Page 107 of Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas

“I know you are hurting, Sweetheart. I know you are scared, but I need you to be brave for me, okay?”

I nod my head slowly as I look at Travis.

“I love you, Daddy,” I whisper as I see a smile spread across his face.

“I love you too, Sweetheart.”

“Did you just call him Daddy? What the fuck?” My father yells as I spin around to face him. Whoever has hold of me lets go, and I charge forward before pulling my hand back and slapping him hard around the face.

“Fuck you,” I scream at him. As I hear Travis roar, laughing.

“OH looks like you pissed off the wrong lady,” Mr Nicholson laughs as he comes behind me. He pulls me backwards as my father charges forward, but the guy behind him keeps hold of the cuffs so he can’t reach me.

“Now, now, Stevenson, I am going to say you deserved that one. You are technically selling her after all,” Mr Nicholson chuckles as my body stiffens.

“How much?”

We all turn to Travis, who is still lying on the floor with a gun to his head.

“Pardon?” Mr Nicholson asks.

“How much to get her out of the agreement? How much does he owe?” Travis asks. Nicholason watches him for a moment before shrugging.

“A lot, more than you would ever be able to raise if that’s what you are thinking.”

“How much does he owe?” Travis asks again, slower this time.

“With interest? Let’s round it up to a nice sixteen mill.”

I swear someone moves the ground from underneath me. How does he owe so much money?

“I’ll give you twenty, but I want Verity to be free. There will be no wedding, no chasing after her after a couple of months or years. She no longer exists to you.”

Mr Nicholson stares at Travis for a moment.

“When? I’ve waited long enough already,” he demands.

“Give me a laptop and half an hour; I will put it in your bank of choice. But you must first agree that the arranged marriage is off, and Verity and I go free, never to be bothered by you again.”

I look from Travis to Mr Nicholson, who is staring at him. Does he really have twenty million sitting around in a bank somewhere?

“When I see the money is in my account, you can both leave, but I will hunt you down if the money is taken back.”

“It won’t be because it’s his money,” Travis nods to my father, who stares at him, his eyes wide with shock.

“You fucking arsehole, that’s my savings!” he yells as he tries to get to Travis, but it’s Mr Nicholson who steps between them.

“You were willing to hide away that money and let your daughter be married against her will. Fuck even I’m not that evil. That’s your own flesh and blood, man!”

“Tell them the truth, arsehole; she deserves to know why you keeping twenty million was more important than your daughter!” Travis yells.

“That slut is not my daughter!”

The room falls silent as I grab hold of the desk behind me to keep myself upright.

My father turns his attention to me as he turns his nose up in disgust.

“Your mother was pregnant when we met. I loved her and said I would bring you up as my own, but fuck, I hate kids. You moaned and threw tantrums over the littlest thing. I wanted to be as far away from you as possible. The only reason I kept you around was your mother's money. When she died, her Will said you were to inherit everything on your wedding day. So, I had to ensure you had nothing left to get. The money is gone, and now I’m going to have nothing, and it's all your fucking fault.”

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