Page 103 of Mine to Ruin

“No, no.” I cross my arms, my eyes locked on him. “I am furious at you for keeping it from me.”

He nods and raises my hand to his mouth, kissing my palm. His gesture infuses calmness, and my curiosity overshadows my anger.

“How long have you known?”

“I found out after the gallery opening. The way my grandfather reacted to seeing her told me everything, and it made sense as to why he acted so strange when you two first met.”

He’s not forgiven, but my anger dissipates. If I have learned anything, there are no limits when it comes to him protecting me.

A beat of silence follows, and he tugs at his collar, the tension rippling through his body. He’s as affected as I am, because our souls are fused together. He’s my soulmate.

“Why is your mother so, I don’t know how to put it, obsessed with Brandon?”

“Because he doesn’t look like my father.” A strange answer that seems to fit his strange family.

“But the way they treat you...”

He lets out a dejected laugh and says, “You realized that from two encounters with them, and my brother still doesn’t get it.”

“But why?”

His voice drops to a forlorn tone. “He thinks I am the one who causes the tension. I am the devil in this family.”

“No, you’re not.” We reach the airport and I say, “This is our second flight in a day. I am getting dizzy.”

We step inside Kian’s private jet, and the flight attendant locks the door. Kian’s mood shifts as if a weight has lifted from his shoulders, and I have my less brooding boyfriend back.

But brooding always equates with a hard fuck.

My skin prickles in anticipation as he pushes me through the bedroom door, and I land on the bed.

For the entire flight, he uses my body as his personal stress reliever. I am one lucky woman.

Chapter 33

Kian

Her chest rises and falls with sleep, her face serene, her curls spilled on the pillows, her lips drawn into a cute pout. I slide off the bed and go downstairs. I pour myself a drink, my knuckles tightening around the glass.

I’m only now beginning to understand my fucked-up situation. From Melanie waving around a ring as a present from me, even though it was just my money, to my so-called parents that would do anything to see me miserable.

When I overthrow Richard from his own board of directors, I will understand his hatred, but when I was a child, I could not. What the fuck did I do for my mother to despise me so much, beyond resembling the man she married?

I shove the memories of those years back, and I gulp the drink down and drop into my chair when my cell rings. It’s my grandfather. Somehow, it’s like he knows what I am going through.

“Old man.”

“How did she react?”

“She’s too tired, but she will ask questions. How is Brandon?”

“He went to talk with his parents. I should have taken you away a long time ago. I didn’t know how bad it was, I’m sorry.” His voice breaks at the end, and I pinch the bridge of my nose.

Regrets won’t bring me my sanity back.

My jaw grinds. “I will take every fucking thing from him.”

“I left you in charge, Kian. Now it’s up to you.”

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