Page 91 of Misconducts & Temptation

I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. The room seemed to close in around me. Keaton wouldn’t be happy about this, but I knew he would pay it. He had promised to take care of me if I married him, but the thought of depending on him for this made my skin crawl.

But maybe there was a way out of this without having to go to Keaton.

“And if I don’t?” I asked, forcing myself to look William in the eye.

“Oh, my love,” William said, his voice dripping with condescension. “I hope you don’t.”

Marion stepped forward, her expression cold and unfeeling. “He gets you each night you've been married to someone else.”

“What?” My eyes widened in horror. “I’m not the one who signed the contract.”

“But you breached it,” she pointed out flatly. “Not me.”

I moved closer to the table, my eyes narrowing on the stack of papers William had placed before me. He handed them over with a smug grin, clearly enjoying the power he held in this moment. My fingers trembled slightly as I took the contract and began to scan the text.

“How can this be legal?” I asked, my voice barely masking the outrage I felt. “I’m an adult.”

William leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “It’s all perfectly legal, Elodie. Your father listed Marion as your guardian in case he were to die, but because he never stipulated an end date, Marion has a right to make certain decisions for you. You’re more than welcome to read every word. But really, I’m just happy to look upon you.”

A shiver of disgust ran down my spine at his words. I glanced back at the contract, trying to focus on the dense legal language instead of William’s unsettling gaze.

“You got yourself into this mess by marrying Douglas,” Marion said from across the room, her tone icy. “You need to figure out how to get out of it.”

I chewed my bottom lip, feeling trapped and desperate. My mind raced for solutions, but every path seemed blocked by William’s smug expression and Marion’s cold detachment.

“I’ll pay it,” I said finally, my voice small but determined. “Of course, I will.”

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I don’t know why you’d bother,” he said. “Everyone knows your husband’s reputation. He’s not loyal to his own family—why would he be loyal to one woman for the rest of his life?”

His words stung more than I wanted to admit. Keaton had hinted at his own doubts about loyalty and commitment, but hearing it from William felt like a punch to the gut. Still, I couldn’t let them see how deeply their words affected me.

“I’ll handle it,” I repeated, forcing a steady tone.

Marion’s eyes bore into me, as if she were trying to gauge whether or not I truly believed my own words. “See that you do,” she said finally.

I nodded numbly and turned back toward the door, clutching the contract tightly in my hand as if it were some kind of lifeline.

As much as I hated relying on Keaton for this, I knew that facing him was inevitable now.

"I'll take you to your temporary home," William said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"No, thanks," I replied, pulling out my phone. Keaton would pick me up. I knew he would. The screen remained dark; it had died. Great. My stepmother and stepsisters wouldn't help, which meant I was walking.

"Come now," William said as I reached the door. He ran his hand down my back languidly. "Don't be stubborn."

"Please don't touch me," I snapped, stepping out of his grasp.

"I can do what I'd like with you until you pay me for your breach," he said, his tone dripping with arrogance.

"I'm not a possession," I shot back.

He grabbed my wrist and pushed me against the wall, his breath hot and close. "That's where you're wrong," he hissed. "You're mine. You married Douglas to get away from me, but you won't."

The fury boiled inside me, and before I knew it, my knee connected with his crotch. His grip loosened as he doubled over in pain. "Don't touch me," I said, my voice trembling but firm.

I stepped outside into the pouring rain, feeling the cold drops pelt my skin like tiny needles.

William came charging at me, his face twisted in fury. He knocked me down, and the impact sent a jolt of pain through my body. The rain soaked through my clothes as I hit the ground, but I didn’t hesitate this time. I fought back.

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