Page 55 of Midnight Revelations

“I would sign up for that. Papa is playing matchmaker and is dangling his latest selection in front of me.”

Sofia laughed. “God, better you than me. I have no intention of making an even bigger fool of myself.”

“You’re the eldest. Technically, we need to marry you off first!”

“And where am I supposed to find a man who will stand against Papa?”

“You have a better chance than me, considering I’m under constant house arrest.”

She laughed again. “Yeah, that doesn’t stop when you move away. Your gaoler just becomes someone different.”

“I miss you, Sofia.” It was true. She knew how to handle Papa and was the glue that kept us all together.

“I miss you, too. This is my final year and then I’ll be free to travel and take you with me.”

It was a nice dream, just one that would never become a reality.

“You okay, Lucy?”

“Yeah, life was just getting too much and I needed to hear a friendly voice.”

“Don’t let Papa bully you into something that you’ll regret. If he married for love, then so can we.”

I smiled, imagining her grumpy expression. “I’ve already said that and received a death stare.”

Her laugh made me laugh. “Yeah, I don’t miss those.”

“Thanks for being here tonight, Sofia.”

“Sleep tight, missy mouse.” It was her nickname for me.

I hung up and bowed my head. Impulsively I texted Ash.

Me:I promised to make a piece for a charity auction and need to use my studio at your house. It’ll be good for business.

My phone sat in my hand and taunted me with its silence for nearly ten minutes.

Ash:Your studio is in an office in one of our businesses. I’ll send Francis the details.

I felt like he’d thrown a bucket of cold water over me. Ash didn’t mess around when he decided to cut someone from his life. I thought of my beautiful display and all my tools lined up in neat rows so I knew where they all where.

He didn’t want me anymore.

Ash was an experienced man of the world. Why would he need someone insecure who he constantly needed to smother with attention?

I curled up on the bed and stared into the darkness because I didn’t know what to do anymore. A crossroad loomed ahead of me and both roads looked daunting. One led back to my old life of safety, but I no longer belonged there. The other led to a path that was feral and overgrown. It looked like it could ensnare and smother me.

Those two roads were so far apart that neither looked like they could ever overlap.

Terror rose inside me in a silent scream when I finally descended into a world of nightmares. Sweat pooled on my skin and I struggled against the sheets that tried to capture me. There was no escape for me, only a devil waiting for me at the crossroads.

***

Chapter Nineteen

Lucrezia

Papa took one look at me and sent me back to bed. I’d cried so much last night that my eyes were puffy and I could barely speak because my throat was so sore. He cursed Ash’s family several times. My upset wasn’t about his family, it was because I’d hurt Ash and he did what he always did best and walked away.

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