Page 67 of Bittersweet Revenge

“I get that.” He looked at his car. “There’s no turning back now.”

No there wasn’t. Though truth be told, I didn’t think there had ever been a way to turn back. Everything had been set in motion as soon as I’d opened our mother’s journal. There was nothing that could have changed that.

Chapter 14 - Caleb

I was not looking forward to dinner at the Forbes Mansion. How could I? I’d always disliked William and his stupid trophy wife. Archibald and I had been friends once upon a time. It was before I’d realized that he was not as broken as I was, that he was the shiny one. Then I’d wanted him broken just like I had been. Why didn’t he wear scars too? So, I’d helped him lose the only thing he’d wanted, the only thing that had mattered to him - Taylor Oppenheimer.

I sighed, adjusting the cufflinks Esmeralda had bought me. They were not really my style. I was more into clean lines and abstract concepts, but they’d come from her. I knew what the wings meant. The fact that she’d given them to me meant a lot. I wanted her to know that.

A soft knock at my door brought me back to reality. I knew who it was before opening it. Everything about her was gentle, even her knocking.

I was as awestruck as I usually was whenever I looked at her. She was dressed simply in a knee-length, purple dress. There was just enough cleavage to entice me and show the wings necklace I’d given her in Port Harbor. Her hair was up, revealing her slender, delicate neck. I wanted to kiss, bite, lick…own it. I let my eyes trail down her shapely legs to her stiletto-clad feet.

“You look absolutely stunning, Esmeralda.” If only she knew the effect she had on me. Controlling my cock was almost an impossible job, although maybe it was better she didn’t know. She already had so much power over me. I should just be grateful she didn’t know the extent.

She blushed andfuck me!When I didn’t think she could get more enticing, she went and did that.

“You scrub up well, too.” She took a step closer and rearranged my tie knot before patting me gently on the chest.

“How domestic of you.” I jested before raising my arm to take hers.

She took my arm. Noticing the cufflinks, her smile turned so vibrant, wearing them suddenly became worth it. Fuck, I was a sucker for this girl.

“You really like them?”

“Of course I do.” Iwalked her down and helped her to the car, acting as if it was a date and not a dinner in Doomland that was waiting at the end of the road.

“You know we can always pretend I’m sick if you don’t want to go,” I offered as she chewed on her bottom lip in an obvious sign of anxiety.

She shook her head. “No. Well–” She cocked her head to the side. “I can’t say I’m thrilled to spend time with my father, but I haven't seen Sophia for so long. She was always nice to me and–” She shrugged.

“You know you could have spent time with her whenever you wanted. You are not a prisoner.”

“No, I know, but I don't think my father would have seen that too kindly.”

“Ah.”” I nodded. She was worried and protective of Sophia. Was Sophia’s life how she imagined how her life with me would be? “No matter what, that would never have been you.”

“What?”

“Sophia. If you marry me or anyone else, you would never become her.”

“And how do you know that?”

I chuckled. “You’re so much stronger than anyone I’ve met, my little hellfire. You can be bent, but not broken.”

“I came close to being broken. Too close,” she whispered.

I glanced her way, but she was looking out of the window.

“Is that why you left?”

She sighed. “You know why I left.”

“Not all, not everything.”

“No, that’s true,” she admitted. I was surprised by such an easy acknowledgement. “But you will. I’ll tell you everything”.

“When?”

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