Page 99 of Bittersweet Revenge

“Our parents won’t be in charge forever. Be who the fuck you want to be because nobody really cares,” I added before leaving to see if Esmeralda was okay.

Chapter 20 - Esme

The night of the party arrived much faster than I’d expected. The stress was so high I wasn’t sure I would get through the evening and the plan without a fault. All eyes would be on us tonight. We were the golden couple. Vanishing, as we’d planned to do, would be really difficult.

“Up or down?”

I turned my head to look at the stylist. “Excuse me?”

She sighed. “Have you listened to anything I’ve said?”

No.” I threw her a chilly look I hoped was as good as Caleb’s. Apparently, she was a big deal and hard to get, but I really didn’t appreciate her talking to me as if I was a difficult child.

A knock on my door distracted me. I laughed with relief when Sophia entered the room.

“Oh, Esmeralda, honey, you are so beautiful!” She smiled at me and the tenderness in her eyes thawed me a little. “I hope I'm not bothering.”

I smiled gratefully at her. “No, I’m so happy you’re here.”

“Would you mind leaving us?” Sophia asked the stylist.

“I’m not done!”

“Her makeup is done and her dress is laced. I can do her hair. I need time with the future bride.”

“But–”

“Thank you,” I announced, not leaving any room for discussion.

She shook her head and grumbled, “Unbelievable.”

“I don’t like her,” I admitted as soon as the door closed behind her.

Sophia waved her hand dismissively. “Nobody does, dear. We just accept her because she’s good. I hope you don't mind me coming to see you? I’ve barely seen you since you came back.”

“I’m sorry,” I said and I meant it. I did like Sophia a lot, but I’d had too many things to deal with and the last week had been spent trying to mend things with my brother. Our relationship was still tense, but he’d started to understand that I hadn’t been trying to betray him. Caleb's advice to go after him had been perfect. I always knew those two were much more similar than they wanted to admit. But maybe that was why things were always so difficult between them...

“It’s alright. I'm glad your father’s plan to destroy you, failed. Sit. Let me do your hair. Everybody is here. It will soon be time for the couple of the day to make an appearance.”

I nodded and sat silently as she braided my hair.

“Oh, also I received your wedding dress yesterday,” she let out as if it was nothing.

As she brought my braids up in a type of crown, I met her eyes in the mirror. We both knew I hadn’t ordered a dress.

“That’s…great."

“Uh huh. I don't know what you kids are planning, but it looked far too suspicious that a couple of weeks before the wedding, there was no dress. Your father is not stupid, Esme. He was getting suspicious. And please tell your brother to be more discreet when he is snooping around the house. I am not sure how long I can keep distracting your father.”

I didn’t know what to say, once again touched by her help without even asking for it.

“I can see you are genuinely fond of Caleb Astor, but you’re only eighteen. You’ve barely lived. Nobody should be forced into something they don’t want. You shouldn’t be making big choices now. You need to experience life before settling down.”

“Are you talking from experience?” I asked, standing up, knowing she had barely been an adult when she'd been thrown into my father’s net.

“I am,” she confirmed as she helped me straighten the lavender silk of my floor-length dress.

“Tell Archie that your father changed the safe code. It’s your mother’s date of birth now. Tell him he has another safe in the basement behind the bar; the code is 1929. Also let him know that there is a security system he doesn't know about. Once he gets into the house and disables the alarm, he will need to disable the secret alarm your father has for his office and the basement. The control is in our room, behind the Venice painting.”

---