He leaned in closer, taking Edith’s hand with exaggerated care. “Edith, come on, take me off your blocked list. I’ll give you some money. It’s not much, but you’ll have a better life than you do now. Stop making a fuss. Once Salome has the baby, everything will go back to how it was. You won’t have to struggle so much anymore…”
With some effort, Edith pulled her hand free, leaving a red mark around her wrist. where he’d gripped her too tightly.
Beckett’s proximity made her skin crawl. Did he really mean that after Salome gave birth, he’d just return to his old role, and she was supposed to go along with it? Was she meant to fall at his feet, weeping tears of gratitude for surviving such misery, and come running back to the Vance family with open arms?
What a joke. The biggest joke she’d ever heard.
Realizing that words would get her nowhere with Beckett, Edith steeled herself against the disgust roiling in her gut and tried to push past him.
He moved quickly, throwing out his arm to block her escape.
Edith stared at him, incredulous. “You’re unbelievable. Get out of my way. Stop making me sick!”
Beckett seemed ready to shamelessly dig in his heels. “I’ll let you go, but only if you unblock me first. I really do want you to be okay. I don’t want you living like this…”
Edith didn’t hesitate. She brought her knee up hard, landing it squarely in a vulnerable
spot.
“Ah!” Beckett doubled over, pain twisting his face as he dropped to the floor, howling pitifully.
Edith didn’t waste a second–she bolted.
Reasoning with someone like him was pointless. He wouldn’t understand a word she said–animals never did.
But even animals fear pain.
That worked best.
In the restaurant, Justin had already been waiting for quite a while.
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17:40
Chapter 181
He was just about to get up and check where Edith had gone when he saw her striding briskly toward him.
There was only one table in the whole place.
Edith made a beeline for their spot, her pace frantic, as if something dreadful was chasing her.
Justin frowned, a sense of unease creeping in. “What’s wrong?” he asked, worry
etched in his voice.
Edith dropped into her chair, finally allowing herself to breathe. After a sip of tea, she managed a small, reassuring smile. “It’s nothing. Let’s eat.”
She was starving.
After sweating through hours of painting an entire wall mural–professional work, sure, but physical labor all the same–she needed food.
–
Meanwhile, Salome had circled Northcrest Tower, snapping photos from every angle. She figured she could use them later–after all, photos don’t have timestamps, and she could always post them more than once.
When she was done, it struck her that Beckett had gone to the restroom ages ago and still hadn’t returned.
She walked over to check and found Beckett crouched on the floor, face contorted in
agony.
Salome rushed over, supporting him. “Honey, what happened? Did someone hit you?”
After what happened with Jeffry, she was still on edge. “How could someone dare lay a hand on you in a place like this? There are cameras everywhere! Wait here—I’m going to get the security footage. People think they can do anything these days!”
Beckett, wincing from the pain, grabbed her arm. “Salome, you’re pregnant. Don’t get yourself worked up over this.”
Salome was livid. “I don’t care if I go into labor right here–I’m not letting anyone get away with hurting you. You’re the Vance family’s eldest son. Who would dare?”
Fearing she’d actually pull the security tapes and stir up even more trouble, Beckett gritted his teeth and said, “I’m fine. I just slipped and fell, that’s all.”
2/2
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.