Page 104 of Downfall

“What incident?” God I hope he doesn’t mean me. I hope he doesn’t realise what I was up to, what I was in the process of doing because if he does I’m screwed. He’ll never let me leave this house. Never let me leave his sight until he’s married me off again.

“At the docks.” He says.

I frown. What does that mean?

“While you’ve been simpering away with our enemies they’ve been making moves against us.”

“I wasn’t simpering.” I snap. “I didn’t have a choice…”

He waves his hand like he doesn’t give a shit what my excuses are.

“The facts remain the same.” He says.

“And what are those?” I retort.

“That the Montagues have been on the attack.” He says. “That since your dear loverboy returned we’ve lost half our revenue, half our businesses have been destroyed.”

“What are you talking about?” I reply. In truth I don’t know anything about our businesses beyond the fact that we make a lot of money from them. It’s naïve I know but I doubt all of it is above board and it’s easier to ignore it when you don’t know the dirtier facts. Ignorance is bliss and all that.

“I’m saying your boyfriend has destroyed half our warehouses. Half our supply and distribution. He’s set fire to the lot.”

I screw my face up. “He’s not my boyfriend.” I snarl.

My father smirks sitting back in his chair and the leather squeaks against his frame. “No?” He murmurs. “You looked pretty cosy dancing with him the other night.”

I huff rolling my eyes. Here we go again.

“…And the way he watched you. He didn’t take his eyes off you for a moment.”

“I don’t give a shit.” I snap. “I haven’t done anything. I’m not…”

He smiles with that glint in his eye telling me he’s about to say something I’m not going to like. About to make me do something I’m not going to like. “We can make this work to our advantage Rose.” He states. “For once your little indiscretion might actually prove to be useful.”

I gulp at that tone. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying…” He leans forward over his desk, looking from me to my mother and back again. “You seduce him, get something on him, a location, something we can use so we can enact our revenge.”

“What?” I gasp.

He smirks more. “Come now, I saw the way you two are. Clearly you both still want each other. We can use that Rose. For once you being a whore is useful.”

I shake my head, clenching my fists. “I’m not a whore.”

“No?” He says folding his arms and giving me that same look of contempt he always has. “Your past behaviour says otherwise.”

I get to my feet, my body physically shaking. “I’m not a whore and I won’t be treated as one.” I snap before turning on my heel and storming out.

I want to find Bella. I want to get the fuck out of this house. But more than that I can feel the weight of the gun still pressing into my leg. So much of me wants to turn around and use it that it actually scares me.

My mother follows me. She’s quick on my heels only I don’t look back. I don’t stop.

I storm through the house down to the servants quarters and to where Bella undoubtedly is and when I see her I snatch her back out of the maids hands before making for the door.

“Rose...”

“No.” I snarl back. Not looking at her. Not giving my mother a chance to try to justify this.

“Just wait, listen.”

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