Page 26 of Priceless

“Thank fuck you’ll be out of this house soon,” she hurled the whisper at me.

The feeling was entirely mutual. Whoever I was about to sign my life away to, they couldn’t harbor this kind of poison towards me, right? Not when they’d specifically asked for me?

I hoped not.

Nerves fluttered in my stomach. I’d said it didn’t matter, but now I was wishing I’d asked who so I could be prepared. Like hell was I going to ask Laura, because she would try to?—

Honestly, I had no idea, but whatever she would say, it would only be meant to hurt me and nothing else.

She snapped her fingers at Ruby. “Hurry up.”

The corset went on, and my aunt practically shoved Ruby out of the way in order to do the laces herself. Way too fucking tight. “I need to be able to breathe,” I managed.

“Not if breathing makes you look bigger and your intendeds hesitate even for a second. I’m not letting this deal fall through because you refuse to take care of yourself.” She punctuated the words by pulling so tightly that I gasped. I closed my eyes before any of my reactionary tears could escape and ruin the makeup I’d put on for the wedding.

The dress was light, flowy, purple, and pretty. Just like the blue dress. Damn her and her fashion sense. Part of me wanted to mess myself up just a little to see smoke pour out of her ears, but I wasn’t sure I had enough breath in my lungs to do it.

Hell, I barely had enough breath to make it all the way to the study.

My uncle looked me up and down when I entered his office, nodding once in approval. And to my shock, he had the documents ready for me, already signed by him. A stranger stood with him. Or rather, someone I recognized a little from Frank’s business dealings. Both a notary and a witness, like I’d asked.

He really wanted this to happen, and the ease with which he could toss my life around like a toy didn’t cease to sting.

I read the papers carefully, but there wasn’t much to them. If I completed my marriage with the DuPont Pack, and remained married for one year, he would sign my trust over to me, fully and completely, with no limitations.

The DuPont Pack.

Somewhere in my mind, that name rang a bell, but I didn’t know why. Nor did it matter. This was what I needed. The relief of signing the papers and watching them be notarized almost combatted the pain of having to lean over to sign them in the corset.

He and Laura watched in silence as I signed my life away.

“Good,” Frank said, handing one copy of the papers to me. Then he pressed the button on his phone that reached the housekeeper. “Isabel, show them in.”

My heart leapt up into my throat. They were here now, and there was no going back.

10

PEACH BLOSSOM

MEANING: CAPTIVE; I AM YOUR CAPTIVE; MY HEART IS YOURS

EVERETT

________

Standing in the foyer of the Caldwell mansion, I found myself nervous. It wasn’t a familiar sensation. In our line of work, nerves weren’t welcome. You needed absolute confidence to run a business as large as ours, especially when the things we sold were so subjective. Any lack of confidence could be perceived as weakness or a lack of clarity, which was the end of more careers than people imagined.

But standing here, ready to meet the Omega who would become our wife once again, I felt a shred of nerves. She was already ours. Biology proved that, and time would prove it as well. But I didn’t trust Frank and what he’d said. Or what he’d made her agree to.

I didn’t think I would ever forget that first moment of seeing her in the ballroom. It was like the world fell away for a moment and there was only her. Before her scent had punched me straight in the gut and wrapped itself around my soul.

It wasn’t the woman who’d let us into the house who approached us now. This was another woman with a smile on her face. “You must be the DuPont pack. I’m Ruby. It’s nice to meet you.”

I shook her hand. “Hello, Ruby.”

“I begged Isabel, the housekeeper, to let me come and take you through.”

The three of us looked at her, and Micah spoke. “Why?”

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