Madeline
I was able to make some real progress locked in Meyer’s office. Caroline had been calling donors ever since the news hit but was unable to get ahold of them. With my phone and their personal numbers, I called to assure them I was still involved in the organization and managed to secure some emergency donations. It would help a lot of the people who had been hurt, but ultimately, the damage had already been done. All we could do was focus on keeping more people from dying.
I heard shuffling outside the door and almost opened it before I remembered what Meyer had told me. Pausing with my hand above the doorknob, I listened to the angry voices outside. I heard Meyer, Shawn … and Conrad.
“Fuck,” I muttered, running back over to the desk and slamming shut my laptop. I threw it underneath the desk and put my phone in a drawer, then ruffled my hair to look disheveled. By the time the door opened, I had worked myself into tears, but I didn’t need to act to huddle deeper into the corner when Conrad reached for me.
This was it. The showdown. Meyer had to stand up for me now.
He sidled next to me as I rose to my feet, and I resisted the urge to wrap my hand around his bicep. I clenched my jaw and tried to tamp down the roiling in my stomach.
“What did you have to do with this?” Conrad roared at me. Spittle landed on my face.
Play dumb. “What are you talking about? Meyer doesn’t tell me anything. I don’t know why he dragged me here today.”
His face was an inch from mine. “I don’t believe you.”
Before I could think better of it, I reared back and drilled my forehead into Conrad’s face. He jerked away at the last second, but I still landed a pretty good blow. I didn’t get to savor the victory as he landed a heavy slap across my face a moment later. I fell down, my head ringing.
“Conrad, what the fuck?” Shawn yelled.
Meyer was on his knees next to me, desperately tugging me to my feet. He let him hit me. After everything, he still didn’t defend me.
“Be quiet,” he begged me, so low I could barely hear him. Digging his fingers into my arm, he raised his voice. “Apologize to him for—”
“I will never apologize to him or you.” My voice was fire and rage, and he jumped back from the hatred burning in my eyes. His grip loosened, and I shook free. Conrad frowned.
I turned back to Meyer. Was he not going to even try to stand up for me? What the hell was wrong with this family? “Do you honestly think that there is anything my mother could have done that would warrant this treatment of her daughter?”
He opened his mouth to reply, but I had already turned around, stalking toward Conrad. Meyer reached out and snatched my arm again, but I strained against him. I could feel my skin bruising beneath his touch, but I didn’t care. I was fury personified. I didn’t have to take this, regardless of whether Meyer would back me up. I stared down Conrad as his son attempted to control me. “You may have him fooled, but you will never win over my mind. I know what kind of monster you are. You deserve to die a thousand deaths and rot in a shallow grave. I can’t wait until you’re dead so that I can go about dismantling everything you’ve built.”
Conrad’s face was turning a dark shade of crimson, his fingers twitching with the urge to hit me again. Meyer yanked me back, out of his reach, but he couldn’t shut me up.
“I will drag your name through the mud until there is no hope of it ever being clean. And even when the entire world knows what you’ve done—”
“Madeline!” Meyer yelled at the top of his lungs, but I didn’t hear.
“—I will never cease to remind your descendants of the true filth that you are. They won’t go a day without being reminded of your transgressions, even if I have to remind them myself.”
His fist flew, but Meyer pulled me back at the last second, throwing out his own arm to take the blow. Conrad’s fist hit his bone with a sickening thud. My stomach turned. Despite how angry I was at Meyer, I jumped forward to pull him back, switching our roles in an instant, but he threw me away. I collided with Shawn, who was watching the scene agape.
Conrad didn’t stop. He kept swinging, even when Meyer moved his body fully in front of me. I was vaguely aware of Shawn yelling something and pushing me behind him. He tried to hold back Conrad, but that only earned him an elbow to the face. I threw myself on Conrad’s back, grabbing for his throat, but he dragged me over his shoulder and slammed me to the ground. I grunted as my breath flew from my lungs. I braced for another hit, but Meyer was on top of me again, one of his arms against my stomach and the other in front of his face. Conrad slammed his fist into Meyer’s bicep twice, then his shoulder, twisting his body around before Meyer finally fell to my side. Conrad was panting like a dog. Meyer kept his eyes on the ground, but I could tell he was listening intently, judging the room.
“Meyer,” I whispered, but he never acknowledged he heard.
At some point, he must have decided it was safe to look up, eyes rising only as high as his father’s chest.
Conrad pointed at me. “Since when are you protecting that little bitch from what she has coming to her?”
His words snapped the silence in the room. “What the fuck is going on here?” Shawn demanded, but Conrad wheeled on him and backed him up against the wall.
“Get. Out.”
Shawn looked from Conrad to me, obviously torn, but I shook my head minutely. He shut his mouth and ran out, looking over his shoulder only once more.
I couldn’t manifest my anger. All of it was gone as I scrambled to my feet and pulled at Meyer, who moved as if through water. I stared at him, willing him to look at me, but he kept his eyes on the man who had just assaulted him. His arm hung awkwardly at his side.
“You said she was mine.” He sounded so in control, but I could read the pain in his face. “Let me take care of this.” He grabbed my wrist, twisting my arm behind my back. My gasp wasn’t for show—he was putting too much pressure on my shoulder.