Page 10 of A Linton Scandal

“Do your people make it a habit to break into people’s apartments,” I wondered aloud. As I took off my coat and hung it up, before entering my kitchen to take a seat at my dinner table.

“Is it breaking in when your family owns the building?”

I glared at him and decided there wasn’t any point arguing with him.

It was only the three of them, but my apartment went from feeling good sized to a single room, their presence sucked up all the space.

A cup was set in front of me, I looked up meeting soft brown eyes behind silver wire framed glasses. “I am Mr. Linton’s assistant, Nao Henrick,” he said in introduction.

Nervous I lowered my gaze and caught sight of something pinned to his lapel. “Ah, that’s?—”

“All men who are related to the Linton family as well as their close associates wear it. I have been given the honor of wearing it, like Callin over there. We’re both cousins of Mr. Linton,” Nao said.

Linton, the man’s name was Linton. Finally, I could stop calling him ‘that man’ in my head. “And what is it you and Mr. Linton want from me?” I asked Nao as Linton took a seat across from me. He made my table feel small.

“Nao, give her the papers,” he ordered, interrupting our talk.

“Yes, sir.” Nao picked up a tablet off the counter and set it before me as he explained their reason for being here.

“Mr. Linton understands that both of you are not to be blamed for the incident that occurred two months ago but due to certain issues it isn’t possible for Mr. Linton to allow you to give birth to his child without providing his name or support.”

“Allow, I don’t think I require your permission on whether or not, I have this child.” I barely suppressed my discomfort at his word choice.

Nao expression shifted, “I apologize if you felt my words were insinuating you had no control. What I meant was any child born from your union would be entitled to the Linton name and financial support from the family.”

I gently pulled the tablet toward myself and read it. It was a contract that stipulated that the responsibility of the child from their daily needs to their education would fall solely on Mihai Linton, and that I would sign over my custodial rights for the child once it was born for a great amount of money.

Nao continued, “As you can see, we’re prepared to compensate you for the nine-months of stress as well as the birth. As far as we are concerned this is the best way to handle a situation neither of the two parties planned on. It would be irresponsible for our party to expect you to take full responsibility.”

He set an expensive looking digital pen near my elbow, “Here, the sooner you sign the earlier we will be out of your hair.”

I didn’t even glance at the pen, instead I kept my eyes on Mihai. “You want to buy my child from me?”

Mihai smirked. “Buy the child? No, I’m paying you to become a non-issue when I take the child home, where it belongs.”

I placed my hand on top of the tablet and shoved it, it slid over to him. “However, you say it, I’m not signing that. This ismychild, and I don’t care what you do or don’t do. As far as I’m concerned, the child doesn’t need a father who thinks of it as something to be bought and sold. And if you think I’m the type to abandon her child, you’re talking to the wrong one.”

I stood up and walked over to my desk, opening the top drawer. I took out the charm and stomped back over to his side and slapped it down on the table. “Here, you can take this back when you leave.”

I turned and marched toward my room, only stopping at my bedroom door for a second. “You have ten seconds to leave my apartment, or I’m calling the police.” With that I entered my room and slammed my door

They were lucky I didn’t have anything hot on the stove, I would have thrown it on their faces. Scared? Yeah, I was scared stiff, but I’ll be damned if someone tells me to sell my child to them.

Especially that arrogant ass, Mihai.

I cursed him again when I remembered he still had my cell phone.

Mihai

I stared at the firmly closed door in silent contemplation. If someone had told me Juliette had the courage to tell me and my men to go fuck ourselves. I would have said you’re selling me shit.

In fact, I couldn’t stop my lips from curling up in amusement. It looked like the little thing had courage after all and I had insulted her by demanding she sell me my child.

“Well, it looks like we’ve hit a bump in the road,” Callin said as he walked up behind me. “Doesn’t look like she cares about the Linton money.”

“Or she could be throwing a tantrum because she wants more,” Nao suggested picking up the teacups and placing them in the sink. “She definitely isn’t aware of what it means when a Linton comes to visit.”

“Why would she? She’s not exactly running in the same crowd.” I stared down at the contract. “I think she was afraid in the beginning. She wasn’t sure why we were here but now that she knows what we want, she probably let her temper get the better of her.”

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