Page 31 of Owned By Two

Trust.

It was the commodity her father had always said was the most valuable in the whole galaxy.

Without trust, there could be no relationships, and without relationships, there could be no business.

Without trust, you were truly alone as you could only ever be the one person who would not betray you.

Other people were always far more unpredictable.

Lizzy picked up the pen and placed the tip on the line where she was to sign her name.

She paused and peered at something else on the page.

I glanced over her shoulder and saw the object of interest was her father’s name and his signature above it.

It was a writhing mass of lines, dots, and curls — every bit as complex as her father’s own personality.

She thought for a moment, still staring at that signature, before putting the pen down and shaking her head.

“I can’t do it,” she said. “I don’t want anything associated with him. He’snothingto me. A stranger. I won’t accept any payment or bribe he might use to make up for all the pain and suffering he caused me and my mom.”

“But he wanted you to have it—”

Lizzy stamped her foot and hurled the pen across the room. “I don’t care what he wants! I don’t want anything from him!”

Tears erupted in her eyes and she ran across the room, hurled the door open, and peeled down the hallway.

I sighed and picked up the pen.

I placed it back on the table beside the contract and let out a slow breath through my nose.

Yes, even now, she was a mirror reflection of him.

She had the same passion, the same motivation that had built this entire empire, the same fire her father knew would allow the empire to be expanded.

By not signing, she had only made me all the more certain she was the right person for the job.

13

LIZZY

I ran down random corridors,turning one way and then another, skidding to a stop each time I came to a dead end, or, more often, servants.

They paused in their duties, looked up at me, and always asked me the same question:

“Are you okay?”

I couldn’t bring myself to mumble so much as a grunt, or to thank them, or to evenbeginto explain how I was feeling, because I simply couldn’t get a grasp on it myself.

Finally, I came to open French windows. It really did seem strange there were so many human building-style elements in this alien mansion — much like the strange old artifacts my father had gathered in his miniature museum.

Miniature museum!

What kind of man had amuseumin his house?

A very rich one, obviously,I thought.

I had enjoyed smashing those items on the floor and only now began to feel a little regret that I had caused so much damage to the things he considered important.

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