Page 43 of The Orc Chief's Baker
“Yes, and you tookadvantageof him. He was struggling, desperate, unable to give up the drink, and you took full advantage of that.”
“He was well enough to understand what he was doing,” Ronhold said. “I have three witnesses to contest if you try to say I forced his hand.”
“Youdidforce his hand. You found his weakness and exploited him!”
Ronhold shrugged his thick shoulders, as if taking advantage of a drunken man was nothing of his concern. “That’s business.”
Trinia felt like she would be sick.
“I highly suggest you marry Tobbis.” Ronhold gestured to his son, who was standing behind him, looking pale and uncomfortable with his jaw clenched tight. His eyes shifted from Trinia to Yerina and the longing in his gaze when he looked at her sister was clear.
“If you don’t marry him, you’ll have no stake in the bakery whatsoever.”
A sinking feeling pulled Trinia down, sucking her in until she felt like she was being swallowed up whole.
There was no way out of this.
She couldn’t escape.
She was going to loseeverything.
But she couldn’t give in.She just couldn’t!
She went to the front door and yanked hard.
It did not budge.
It was locked.
Her hand shot up to the bolt and found it had been replaced with one that required a key.
“Yerina! Let me out right now.”
“I can’t do that, Trinia. It’s high time you marry.”
“Excuse me?”
Yerina took her wrist. “Trinia, be reasonable?—”
Trinia yanked her hand out of Yerina’s grip so violently that her sister tripped. Then, without thought, Trinia marched over to one of the mended windows and threw it open with ease. It slid like a hot knife through butter. Didn’t even creak.
“Trinia, what are you doing?”
Yerina’s cry did nothing to stop her. Nothing could at this point.
“Stop this madness.” Ronhold barreled toward her.
But he wasn’t fast enough. In a blink, she swung up onto the sill and jumped out into the night.
“Trinia!” Her sister screeched on the wind. Trinia landed with a hard thud and broke into a run.
There was a lower bellow, likely from Ronhold, but she couldn’t make it out with the sound of the wind roaring in her ears.
She had to get out of here.
She had to get away.
She rounded a bend in the path and came into the clearing before the village gates. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, but it still took her a moment to realize the gates were shut.
