Page 94 of The Catalyst

“What set him off this time?” I ask as I look back down at the fading bruises.

“The fact that he has no control over me, except for what I do inside his house.”

I don’t know exactly how old Martin is, but I know he’s at least a few years older than me. That begs the question.

“Why are you still living there then? You could just move out. He wouldn’t have any control over you anymore and you’d at least have a break from him.”

He runs his fingers through my hair and gives me a slightly condescending look, as if he’s not sure if I thought the question through before I said it.

Rude.

“I don’t have a choice. I have to live there. My father’s reach is something you couldn’t even imagine. If I ran, he’d find me. As for simply moving out, that requires a steady flow of cash. I only have the money he allows me to have. He’s made sure no company would ever hire me or my brother without his consent and the jobs he does allow us to have are as unpaid interns at his company. So, you see, there is no way of escaping, not until…” he trails off, an uncertainty in his eyes. He hesitates as his finger twitches in my hair.

“Until what?” I press.

I wish I could help him out of this situation. He’s being subjected to the angry whims of an evil man. At least my mom is just damaged.

“Until he decides to step down and hand the company over to me. He has said many times that a lot of things will have to happen before he does that, like I have to be married to someone he has given his stamp of approval on and show that I’m not just a massive disappointment to the Gray family name.”

Marry someone his father approves of?

Like me.

His father wouldn’t have mentioned the betrothal agreement with my mother if he didn’t want me to be aware of it. So, that begs the question: if marrying someone his father approves of is one of the steps to get what he wants, why would he offer to nip it in the bud?

He said he would make sure his father wouldn’t pursue it.

Is my safety that high on his list of priorities?

My heart flips and slams against my ribs as I make my way through the details I’ve collected.

“If I were you, I’d do whatever he wants to get out of there as quickly as possible,” I admit, wondering if he shares the same idea.

He shrugs. “Some things are more important.”

That’s the confirmation I needed. Martin Gray isn’t some entitled rich boy with an inflated ego like I originally thought. Even while being brought up in a house full of evil, he won’t go against his morals for the end goal he wants. He could have easily said something like “Too bad. You’re stuck with me. Get used to it” but he offered to put an end to this forced engagement because he knew I didn’t want to be forced.

However, the thought of being pushed into marrying this man seems less and less scary as the minutes tick by. Even if Martin can’t manage to dissolve this agreement between my mother and his father, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to be tied to him.

Love hasn’t exactly been my friend as of late. Maybe an understanding of respect and care would be enough.

Maybe. Just maybe.

CHAPTER 37

OLIVER

Nigel holds an ice pack to his face as he leans his head back, groaning like a massive baby. Seriously, he only hit him once. It may have been a hard hit and, yes, I’m pretty sure his nose is broken, but he’ll survive.

Plus, he deserved it.

I gave him the same treatment when I figured out what he did to Beth, but mine caused less damage because I have to use restraint consistently to keep myself in check. My cousin doesn’t have that problem. He could let it all loose on Nigel without worrying about killing the fucker.

“Do we have another way to find her?” he asks, his words nasally.

“No.”

Tracking a person in hiding isn’t easy, especially when you have no idea where to look. Beth doesn’t want to be found. Considering that Martin handed the underwear to me and not to Nigel, I’d bet I’m included on the list of people she doesn’t want to find her.

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