking at the whiskey in his hand. “You shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach, daddy. You’ll regret it in the morning.”
He nodded, only for his eyes to drift from my grandfather to mom. Back to his whiskey.
“One more regret on the list won’t matter.” He stared down at the glass. “Can I ask you a favor? Can you go easy on your mother? She’s not coping with the wedding being called off.” He loosened his tie. “Something about you purposely wanting to ruin everything that makes her happy.”
They had been arguing a lot more lately. That smile I saw her give him was definitely a once off.
It took all my self control to not point out that they already had my next wedding planned. A two-hour flight here, and still no one has mentioned merging with the crows.
I nodded. “Well, Nate seems to be adjusting already to his new role.” I changed the subject, gesturing to my cousin.
“Controlling an operation like ours needs strength. Power. Being taken seriously. He is a good fit.”
Not strong enough. Not serious enough. Not pretty enough. Not thin enough. Not enough.
“I’m going to get you something to eat from the kitchen.” I touched his hand before walking through the crowd. Cutting through the dining room, holding back tears before I made it to the side bathroom.
Breathing in sharply. My uncles got sons; my parents got cursed with me.
Closing the door, I turned the lock. God, I couldn’t afford to ruin my makeup. Composing myself before walking back out.
“Maddy!” Nate spotted me from across the room.
“Congratulations Nate.”
He gestured to the side. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“Fine, but if it is fashion advice, you know where I stand on the topic of brown suits.”
He grinned as we walked outside. “How is Uncle Marc taking it?”
I shrugged. Everything he controlled will one day be Nathanial’s. His legacy ended with him. How would anyone feel?
“I think he wishes he had a son.” Running my fingers through my hair. “Don’t worry about him. You’re the right choice for the family.”
The look in his eyes really made me uncomfortable. I hated pity.
“Nate,” I held his hand. “It’s okay. If I wanted pity, I’d play up the broken engagement.”
“Well, your role doesn’t change, you know that?”
“I know.” every day, I will fight to be respected and worthy of just being in the same room as men.
“And fuck Voss.”
I scrunched my nose up. “One of the reasons it ended. That’s why you wanted to talk to me, right? About the next merger?”
Or should I say the next merger that his actions have caused? Perhaps I had made the wrong choice in joining the family. I could have stepped aside, never had the pressure of trying to impress dad.
“Are you aware of the issues we are having with the Crows?”
Issues he was having with the Crows. Back home, there were no problems
I nodded, staring at my father drinking at the bar.
“A merger between our family and theirs is likely to happen.”
“Considering I’m the only one left unmarried, that means me?”
To think I’ve had to deal with the backlash from the last one ending, all while they planned this one behind my back.
He nodded. “One good thing. It’s one of the crows from up here. Just think, you can finally move here. You’ve always loved the ocean.”
No. I hated the ocean. Saltwater dries my skin. I always loved bikinis and the sun.
That same feeling of betrayal goes through me.
All these years, I proved to them I was capable of more. But in the end, this is what my family saw my real role as.
“Darling, you're gorgeous, but not the level of beautiful to warrant a ring like this.” Mom stared at my phone.
I should have known better than to look at jewelry near her. But what were the chances she would see my phone, let alone take it from me?
“Anyway, the family chooses the ring, isn’t that right Marco?” Mom looked down the table at dad.
He nodded.
I wouldn’t be falling for that again. I’ve already had one ring I hated. I would not let that happen a second time.
“I’m buying my own ring.”
“You can’t do that.” Mom placed my phone down. “Marco, tell her she can’t do that. How insulting to the Crows.”
“ Massie !” Dad snapped.
“Oh. Sorry. Haven’t you told her?” Mom looked at dad rather smugly.
“It’s fine, I know. Nate told me last night.” So, my suspicions were right. They all knew but me.
“Well, of all families, you can’t insult the Crows.”
“I’m sure Vince won’t care if I buy my own ring.”
“It’s not Vincent, you are marrying Maddy,” Mom shook her head. “Marco, what is his name again?”
“Yes, it was to be one of his cousins. But Vince is taking his place, so,” I took my phone back. “He is the one I am marrying. And he won’t care if I get my own ring.”
Staring at the custom designed mockups that had come back from the jeweler.
The silence was awkward. The sooner we head home, the better. I’m starting to remember why our family has such a big house for three people.
“Morning Uncle Zeke.” I locked my phone.
He pulled a chair out next to me. Mom got up and left. Followed seconds later by dad. Both going in opposite directions.
“Don’t take it personally. I just upset them both.” I crossed my legs, turning to face him.
“What did they do?” he reached for a bagel off the table. It was nice having one family member who didn’t always think it was my fault.
“The merger with the Crows.”
“What merger?” Uncle Zeke looked at me, confused.
“Nate told me last night, but between us, I knew. Vince told me before I left.”
“Maddy, what are you talking about?”
“Me marrying into the Crows. To settle down the tension that started up here.”
“When the fuck was this organized?”
Taken aback by his sudden outburst. “I don’t know.”
“So you’re marrying into that psycho family because Nathaniel fucked up?”
All this time, I thought the family only kept me in the dark about this. Nathanial was Zeke’s son. This was their operation. How could he not know about this merger?
“The crows aren’t that bad, well,” I paused, “the ones I know I like.”
“Did Nathaniel and Marco organize this? Or are Felix and Cole involved, too?”
I shrugged.
Zeke pushed his seat back, getting up. “I’ll tell them it's not happening.”
“Don’t. It will just cause a fight.”
“No, Marco isn’t?—”
“I’m not what?” Dad's words were cold as he walked back into the room. Glaring at uncle Zeke. “Come on then, spit it out Ezekiel. What is it I’m not doing?”
The death glare between these two was ridiculous. I could groan. All because I was looking at engagement rings.
“Madeline is fulfilling her role in this family. Her duty.” Dad flickered a look at me.
His words might be said out of anger, but it was the tone that told me he meant it. Still, after everything I did for this family. My real role was to marry into another.
“Apologize to her now,” Uncle Zeke walked around the table.
“Or what? She is my daughter, and that is her role.” Dad shoved Zeke back. “Unless you have something you want to say, Ezekiel? Even your son saw the bigger picture.”
“Plotted this with fucking Nate, did you?” he shoved dad back. “What a shock.”
After last time, I knew better than to get in between them.
“Stop it, please.” I pushed the chair back and got up. “I’m happy with the decision, Uncle Zeke. So, it’s fine.”
“It is not Maddy, they are using you as a pawn.”
“A pawn!” dad scoffed. “It’s her role, her duty. The one fucking thing she is actually meant to be doing for our family!”
Not even two seconds passed before they were throwing punches at each other. Glass shattering as Uncle Zeke threw dad into the cupboard.
Nate and finally Uncle Cole came in, separating them.
Like normal, I’m frozen. Everything starts to go distant. My heart is racing as they keep shouting at each other. Uncle Zeke turned on Nate, blaming him for this. As the fight continued. I zoned out.
Vaguely remembering the plates and dishes that started flying around the room, as I sat back down.