Page 100 of Little Liar
He says something, but I block him out, counting my steps, humming to myself as I focus on the way the wallpaper feels under my fingertips.
“Has my father broken you already?”
I freeze, dragging my gaze to him. I say silent, but anger runs through me, probably obvious in my expression.
“Good. Being mad means you can still feel, so you aren’t a complete shell. He wants us to attend a charity event this weekend,” he says, unfastening the buttons of his shirt. “I’m sure you miss being outside of this room. Will you attend with me and behave? You are supposed to be marrying me, so we can’t have you being a nuisance in public.”
My teeth grind. “I’m not marrying you.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Making this more difficult helps neither of us.” Then he pulls off his belt and drops it on the ground. “You look like shit. Go shower and wash your hair.”
When I don’t move, he takes a step towards me. “Unless you want me to drag you in there and do it myself? We still have loads of areas to explore with our new relationship.”
“We have no relationship, and you’re not going to touch me. We both know that.”
He glares at me, his jaw tensing. “My father already said he would allow you to leave the room and have access to the manor, with your own free will, if you just let this happen.”
I raise an unplucked brow. “I’m not marrying you. I’m not fucking you and birthing your heir. I’m not going anywhere near you, regardless of who your dad threatens. Take no for an answer, Xander.”
Despite the threats from Igor making me itch, Xander’s threats mean nothing, considering I’ve been here for weeks and he hasn’t even attempted to touch me.
Which is still a shock. He was very vocal about what he wanted from me before I was kidnapped. I can still remember how sore my throat was from screaming so loud as the bullet lodged in Malachi’s chest. They had to knock me out in the yard to shut meup and stop me from fighting them. I kicked and screamed and begged, but I woke up in here, and I’ve been here ever since.
Xander comes closer, pinching a strand of my hair and rubbing it between his fingers. It usually smells of coconuts now, from the shampoo Igor makes me use. The same as his wife—Xander’s mother.
If he comes any closer, I’ll kick him in the balls.
Three hard raps interrupt whatever he was going to do.
Xander huffs. “What?” he snaps, gritting his teeth while glaring down at me as he waits for a reply.
When none comes, he releases my hair and goes to the door, swinging it open to reveal one of his father’s men—suited in black—standing with his lips pressed together.
“What?”
“I understand it’s late, sir, but we have a potential sighting of Miss Hempill.”
I narrow my brows. “Abigail?”
“Shut up,” Xander snaps at me then turns to the man. “Adryx?”
“No. Only her. Do you want us to go for her?”
“I’ll go,” he says, rushing to his jacket and throwing it on. “I don’t want anyone going near her without my permission. And make sure Olivia stays in this room.”
The guard nods, and then the door is closed in my face, leaving me alone within these four walls once more, wondering why Xander is trying to find my best friend and why he looked deathly pale again.
28
Olivia
The dress drags on the ground as I walk through the main entrance to the party I’m being forced to attend. Violins and other instruments play, a sing-song voice echoing in the air as Xander holds me to his side, then pulls me through the crowds to find his parents and their friends.
My head hurts—I’ve had a headache since I was escorted from the bedroom to a dressing room, where a red dress waited for me. It’s too big for me. There's a clip at my chest to hold the fabric together because the stylist didn’t want to tell Igor I’d lost too much weight to wear it.
Igor told me to keep my head down the entire party, but since I have nothing else to do, I sometimes lift it and look around, hunting for familiar faces—potentially someone with black hair, tattoos, and a bat to hand. He’d bounce through the crowd and smack everyone on the head, throw me over his shoulder, and get me the hell out of this nightmare.
My reality is that I don’t recognize a single soul.
