We killed off every surviving member of her family after their attempted coup.

Every last one of them, except for my Little Sparrow.

Chapter 6

Scarlet

The door attachedto the cafe rings as Liam steps into the small building. His features twist in distaste at the overcrowded decor. No society member would dare to be caught in a place like this, which is exactly why I picked it.

Plus, it’s cute. It reminds me of a similar cafe I would study at for hours near my school.

Liam stands at my table, looking down at me like the ass he is. Of course he wouldn’t act like a normal person and just take a seat right away.

“Sit down,” I say, tone crisp.

“You’re my fiancée now. There’s no ordering me around.”

I huff out a laugh. “Yeah, about that. I’m not marrying you.”

He jerks back like it’s somehow a surprise that I’d turn him down now. An idiot could’ve seen this coming.

“I thought you were smarter than this, Scarlet.” He moves to sit across from me, keeping his voice low.

I glance to where Oliver stands far enough away he can’t hear what’s being said, but his entire body is tense, no doubt just waiting for the opportunity to take this guy out.

“You made a mistake cornering me. It’s going to be all the more embarrassing when I dump you.” A smirk curls my lips. “I can’t wait to hear the rumors about why I’d leave.”

A muscle ticks in his jaw, and he leans forward, elbows on the table and phone in his hand.

“I was really hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but youwillmarry me, Scarlet. I’ve been waiting to join the Order for entirely too long.”

“Well, you should’ve come up with a better plan because there’s no world where I marry you?—”

He slides his phone toward me, a video already playing. It’s fuzzy, but the audio is crisp.

“Honey, you’re hurt. Just put the gun down, Scarlet. We can sort everything out. You don’t have to marry anyone you don’t want to, I promise,” my father says, voice placating me, but even with death pointed at him, he still can’t hide his condescension. Even then, I knew I’d never be anything more than a tool to grow the family’s influence for him. I cock the gun.

“Oh, this? Don’t worry. The blood’s not mine. Your son made quite the mess when he died.”

The grainy image of my father’s last steps has anger searing in my gut as I watch past me fire off round after round. I remember feeling like he was some kind of monster, and I was worried a single bullet wouldn’t kill him. In the end, he was just a man.

That night feels like it happened in another world. I’d grown up with that misogynistic bastard as my father, controlling everything I did, but I’m no longer that little girl. I’ve left her in the past, where she belongs.

Oliver moves toward us, but I hold my hand up in a symbol that I’m fine. The last thing I need is for him to make this more complicated than it needs to be.

I glare at Liam. “How did you get that?”

“You’re not the only one with connections.”

I rack through my head, but I can’t think of a single person who would have access to the security cameras that night.

I huff out a breath, fingers drumming on the table. “What do you want?”

“It’s simple. Marry me and this little video stays between us.”

That’s the type of power a man like this will hold over me for the rest of my life.

“Let it leak.”