Page 30 of Prized Possession

His stance is protective, giving him a good view of the room. I also notice that while he’s lowered his gun, he’s not put it away. It remains firmly in his grasp, and I don’t correct him—neither does my father.

Scott’s glare is fixed on where Chloe’s hand is linked with mine, his eyes wide and angry. My lip tilts up into a smirk, loving that just me holding her hand is winding him up.

“I will give you five seconds to remove your hand from my fiancée, or I will do it for you, and I can’t be held responsible if that happens,” Scott growls, and I can’t help the laugh that escapes at his pathetic excuse for a threat.

Chloe’s eyes widen in panic, and she tries to pull her hand from mine, but I tighten my grip, making it clear I have no intention of letting her go.

“She may be your fiancée, but she’s mine for the next sixty days, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” I reply, much more smugly than necessary. What can I say? I’m enjoying winding this cocksucker up.

Jake groans beside us, shaking his head as Scott practically vibrates with rage. I look over at my father, expecting him to be giving me a death glare too, but I’m shocked to see him trying to hold back a smile. There’s even a hint of pride in his eyes.

“Wanna bet? I’ll fucking kill you,” Scott screams, taking a menacing step forward. He doesn’t get far as one of Caleb’s security guards grabs his shoulders, holding him in place.

I’m about to cut in with a scathing reply when my father leans forward, his icy cold voice cutting through the room. “I think now would be a good time to remind you who the fuck you’re talking to. In case your feeble brain has forgotten, I’m Maximus Morelli, and this is my son and heir, Marcus. We run half of Blackthorn, and even if you’re aligned with the Santoros, you know that we still demand the same respect. You’ll do well to remember that. I don’t take kindly to anyone threatening my son.”

The casual way my father leans back in his chair, like he didn’t just throw out a thinly-veiled threat, makes me smile. Scott has the good sense to look more than a little terrified as he shrugs out of the guards hold.

Facing my father, he addresses him directly, and I can tell how much it pains him to show any politeness. “I apologise for my rudeness, the heat of the moment got the better of me. I meant no disrespect, but at the same time, I have to stand up for my own honour, and that of my family.”

“You feel your honour has been besmirched?” my father asks, and I hear Jacob chuckle beside me at the absurdity of the situation. My father sounds like a posh Lord, greeting his peasant followers. He also looks to be enjoying this much more than I expected.

“Chloe is my betrothed. The marriage contract has been agreed to andsigned, so as far as I’m concerned, that is a binding agreement, which she is now trying to refute because of your son,” Scott replies quickly, disgust dripping from every word as he glowers at Chloe.

I want to poke his fucking eyes out for looking at her at all, let alone with such disgust. What makes it worse is the way she shrinks in on herself under the weight of his gaze. I need to teach her to never cower to anyone. To hold her head up high, like the beautiful, powerful woman she is.

“I’m aware of the contract you have with the Santoros, but that’s nothing to do with me or my son. As far as we’re concerned, Marcus won the bet, fair and square, and now he’s claiming his prize. Any issues you have should be directed to Caleb,” my father adds, pointing at his rival and friend, who looks less than pleased by this.

Caleb lets out a sigh, looking tired. “We still intend on honouring the marriage contract, as I explained to you, we just need to delay it by a couple of weeks. Nothing else has changed.”

Scott cheeks redden as he shouts, “Everything has changed. You expect me to marry someone that I know is whoring around? I will not marry a fucking slut.”

“Enough!” I snap, fixing him with my deadliest gaze. “Do not talk about her like that.”

Caleb points his finger at Scott threateningly. “Do not talk about my daughter like that, or you will face consequences. There is no sexual element to the deal with Marcus, and even if there was, the marriage contract very clearly states that Chloe is not pure—that’s something you agreed to.”

Chloe shrinks down beside me as her family talks about her sex life like she’s not in the room. My blood boils, and the urge to fight for her ripples through my veins like fire.

“I didn’t agree to this,” Scott snaps, pointing to me and Chloe. “He’s touching what’s mine, and I have a right to stand up for myself.”

Caleb looks like he’s about to say something, but my father cuts him off. “This is getting boring. The bet will be honoured. Chloe will live with Marcus for the next sixty days, and then she’ll be free to marry you, if she wishes. There is no room for discussion with this.

“We have upheld the peace treaty for a long time, but if you threaten my son again, I will not hesitate to break it. I will wipe out you, and the entire Caprillo family, consequences be damned.

“Now that I’ve made the Morelli position clear, why don’t we hash out the details of this arrangement, so we can all get on with our day.” Whilst my father does his best to sound nothing but calm and professional, I can hear the anger in his words, and Scott will do well to take the threat seriously.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard my father threaten to break the peace treaty, and while I don’t think he’d ever do it, the threat seems to be enough to get everyone in the room to calm down and think a little more logically.

Caleb clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable. “I think that’s a great idea. I’d like to start by requesting that Chloe comes home every Sunday for lunch, so we can catch up with her and make sure everything is okay.”

Father nods his head slowly. “I think that’s fair?—”

Before he can finish, I cut in. “I’ll agree to it, but only if I can attend too. While Chloe is in my care, it’s my responsibility to ensure her safety.”

“She’ll be fine at home with us,” Jake snaps, glaring at me.

Caleb cuts in with a nod. “We can agree to that. I’m glad to hear you plan on ensuring she’s safe with you.”

“Of course, he will,” my father states firmly, a little disgruntled by the suggestion. “Anything else?”

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