Page 12 of Finding Forever

“Like I said, he kept me hidden. He controlseveryaspect of my life. I can’t even buy new clothing without his explicit consent. I-I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t reallyknowhow to do anything useful, aside from running this house. Nine years ago, I tried to leave. I had a friend; one he knew nothing about—someone from school. She said I could stay with her while I looked for work. That…” She paused, the memory leaving a bitter tang of sadness in her mouth. “Well, it didn’t go so well.”

He sighed explosively and palmed the nape of his neck, which he massaged, while glowering at her from beneath the silky black hair which had fallen over his forehead.

“This all makes zero sense…” he pointed out. “Far be it from me to look a so-called gift horse in the mouth, but you don’thaveto marry anyone. He can’t force you to marry Wilson. We’re not living in the 19thcentury. Just wait it out, for fuck’s sake. Why the urgency to marry and marry now?”

She couldn’t read his expression, couldn’t tell if what she heard in the question was disbelief or genuine curiosity. Who could blame him for being dubious? It truly was all so gothic and ridiculous. Her stepfather had already started to seed doubt about her mental and emotional competence in his social and business circles, she knew that. Knew he was paving the way for when her beleaguered husband—Richard—would have to tragically commit her to a stylish institution somewhere and leave her to slowly rot away and go truly crazy. The thought of it terrified her and she was desperate for this man—her first, last, andonlyhope—to believe her.

To help her.

She had one last card to play. The ace up her sleeve… the answer to his question. Therealreason behind her desperation. But she was terrified. Reluctant to use it because it felt like a low blow.

It felt like entrapment.

She wanted him tochooseto help her, not feel coerced into doing so. Still, as she stared into his skeptical eyes, certain he was about to reject her offer, she knew that it was now or never.

“Because when my stepfather finds out that I’m pregnant, he’s going to have exactly the leverage he needs to force me to marry Richard.”

She instantly wished the words back. Especially when he recoiled from her in absolute horror.

“Pregnant?” he repeated, his voice low and menacing.

No backing out now.

“Yes, pregnant. I’ve kept it from him so far, but I’ll start to show in a couple of months and then he’ll have me. Because—” Her own voiced lowered now, filling with promise and threat. “I will doanythingto protect this baby from him. But make nomistake, if I stay, he’ll find some way to use that protective instinct against me. Possibly by threatening to have me declared an unfit mother and finding a way to have the baby taken from me if I don’t do what he wants of me. And what he wants is for me to marry Richard. For me to cede control of my inheritance to them. I know what he’s capable of. I’ve seen it. And this pregnancy makes me vulnerable because I’d give in and do what it takes to keep the baby with me.

“God knows, much as I’d love to, I can’t simply leave and raise it by myself, not without a job or money. The last time I tried to leave and fend for myself—like I said before—it ended badly. Very badly.”

She wasn’t sure he’d absorbed much of what she’d just said, he was still staring at her like she was some kind of wicked monster.

“And I guess you’re about to tell me thatI’mthe father of this supposed baby?” The cynicism in his voice was acrid enough to eat through steel.

“You are,” she whispered when the protective surge of adrenalin waned and left her sounding as timid and afraid as she truly felt.

“You didn’t need to stoop to this pathetic level, Fern,” he told her, the words layered in contempt. “I’m taking you up on your offer. So, I’m going to try and forget you invented this ridiculous lie.”

She didn’t know how to respond to that. She was relieved he was willing to go through with her mad scheme, but appalled that he believed she would stoop so low as to fabricate a pregnancy. Especially since that was her motivation for taking such drastic action in the first place.

She was confused, uncertain… not sure how to proceed. Because while his agreement wasexactlywhat she’d wanted, she’d never once thought he wouldn’t believe her about the pregnancy.

But now she was also terrified that if she pushed the matter, he would be so disgusted at her for sticking to the “lie”, he’d back out completely and leave her and her baby vulnerable to Granger Abernathy’s machinations.

“No more fucking lies, right? If we’re going to do this, I demand honesty between us. Are we clear?”

“We’re clear.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper and she swallowed dryly. She wouldn’t push her luck, not when he was giving her what she wanted. She’d bring the pregnancy up again later, when things were lessvolatile. For now, she simply couldn’t afford to alienate him.

He gave her a look of such acute dislike, it rattled her to her core. But she reminded herself that she didn’t need him to like her. Not really. She needed him to help her get back what was hers. Because with a Hawthorne in her corner, Granger wouldn’t be able to touch her or her baby.

Things moved quickly after that,Cade dragged her to James Hawthorne’s room where—after his father asked him about a dozen times in a dozen different ways if he was sure he wanted to do this—they covertly drew up a plan of action. Fern had appreciated that about Mr. Hawthorne. She’d assumed he was just another controlling bully, but he made it clear that he did not expect his son to marry for the sake of the deal. In fact, he’d seemed concerned that Cade was willing to make such a “sacrifice.” And even though Fern hadn’t appreciated being considered some kind of punishment, shehadbeen touched by the man’s obvious concern for his son’s happiness.

Only after Cade had insisted—adozentimes—that he was happy toscrew Abernathy over like this(his exact words), had James Hawthorne got on board with the plan. He’d arranged for them to leave immediately—in the middle of thenight—citing a business emergency, promising Granger that they’d wrap up the deal within the week.

They had to sneak Fern out by less conventional means—picking her up round back at the staff entrance to the kitchen, where she’d stood waiting with a single suitcase. She was huddled between Francois, the hulking French chef, and Stanford, the butler who’d been more of a father to her than Granger ever was.

Standing silently behind them was the entire household staff, some openly weeping, while others wiped surreptitiously at their faces. They would all cover for her over the next few days. If Granger or the sisters even bothered to look for her.

By the time her stepfamily realized Fern was missing, it would be too late. She’d be free of them. Even if it felt like she was only exchanging one prison for another. At least in her brand-new gilded cage, she could fool herself into believing that she had more control over her destiny.

She hugged Francois and Stanford goodbye and whispered quiet farewells to everyone else. They wished her luck and then she was silently whisked into the dark interior of a luxurious Maybach provided by the Hawthornes’ security company.

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