Page 31 of Ruthless Prince

ELLIE

Iknow I should be happy. The chance to marry the man I care for? What could be better than that?

However, I see the look on Vincent’s face as my father tells him he has to marry me, and I know that’s not what Vincent wants.

“You will marry her,” Father says. “And you will do it right away and without complaint. If you don’t want me to kill you, this is what you’ll do.”

Vincent nods once. “I’ll do it.”

These two men are deciding my future without me.

“Don’t I get a say?” I ask.

Father gives me a withering look. “No. You decided to get into bed with this man. I’m so disappointed in you, Ellie. I can’t even look at you anymore.” He turns away. “If you want me to forgive you, you’ll marry Vincent. Now, come along. We’re leaving.”

Vincent and I lock eyes. I’m pleading with him to help me.

“Ellie is an adult,” Vincent says. “She can go where she wants when she wants.”

Father turns back to us and pulls out a gun. I gasp, tightening the blanket around me. “If you don’t want me to use this, then you’ll shut your mouth.”

“It’s ok,” I gasp out, scrambling out of the bed. “I’ll go. I’ll go.” I quickly change back into my dress and follow my father out of the hotel room, leaving Vincent behind.

“Father, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t even talk to me right now.”

I flinch. Never before have I heard him sound so angry with me. Despite not wanting to, I follow my father like the good girl I am.

VINCENT

I have to marry Ellie.

I care for her—I really do—but I didn’t see myself getting married anytime soon. And I hate that I’m being forced into it.

But I’ll marry Ellie to save her from her father. It’s the only way.

When I return to the Moore household, everything is quiet. Neither Ellie nor Mr. Moore come out to greet me. So, I just go to bed and know that, tomorrow, everything will change.

In the morning, I find Mr. Moore and Ellie seated at the kitchen table. “Hello.”

Mr. Moore puts down the newspaper and gives me a long, hard look. “I’ve decided on a wedding date. It will be this weekend. There’s no need to wait. You don’t need a large ceremony. You two will do this, and that’s final. Understood?”

“This weekend?” I ask.

“Will that be a problem, Vincent?”

“I have the last fight this weekend.”

“So, you’ll get married first then attend the fight. And you better win. If you want to have an enjoyable life, Vincent, then you better win.”

Someone of Mr. Moore’s size doesn’t bother me. I could easily take him in a fight.

But it’s not his stature I’m afraid of. It’s his power. He exudes it, and I’m not sure how far his power extends. I’ve fought most of my life, and I don’t intend to die anytime soon.

Besides, if I die, then who’ll protect Ellie?

She’s practically curling into a ball in her seat.

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