Page 57 of I Was Always Yours (RCA: Royal Crown Academy)

Sixtine’s dad extends his hand in a gesture towards my father, motioning for him to speak.

“Callum and I have been in business together for years,” My father jumps in, his voice rote and emotionless when he speaks, “We’ve both benefited greatly from this partnership. The syndicate has made tons of money operating through his legal business, and in return our network has provided him a powerful foothold in Europe, and specifically England.”

“That’s great,” Six says truthfully, although I hear the confusion clear as day in her voice.

I can’t fault her for it, I still haven’t worked out the angle here.

He continues. “There’s a bright future for both of our businesses, so long as we stand united and remain loyal to one another. So long as we don’t betray each other as we so often see in our world.”

“To do that, we need to solidify our alliance through family ties,” Callum says, looking only at his daughter. His words sink in and realization dawns as he continues. “The way it’s always been done,” he adds, “Through marriage. Yours specifically.”

“No.”

I blurt out the answer in the fresh silence, not even giving the news a beat to land with Six. She turns her head towards me in startled response.

“No.” I repeat simply, categorically.

“Hold on, what do you mean,Papa?” Six asks, incredulity coloring her tone as she points at me. “Are you saying you want me to marryhim?”

The disbelief and sheer horror in her voice at the idea of marrying me only serve to fuel the anger as it sweeps through me and blackens all of my senses.

“I’m not fucking marrying her.” I snarl at my father, ignoring her family entirely.

I feel, more than see, her flinch at the force of my words.

“You will,” My father answers, adding, “We’ll keep it a secret for now and announce it with a press release in the new year. Then we can plan a wedding for after you graduate.”

I march to the edge of the couch and slam my hands down on the armrest. “You’re not fucking listening,” I enunciate between clenched teeth, “There’s nothing to announce, I won’t marry her.”

He turns his head slightly, barely deigning to even look at me. “You will if you don’t want to be disowned.” He states, his voice coming off almost bored, “Either you marry her, or you’re cut off.” He shrugs, like it doesn’t matter to him either way and clearly it doesn’t. “I’ve lost one son, what’s losing another? Question is, how willyousurvive without the money, power, and privileges?”

I straighten, forcing my face to remain impassive so he doesn’t get the satisfaction of seeing me rattled. I’m counting on that money for after I graduate so I can start over far away from these miserable people I’m forced to call my family.

“There has to be someone else.” I grunt, ignoring the hurt look Six throws my way. “Anybody else.”

Callum stands to his feet, unfolding his body to his full height as he glowers at me. “You should consider yourself the luckiest man in the world to be marrying Sixtine. Many men would kill to be in your position.”

“Then have one of them marry her instead,” I suggest, although my words are in direct contrast with the way my stomach roils in disgust at the thought.

I won’t let this happen. I’ve spent years trying to get away from her, trying to forget her, there’s no way in fuck that I’m going to marry her just because the brother she actually wanted is no longer available.

There’s no doubt in my mind that if Astor was still here, this alliance would be between the two of them.

I’m just a stand in for him like I have been all my life. Of all the things his death changed, it never changed that.

“Mum, Dad,” I hear an unsure voice say from behind me. When I turn, I see Six anxiously chewing her lip. “Can we go home and talk about this?”

“We’ll talk about this here.” I say, wrapping my hand around her forearm to keep her in place. “Tell him you don’t want this either.” I order, my eyes pinging back and forth between hers.

She doesn’t react, simply gazing back at me with an unimpressed look on her face.

A hand closes around my wrist and squeezes until I feel all the bones in my arm bending beneath the strong grip and threatening to snap in half.

Callum tosses my arm to the side like it’s an inconvenient piece of lint and steps between us, hiding Six behind his large body.

My jaw clenches in irritation.

Violence crawls like a maddening itch under my skin at no longer having eyes on her. I don’t fucking like that he’s hidden her from me.

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