Page 135 of Worth Every Moment
Dad’s voice booms through the room. ‘They look real, don’t they? The girl is real. A living, breathing woman. Very compliant, especially for a fee. A talented actress too. Very convincing. She’s eighteen, but she’ll testify to say she was underage when this took place. I have witnesses who will testify to it too…’
I zone out, watching the horrified faces of the people in the audience. Dad glares at me, a furious redness colouring his neck and cheeks. His gaze sears my skin like an open flame, but I don’t look away.
He rises from his chair, thumping the table with a fist. “Stop this!” he bellows, and from all four corners of the room, his dark-clothed bodyguards move as one.
Diana edges closer to me, but the footage continues rolling, Dad’s voice echoing around the domed ballroom from the loudspeakers in the ceiling.
‘All I need to do is press the button, and they’ll string you up… I won’t use any of it, if you agree to the marriage. Say yes, and I’ll torch the lot right now… marry Diana… Pump her full of pretty little Hawkston babies to secure this fucking hotel deal. After that, you can walk away. Give her a nice divorce settlement. And as a kicker, I’ll leave you the hotel in my—’
The screen flickers and the video finishes, but one final image follows. It’s a picture of the note dad handed me at the wedding, warning me that if I didn’t marry Diana, he’d ruin Erica’s career.
The room falls silent. For a space so full of people, there’s very little movement, aside from the bodyguards approaching Diana and me.
I grab her hand and hold it aloft as we descend the few steps from the stage. “You’ve witnessed the dirty tactics William Hawkston used to bring about this deal,” I shout. “We’re officially calling off this engagement.”
We slow as we pass our table, where Dad is still standing, red in the face, gripping the back of his chair with one hand. He looks like he might have another heart attack, and if he did, I wouldn’t be fucking sorry.
Matt rises from his seat as we pass and glances at Dad, who is now clutching his chest, then at me. I give the barest shrug. There's no way I am pausing to check that fucker is okay. Mattacknowledges my choice with a sharp nod before he strides towards me, keeping pace with us as we move through the tables. “Jesus, Seb. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I had to do this on my own.”
He frowns like that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever said, but the judgement slides away almost instantly, replaced with a tender concern that I’ve rarely seen on my brother's face. He lays a hand on my shoulder, slowing our pace. “I would have been there for you, if you’d told me. Nico too. He’ll be devastated when he hears what you were dealing with.” He tips his head back in Dad's direction. “Even if that bastard dies tonight, we would choose you. We would choose you over him everyfuckingday. I know Nico would say the same. We’re on your team.” He thumps a fisted hand into his opposite palm. “We would have had your back, if you had let us.”
I swallow the surge of emotion that threatens to submerge me. “Thank you. But this was my burden.” I give him a tight smile and continue walking.
“Where are you going now?” he asks, moving with me.
“I don’t fucking know. Away from here.” Diana is still trotting at my heels, her small hand gripping mine, growing tighter with each step. I have no idea what the consequences will be for her; I barely even looked at Antonio Marchetti’s reaction. I was too focused on my own father.
“Holy moly,” Aries says, running up to us and shoving Matt out of her way. “That was insane. I can’t believe he did that to you.” She grips my forearm with both hands and shakes it. “Erica. You have to go tell her you love her. That’s what you’re going to do now, right?”
“If you let go of me, yes.”
She releases me and presses her hands over her heart. “This is so romantic. I think I might faint.”
“Oh, Christ,” Matt says, putting his arm around her shoulders and wishing me good luck before he guides her off to a seat.
I quicken my pace because the bodyguards are closing in, and I want to get the fuck out of here before they reach us. We dash through the lobby, dodging past guests and the wide reception desk, heading towards the exit.
“We did it,” Diana says, exhilarated glee threading through her voice as we trip out into the evening air, gulping it down like freedom.
“We did.”
“We really did!” Diana throws her arms around my neck. Her elation is catching, and I pick her up, spinning her round in a moment of maddening joy.We’re free.
“You were amazing. Wonderful. Thank you,” I say, laughing, “I could never have done this without you.”
Diana’s smile vanishes as she catches sight of something over my shoulder. “Oh, shit,” she mutters.
My stomach sinks, doom spreading through me as I lower her to the ground. I knew this had been too easy.Too fucking easy.
Releasing her, I turn to see what’s upset her.
Erica is standing a few feet away, staring at us. Her gaze is colder than an arctic winter. Beside her is Michael Drayton, his arm around her waist, guiding her towards the crowds who are begging for their autographs.
I can’t move, and yet my insides are splintering, painfully ripping me to shreds.
Diana looks anxiously between me and the celebrity couple.
