Page 80 of Vow to Hate You

“Charlotte loves you. Don’t do anything that could hurt her.” His threat had my eyes narrowing as he sighed. “I can still see the fight in you. I don’t know why you rebel against a life that can give you everything you desire.”

“I want freedom,” I blurted out. “To do what I want.”

His eyes darkened. “In our life, that’s not an option. It never will be.”

Tense silence blanketed the room. I bit my tongue, forcing myself to remain quiet. He drummed his fingers on the leather armrests of the chair, his gaze never leaving mine.

“Let me make this perfectly clear,” he spoke slowly, as if making sure I would listen to every word. “Whether you are married to Damian or not, there is no leaving this family. You try to leave, and I’ll drag you back kicking and screaming. Our name is known in all the important circles in this country. I will not have you ruin it by running off and making a fool of me. If you don’t think I have the resources to do just that, then you’ll learn the hard way. Understood?”

Tears of frustration threatened to fall, and I blinked a few times, refusing to give him a reaction. While I’d always known this was the case, hearing him vocalize it made it so much worse. I already had half a mind to buy a plane ticket and flee back to Asia. He had power here, but across the ocean? I could more than likely live my quiet life. But then there was Charlotte. I would never get to see my sister.

My heart tugged slightly when Damian’s face slid into my mind.Damn it.Even he’d gotten under my skin since I’d come back. A piece of me would miss him too. And he’d be stuck dealing with my father if I ran off again.

“If you find anything out about Damian, you’ll let me know,” he said, cutting into my thoughts.

“Yes,” I said tightly. “Can I go now?”

“I’ll see you at dinner.”

CHAPTER 33

damian

I snuck another glance at Talie, my frown deepening. We were at dinner, and she’d been picking at her pasta for the last twenty minutes, not taking a single bite. She also hadn’t so much as looked at me since we’d sat down. I’d been expecting her to gloat over the torture contraption she trapped my dick in. But no, whatever her father spoke to her about earlier must not have been good.

I shifted in my seat, gritting my teeth at the weight of the cage. Luckily, it was barely noticeable under my slacks, but there was no way I’d be able to get it off until I got the damn key. I stayed in the shower for a half an hour, attempting to slip it off with soap. While inspecting the cage, I’d seen a hole at the end where the tip of my cock was, proving to me that this chastity was built to be used long-term because it didn’t ever have to come off even to use the bathroom.

“Do you two have any travel plans for the rest of the year?” my mother asked, her question directed at me and Talie. “You’ve already been to some amazing places on those vacations while Natalia was away at school.”

My pleasant mask stayed in place as I chuckled. All those vacations I took by myself. Another cover to show our familieswe’d been happily married. I couldn’t help but be curious about the places she really visited while she was gone.

Talie smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Ask my husband. He’s in charge of our travel plans.”

I didn’t miss the bitter edge of her voice, and from the sharp look her father gave her, he didn’t either. I glared at him, wondering what the hell he spoke about to my wife.

It was only us, Charlotte, and our parents at this table, but the rest of the tables in the dining hall were full of everyone else. Rhyett met my eye from a couple of tables away, shooting me a lopsided grin. He planned another night of drinking and dancing, but I had a feeling Talie wasn’t going to be up for it tonight.

“Excuse me,” Talie said, getting to her feet. “I’m not feeling well. I’m turning in for the evening.”

Charlotte watched her sister walk away, concern etched on her face. Jude was staring at his daughter as she exited the dining area, the smug smile on his lips shooting a raging fire through me. I threw my cloth napkin over my half-eaten plate before standing up.

“Where are you going?” my father asked. “We’re still going to have cigars with our associates.”

“I’m going to check on my wife.”

Christian began arguing, but I tuned him out as I strode away, wanting to catch Talie before she disappeared. I cursed under my breath, each step reminding me about the metal suffocating my cock.

I left the dining area, scanning the hall. She was in a mood, and whenever that happened, she went somewhere she could be alone. Which meant she wouldn’t go back to our stateroom, and I didn’t want to search the entire yacht for her. I caught sight of a door closing down the hall, and rushed toward it, only to hesitate for a second when I realized it was the ladies’ restroom.

With a sigh, I quietly cracked open the door, poking my head in. I was met with a small sitting room with a counter that ran along the side wall with a mirror behind it. The back of the room opened up to where I was guessing the stalls and sinks were. My gaze cut to the side where Talie was sitting on a narrow sofa.

She was already staring at me with an eyebrow raised. “You realize this is the women’s bathroom?”

I ignored her question, asking my own. “What’s wrong?”

She rolled her eyes, slumping against the cushion. “Go away, Damian. I came in here to be alone.”

I stepped inside, letting the door close behind me. “What did your father want?”

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