Page 14 of Shattered Echoes

He drew in a deep breath, but was still speechless.

I glanced at my fancy golden wristwatch and exhaled sharply.

“I need to go meet my future husband and his family. You're right, I can't hide in here forever,” I said to him.

He walked over to me, trying to mask his guilt. Henry bent his elbow in with his fist almost resting on his hip in a welcoming gesture.

I slipped my hand into the opening in his arm.

“You'll be fine,” he whispered to me, and we headed out.

As we approached the dining table, I could hear the sounds of their laughs and the clinking of their cutlery against their plates. Dad's voice filled with joy as he cracked some lame jokes, but somehow, the people at the table with him found it funny. They were too engrossed to notice us standing there until Henry conspicuously cleared his throat and their attention immediately turned to us.

“There she is.” My dad smiled wonderfully, beaming with pride as he pointed in my direction.

That was very weird, but I understood it was a publicity stunt.

“Darling,” he greeted me warmly as I stopped by the table. “Please, take a seat.” He gestured at the vacant chair beside him, but directly opposite a gentleman.

The table was set with mouth watering delicacies, the aroma of which had filled the air as fine polished silverware and delicate crystal wine glasses towered over the table.

The man sitting in the chair opposite mine could not seem to stop staring at me, and I knew he was the one prepared for me — rather, more accurately…the one that I was being prepared for.

He wasn't too bad, physically. His hair was blonde, and his dark gray eyes were still glued to my face. Although he was seated, I could tell that he was tall.

A bald man, almost as old as my dad, leaned toward the fine man and covered a part of his mouth with his palm so I wouldn't read his lips to know what he was whispering.

Like I gave a damn.

My dad did the introductions, and I found out the man's name was Ricardo, Ricardo Lorde, and the bald man was his father.

“Nice to meet you, Colette.” Mr. Lorde smiled at me.

“The pleasure is mine, sir.” I gave out a fake grin.

My future husband was quiet with a blank expression as he sized me up like a pervert. His aura was off, and there just was something dark about him that gave me the creeps. I was uncomfortable by his stares — Honestly; the man had practically stripped me naked in his mind and had done God-knows-what to me.

Stealing a glance at Henry, he flashed an encouraging smile at me, but I really couldn't sit there at that table with those men. I wasn't sure if Ricardo was keen on the marriage as well because he had a blank expression on his face, beside the fact that he was clearly attracted to me. It was difficult to get a reading of him — impossible really, and I didn't like people I couldn't read.

Mr. Lorde, who had been talking with my father, now turned to me.

“I'm really looking forward to having you join our family, Colette.”

My heart skipped that instant. The way he said it gave me the jitters. He was smiling at me, and it took everything in me to respond with a very faint grin.

“You know, you're lucky that you have a pretty face,” Dad said to me. “Men don't mind even when you aren't smiling. Isn't that right, gentlemen?” he asked the Lordes, and Ricardo’s dad erupted into an annoying laugh.

My future husband was still silent, still looking at me. However, this time, a bit more subtly. I was getting upset by my father's words, especially as he made me a laughingstock.

“Learn to be a lot more accepting, darling,” he added, chuckling.

I dropped my fork and pushed back my chair. “I've lost my appetite. Now, please excuse me.”

I was pissed off, but I was trying to keep it in and snap out of it. Henry gulped down his wine and set the glass down before rushing after me. I could hear him calling my name and asking me to wait up, but I ignored him and continued down the hallway in a hurry. He increased his pace and soon caught up with me.

“Hey,” he said to me, holding my hand, forcing me to stop in my tracks. “That wasn't so bad, was it?”

My eyes widened in disbelief. Did he not witness that back there? “Are you seriously asking me that right now, Henry?”

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