Page 48 of Only You
‘Our business?’
‘Of course. As we speak, Cadieux is fetching an important guest. Or rather a familiar confidant, wouldn’t you say?’
‘Father—’ Sabine jumped as a door opened suddenly.
‘Ah, here he is.’ Sabine shrunk back from the sharpness in his cruel smile.
‘Father, please…’ she said under her breath, but he ignored her, clasping his hands together loudly as Damien stepped inside the room. She flinched at the sharp sound but didn’t dare look away from the scene unfolding before her. Though Damien was soaked by the rain like her, he walked with confidence, standing tall in front of her father despite the tension in the room. Even Cadieux, who lingered in the corner, looked wary.
‘Mr Kouassi.’ Damien bowed his head slightly. ‘Welcome back to Paris. You look well.’
‘Seems you were caught in the same storm as my daughter,’ her father replied.
Sabine bit the inside of her cheek, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. Her mind raced for ways to distract her father but quickly descended into panic.
Don’t react, she recited.Don’t show anything. Don’t react to anything.Her father looked between the two of them before chuckling, the sound sending a chill down her spine.
‘It appears we have an issue,’ he began. ‘A little bird told me that there has been some interference in your pending marriage, Sabine. Personally, I found this hard to believe until I took a stroll around town. Some vendors in the market just can’t stop gossiping about a young lady and the soldier sneaking all around town.’ He made sure to hold her gaze. ‘I think we need to remedy the problem.’
‘There is no problem,’ Damien said. ‘Only a rumour.’
‘Oh, you underestimate the power of words, soldier,’ her father shot back, turning his attention to Damien. ‘You see, a whisper is like an ember. One misplaced word overheard by the wrong ear can cause a fire. With every exchange of the story, the details become more sensational until all that remains is an inferno no one can control. But what would a man of so little consequence understand of that?’
‘Father, that is uncalled for,’ Sabine interjected, but he simply held a hand up to silence her.
‘Did you ever think about what will happen to her in all this?’ Kwame continued. ‘You string her along for sport, for entertainment and folly, ruining her every step of the way. The humiliation alone will force her out the country.’
‘Father—’
‘Do you thinkyouwill come out of this unscathed? That you could keep your rank when you would cause such a scandal among one of parliament’s favourite families?’ Kwame sneered at the man. ‘Being demoted may hurt your pride, but the fall from grace my daughter will incur will be one that destroys her.’
Damien’s eyes burned bright with defiance but Sabine noticed the wariness in them too, the words unfortunately having a ring of truth. She did her best to seem confident as she stepped in front of her father. She knew he loved her, would never hurt her directly, but she also wasn’t a fool. She was well aware of his ability to punish her, even now.
‘Father,’ she called, bringing the room’s attention to her. ‘Don’t blame Damien for this. I made a promise, and I can keep it. You were right to raise awareness of the mistake. You can trust me to fix it.’ She ignored Damien’s look of disbelief, instead focusing on how her father seemed to mull over her words.
‘I believe you,’ he said. Sabine almost let out a breath of relief but she saw his eyes move over her shoulder. ‘But I’d like to guarantee that. Cadieux.’ He motioned for the man to step forward.
‘Yes, sir?’ Cadieux asked, a note of nervousness to his voice.
‘You are in charge of chaperoning my daughter when she leaves for town, correct?’
‘Y–Yes, sir.’
‘And you were unaware of these trips?’
‘I was only informed by Madame Roulet that Sabine wanted to take a walk,’ Cadieux admitted. ‘She seemed to need the privacy.’
Kwame sighed and placed his hand on the guard’s shoulder, voice heavy. ‘You have a good heart, Cadieux. Unfortunately, like I tell my daughter, choices have consequences.’
Sabine noticed the knife only a moment before it was too late. ‘No!’
Her yell was barely audible over Cadieux’s scream as Kwame’s knife was plunged into his side. He fell instantly, gasping in pain as he struggled to put pressure against his wound.
Tears fell down Sabine’s face, blurring her vision as she tried to run to his side, but her father intercepted her, forcing her to look on helplessly.
‘This will end now,’ he growled. Sabine tried to fight him off, but he grabbed her shoulders, his grip digging into her skin. ‘You will not throw away everything we have sacrificed. I willnotallow it.’ He faced Damien again, who was crouched by Cadieux’s side. ‘Roulet considers you a son, soldier. For that, I will spare you tonight. The next time something like this happens, it’s you who will bear the consequences. Take him and get out!’
Damien tensed, baring his teeth, his hands forming fists. Sabine shook her head furiously at him.Please, don’t do this. She couldn’t afford him tempting her father’s rage and Cadieux needed help. Reluctantly, Damien relaxed, helping Cadieux up.
