Page 155 of F*ckboys

"You what?" I shriek. "You made sure he what?!" I'm beside myself. The betrayal, the deceit. So he's been keeping tabs on me all this time, since well before we got back together. If Grave has been reporting back to him about me, it will be such a betrayal of trust, and obviously a massive breach of the NDA he signed. I'll destroy him. I'll destroy Aksel. Nobody will be safe.

He clears his throat and shifts awkwardly. "Only to protect you."

"So you've been spying on me through Grave?"

"No, no," he shakes his head. He's adamant, earnest, and for a moment I almost believe him. "I just wanted to make sure someone was keeping an eye on you. That you were safe."

"You know what? This is absurd," I frown, my voice rising. "I can't trust anything you do or say anymore, clearly. Never should have in the first place."

He sighs and tilts his head toward the sky, and rubs his eyes with his fingers. "I knew I shouldn't have listened to Colton. I should have taken my time."

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, I can tell he realizes he's made another mistake. His hand flies across his mouth. "I mean—".

I narrow my eyes at him. "What do you mean, you shouldn't have 'listened to Colton'? What did my father ask you to do?"

"He, uh—. He brought forward the proposal."

I feel heat building in my chest and my body starts to shake as his words sink in. "Excuse me? Are you saying you proposed to me becausemy father told you to?"

He hesitates, and that's enough for me.

"You have to be fucking kidding me," I cry. "Get out of my condo! Get out! Get out!"

"I swear, Fallon—I was close to doing it anyway! It was just a matter of timing."

"If there's one thing you know I hate, Aksel King, it's people talking behind my back, especially with my family."

His face falls, but then he reddens as if emboldened by some revelation in his head. His mouth curls into a cruel smirk.

"Fallon, for fuck's sake, you've been harboring a fugitive in your basement, and by the looks of it, you've been torturing the shit out of him. So I hardly think you're in a position to lecture people about keeping secrets!"

His words slash at me. He wasn't meant to know the true extent of my darkness. He wasn't meant to come face to face with Harvey fucking Maxwell.

And I don't intend on stopping. So this isn't going to work. It can't work.

"You know what, Aksel? Fuck you and fuck your stupid proposal." I yank off the ring and throw it at his feet. It bounces awkwardly and then settles against his shoe. He bends down and picks up the sparkling diamond ring that I know he picked out so carefully for me. Part of me feels like an asshole, discarding it cruelly at his feet, knowing that action would hurt him, but it also makes me feel good. A moment to inflict emotions onto someone else, even if they're painful. Just because I can.

How dare he and my father think they can control me? Control my life? I'll show them both. I'll show them all.

"Fallon, please—".

"Get out! The engagement is off. And believe me, if you speak to anyone about what you've seen down here, I'll make it my life's mission to destroy you."

He shrugs and shakes his head. "I don't know what to say," he says as he makes his way up the basement stairs, leaving me alone in the basement with my captive. "But I hope you find whatever it is you're searching for."

Aksel

A week after our fight, Fallon's father corners me outside my office. "What the hell did you do to my daughter?" he demands. Given his palatial commercial space is on the other side of the city, it's pretty obvious he made a special trip out of his way just to see me and deliver his message.

I eye him coolly. "I'm afraid that's between Fallon and myself. And if you'd let me know you were coming, I'd have arranged lunch."

He grabs my arm, rage etched into the lines of his face. "She won't stop crying. She's a mess over you. Now you're going to tell me exactly what happened, or I'll—"

"You'll what?" I ask softly. "Assault me? I wouldn't recommend that. I have my attorneys on speed dial. In fact, I suggest you let go of my arm right now."

His face purples, but he releases me, pushing my arm away and clearing his throat. I straighten my sleeve, unruffled. "If you must know, Fallon broke off our engagement. It wasn't my choice, and I'd give anything to still be engaged to her. But I also realize I hurt her, and I respect your daughter's wishes. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

I start to walk away, but he calls after me, "This is your fault, you bastard! I never should have pushed her to marry you. My little girl deserves so much better than the likes of you! I was settling, thinking you were anywhere near good enough for my princess!"

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