Page 11 of A Linton Scandal

“Should I order the men to get ready to leave?” Callin asked, placing a hand on the table. “Or are you going to change your plan?”

I tapped the surface, thinking over my options. I glanced at the clock on the wall, it was like everything else in this apartment. The intricacies were in the details. I stood up pushing the chair back and made my way toward the bedroom door and without knocking entered, and barely managed to dodge a pillow thrown my way.

“I told you to leave,” she nearly growled from where she sat on her bed. “Or do you think I was joking about calling the police?”

“I’ve decided to change my offer,” I said.

Usually, I would leave the job of explaining to Nao, but this was something I had to do myself. And the idea of Nao in the room alone with her didn’t sit right with me. “Since you want to be a part of the child’s life, and I can’t allow my child to live outside of my reach. Let’s get married.”

“I won’t sell my—What did you say?” She blankly stared at me, and then shook her head as she started chuckling. “This isn’t the time to be joking.”

“I’m serious. I, as a Linton, can’t allow for any weaknesses. You are a weakness for me.” I lifted my hand to cut off whatever she might say. “This isn’t debatable; from your reaction I can tell you don’t understand the importance of the Linton name. The reason we even met was due to someone scheming against me that night.”

“What? I didn’t even meet you until after I’d been drinking for a while. And how would they know that you’d bump into me in the hallway on a random floor?”

I pulled out my phone and showed her a picture. It was a decanter that was beautifully carved with a sigil on the front. “This bottle is something very few can even afford to drink. It’s something that is only available to the families in my circle, who can call themselves the elite of this world. It was laced with Rohypnol, a strain they’d been working for a while. It was supposed to disappear from the system, so even if you told someone you’d been drugged it’s not likely to show in your blood work later. “

She stared at the picture, her expression turning pale. “I did drink this, but I only got a shot in.”

“Exactly, both you and I were drugged, and it’s only coincidence we met. The real plan was for me to be taken into the room of a well-known actress and at some point, in the morning they’d get my picture and for a Linton, that would be an insult. That scandal would affect everything.

“Even in my messed-up state of mind I knew something was wrong and attempted to get away, which is how we met. Juliette, my family prides itself not only on our dominance in the business scene, but also our ability to keep our heads up in the world of those who’ll do anything for money.”

She looked away from me.

I continued. “This is the world I live in, where people will scheme to this extent to ruin me. I’m sure the minute they learned their plan didn’t work, they started looking for the reason why and Juliette, you are that reason. Do you really think they will leave you alone?”

She lifted her gaze to mine and I could see anger, frustration, and bitterness in her eyes. “So, you’re saying that whether or not I agree to your demands, could decide whether or not my life remains peaceful?”

“Your decision could affect whether you’ll be alive in the next five days.”

Juliette

The shock of his words ran through my body. I curled my fingers into my comforter. I could see that he was completely serious, a stupid one-night stand with the man in front of me had put me in a life-or-death situation.

“What the hell?”

I was no one, a nobody who made chocolate, built chocolate sculptures, and enjoyed my life with my friends. All I did differently that night was look for reassurance from the emotional turmoil of liking someone who’d deceived me.

I’d wanted to mend my broken heart, and now I’m staring into the harsh gaze of Mihai Linton, and my only choice to keep my life and my child, was to marry him.

At twenty-seven, my life had reached its climax.

I wanted to believe he was lying, I wanted to pretend that everything he said lacked honesty. But I couldn’t convince myself of that. He didn’t even pretend to act like he feared the police coming, in fact I could hear them talking before he came in.

They hadn’t acted a little bit frazzled when I threatened them.

This entire situation was beyond me, I craved a cup of hot chocolate and a hug. I wanted to crawl under the covers of the bed and act like the whole world outside didn’t exist.

“What’s your decision?”

I grimaced, marriage? To a man I’d just met today, we couldn’t claim we’d met before because it had been a completely physical meeting.

“Can you give me time to think it over?” I decided to go crazy now and think about it more later.

He frowned. “How long do you need?”

I wanted to say forever but I knew that wouldn’t be possible, I swallowed my reluctance and said. “Give me a week.”

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