Page 31 of Prized Possession

Caleb and Jake look at each other, but neither says anything. My blood boils when neither of them even bother asking Chloe if there’s anything she’d like to add into the agreement. But it annoys me more that she just sits there in silence, blending into the furniture.

Unfortunately, my anger isn’t helped when Scott opens his stupid fucking mouth again. “I will need time with Chloe to plan our wedding.”

“Fuck, no,” I snap, shaking my head.

“Wait a—” Scott leans forward to begin what I’m sure is about to be a tirade, when Caleb cuts him off.

“Marcus, please show a little reason. The wedding will take place mere days after your agreement ends, so it only makes sense that they have time together to plan,” Caleb argues.

I shake my head, but my father speaks before I can. “We can agree to one hour per week, but only for the last four weeks. The first four she will be getting settled into a routine with us.

“She’ll be allowed contact with her wedding planner at all times, so I’m sure that will ensure things go off without a hitch. I imagine you don’t want to be all that involved in planning the wedding, anyway,” he adds, fixing Scott with a glare that dares him to challenge him.

Scott is either really bad at reading people or a fucking idiot—I’m not sure which. “I actually plan on being very involved in my wedding. Four hours will not be enough.”

“You’ll have to make it work,” my father snaps, turning his gaze to Caleb, looking for his support.

“I think that’s very kind,” Caleb adds, in an effort to keep things cordial.

I can’t stop my smirk when Scott’s face crumples. “Fine, but I guarantee youI will cancel the wedding contract if I find out she’s been fucking him.” He points at me for good measure, like there was ever any doubt about who he might have been referring to.

This time when Caleb speaks, all the politeness has gone, and his calming tone has been replaced by anger. “You will not cancel the fucking marriage contract, unless you want to start a war with my family. You agreed to the marriage knowing Chloe isn’t pure, and even if she sleeps with a hundred people in the next sixty days, that doesn’t change anything about the contract. You will take her.”

The way he talks about his daughter makes me so fucking angry. I feel like my whole body is vibrating with rage. For the first time since I walked into the room, Chloe’s quiet voice rings out from beside me.

“Please stop talking about me like I’m not even here. Scott, you are talking about me like I’m something you own, just because you have a contract that says I’ll belong to you. But Marcus has one too. If you’re allowed to do whatever you want with me while I’m yours, then surely you can understand Marcus wanting the same rights while I belong to him.”

Her voice is so fucking shy and timid, and not once does she lift her gaze from looking at her hands. If I thought I was angry before, it’s nothing compared to how I feel hearing Chloe talk about herself like she’s an object that we’re passing around.

Given the fact her family hasn’t objected, something tells me this is the way she’s been made to feel her whole life.

It makes me want to set fire to the whole fucking room, laughing with her as we watch it burn. She’s definitely not an object to be owned, and the sooner she learns that, the faster she can take back the power these arseholes have stolen from her.

Scott stutters over his words, clearly not sure what to say. “That’s not… I mean, it’s not… This is different.”

“How?” I ask, fixing him with an arrogant glare.

Scott looks to be contemplating a response when Jake speaks. “Look, Marcus has agreed that this deal isn’t sexual. She’s not there for sex, and he’d never force her into it.”

I mean, that’s true, but I won’t say no when she begs me…and she will.

For the first time since we entered the room, Chloe looks up at me. Her eyes are almost devoid of emotion, but there’s something there, like she’s screaming at me to get her out of here.

“I think we’re going around in circles now. I would never force Chloe into anything. If something happens, it’s because she’s asked for it. But even if we do have sex, it doesn’t change the fact this is a temporary arrangement. She’smarrying you, and you’d do well to remember that,” I growl at Scott, hating the way the words taste like ash on my tongue.

Chloe’s eyes close, and she looks so fucking hurt, it makes my stomach flip. When she opens them again, there’s a slight sheen to them, like my words brought tears to her eyes, and it’s like a punch to the gut.

Does she not realise I’m just saying whatever it takes to get this fuckwit to back down so I can get her out of here?

Scott walks over to Chloe and kneels down in front of her, completely ignoring me and Jake. He places his hand on her knee, and when Chloe flinches, I want to plough my hand into his face.

“I’ll allow you to go with Marcus, but you better remember exactly what he just said. When this is over, it’s me you’ll be spending the rest of your life with. I decide how comfortable your future will be. Remember that,” he states far too calmly, while squeezing her thigh so hard, her skin turns white.

I’m about to punch him when Miles lays his hand on my shoulder, warning me not to do anything rash. He’s right, of course. With this, I can bide my time. I’ll select the best time, and when he least expects it, I’ll strike. There’s no way I’m letting him get away with a threat like that.

Besides, if he’s dead and buried in an unmarked grave, I won’t have to worry about what will happen in sixty days when I refuse to let Chloe leave. I suspect, given how protective I’m feeling towards her, once I have her in my world, I won’t ever let her go.

When I get her home, I have sixty days to show her who she really is. It’s not just about showing her how much of a slut she can be for me—although that part will be fun. I need to build her confidence, give her back the power people have taken from her, until she sees the same person that I do.

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