Page 14 of Sardonic Burn

“I know about recent attacks on you. Why aren’t you asking for my help?”

I blink, then laugh. The sound of my laughter fills the room, and Dylan falls dead silent. It takes me a moment to realize that he is being serious.

“Oh, so you weren’t joking?”

“No.”

“And what exactly could you help me with?”

He’s starting to get frustrated, and a vein pops on his forehead. “I might not be… conducting the same business as your family, but I still have good connections. Don’t you think that is helpful?”

“Not in the slightest.” I shake my head. “Don’t you think I tried that? The men who came after me were amateurs. Two of them were homeless. They’re picking random people and sending them after me for the right price. So, no. Your connections really don’t help right now.”

“Do you plan on shouldering the burden of this feud all on your own?”

“Yes.” I don’t hesitate; my mind is clear. “It’s my burden to bear until all of them are six feet underground. And it will happen while I’m the head of the family, I promise that much.”

Dylan’s jaw locks in place, and he closes his eyes. He doesn’t like what he’s hearing, and I can’t help but feel a pinch of annoyance.

“What’s with that expression?” His eyes snap open and dart to me at the sound of my cold voice. “You knew about this long before you sent the proposal. Killing them is the purpose of my life, Dylan. Support me, or get the hell out.”

“This blinding hatred will be your ruin.”

“So be it.” I shrug. “I don’t care.”

“How can you not care about your life? What if you get killed in the process?”

“That won’t happen,” I assure him. “But if it does, it just means I’m not capable enough to survive. That’s all.”

“Does your life truly have so little meaning to you?”

“It’s the opposite, actually.” I sigh and lean into the pillow. “I cherish my life, which is why I’m devoted to ruining the DeSantis family. With them out of the picture, I’ll be free to live my life the way I want.”

“It’s useless,” he mutters to himself, but I hear it. “Just rest for now, alright?”

He approaches me and kisses the top of my head. The moment he leaves the room, I’m able to breathe again.

The past few months have been suffocating. Dylan’s always here, as if he isn’t in a high-ranking position with multiple companies to run. How the hell does he have so much free time to spend with me?

He has shown up unannounced at my doorstep on more than one occasion. The last time, I kicked him out and didn’t pick up his calls until he learned his lesson. I value my privacy and solitude, and I won’t allow him to take it away from me.

At first, I didn’t care about my engagement and marriage.

But now, as time passes, I want to find a way out. I’m not an idiot, and I’m not blind. Dylan has feelings for me. But I will never be able to reciprocate them, and he’ll be stuck in a loveless, loyal marriage.

I’m not against it because of the love aspect. I’m against it because I can’t even begin to imagine how overbearing Dylan will become three years down the line. His overprotectiveness is something I never asked for, and I don’t want it.

But it’s already been four years since we got engaged.

Breaking the engagement will cause havoc. Right now, I’m not mentally prepared to deal with the fallout. It’s bound to be messy, dirty, and bad for my father’s business.

With a sigh, I shake my head and decide to think about that later. The wedding date is set for summer of next year, which gives me six months to either get rid of the ring or Dylan.

A knock comes to the door, and I’m caught by surprise.

My father strolls in with a bouquet of orchids in his hands. My brows crease at the sight. I have no particular love forflowers, but my mother has. And her favorite flowers are dahlias and orchids.

“How are you feeling?”

---