Chapter 35 Chapter Thirty-four
ARA
“You're asking for a DNA test when I'm standing right in front of you carrying your blood in my veins?” Thayne's voice was hard, but it echoed the heartbreak I was sure he was feeling.
“Of course. I find it hard to believe that crazy bitch,” Slade Senior pointed in Liliana's direction. "Is the mother of the boy who will carry the family legacy.” His father's cruel answer fanned the flames of Thayne's fury.
"Don't call her that! She loved you." Thayne snapped, getting really close to his father.
“No, she didn't. She loved my money, so she tried to trap me with a pregnancy scare. If I'm going to handover Slade Corps, at least let me be certain it's to my own blood.” His father shot back, then in a calmer voice, said, “Get me that proof or surrender all your holdings in Slade Corps.”
He marched off with Madison who snickered on their way out. She was enjoying all the drama, convinced she would one day bear ‘Mrs. Slade’.
What exactly was she after? It couldn't be just the surname. That would just be lame.
Thayne's features hardened to an uncrackable mask I couldn't read.
What would be his next step? Would he fight back and play his father's game? Would he cancel the wedding?
“We're leaving." Thayne announced, moving towards his mother who was still muttering to herself.
“No, don't go. Don't go. Don't leave me here, he will hurt me." She whimpered, shaking her head and shutting her eyes tight.
"Mother, we must go." Thayne said softly, gathering her into his arms and walking to the bed to deposit her on it.
“No, I want to talk to Lola. She must tell me why she betrayed me! She betrayed me. She told him where I live. He has come to take the kids. Let me talk to her!" Liliana seemed really agitated now, and when the nurses tried to intervene, she bit them and clawed at their faces with her fingers.
“Mother, Lola is no more." Thayne tried to console her, but she wouldn't let him.
“That's a lie. She told him where I live. He will take Thayne. He will take Ursula. I must ask her why she did it. She hurt meeeeee!” She howled the last part, and my heart fractured in two.
My mother had been the one to reveal her location to Thayne's father. She'd destroyed their friendship.
But had she done it willingly? I refused to believe she'd traded years of sisterhood for cash.
“Let me talk to her." I told Thayne.
“No." He said without considering it. He seemed to think his mother would harm me.
“I can talk to her, Thayne. She won't hurt me." I assured him.
"I shouldn't have brought you here.” He muttered, guiding me forward so I could touch his mother's arm.
She shrank back. "You're back! To hurt me again?”
"No. Please, forgive me. I'm sorry.” I took her slender fingers in mine and squeezed gently.
"I forgive you." Liliana said, sighing.
"Really?” I asked her.
“I forgive you. We're friends, friends forgive each other. When will you come back?"
I glanced at Thayne whose eyes were on where his mother's hand was in mine.
He lifted his gaze to meet my eyes. He looked so vulnerable right now, and I knew it hurt him that I'd seen his mother in her worst element.
“She will come tomorrow." Thayne said, his eyes not leaving mine.
“Really? You will come?" She rose from the bed, suddenly excited at the prospect of me visiting her again.
“Yes, I'll come." I answered. She hugged me and refused to let go.
The nurses had to pull her away from me gently.
Silently, we left her ward.
The threat Thayne's father had left hanging in the air trailed us all the way down the hallway.
I couldn't bring myself to ask Thayne if the wedding would still hold. His father was changing the rules of the game to suit himself.
But he'd had a deal with his son.
Why was he suddenly claiming there was no proof of the signed deal? Why was he demanding for a DNA test when he'd raised Thayne and Ursula until they grew old enough to fend for themselves?
His father was looking for the perfect excuse to get rid of Thayne, but why? Wasn't the joy of every billionaire to watch their kids inherit and continue the family legacy?
Silently, we were escorted to the Limousine. My thoughts moved from pillar to post as I tried to reflect on everything that had happened.
First, Liliana mistook me for my mother, then Thayne's father stormed in uninvited and screwed things over.
Had he truly told my mother he would help her take care of me?
Why had my mother even fallen for his lie?
Wait…. What if he'd threatened her? It had to be that he'd threatened her with something she couldn't part with. That would be why she'd given out Liliana's location.
Thayne and I got into the Limousine from different sides, which made me assume he needed space.
My ass had barely touched the seat when Thayne dragged me into his lap.
There was a tortured look in his eyes.
“Thayne," I whispered, grabbing his shoulders to keep myself steady on his lap.
“I don't know what you're doing to me. You've set my world upside down. You shouldn't have walked into my club. Things would have been better if I'd never found you.”
"You should have let me go. You should have shoved me out.” I told him, my heart beating wildly in my chest at our proximity.
"I couldn't. Even now, any other man would call this arrangement off. But I can't. You've trapped me with your -” He stopped himself.
"Will the wedding still hold?” I asked him, not wanting this moment to end now that we had it.
“I don't know anymore." He admitted, his fingers trailing up my body, leaving chills in their wake.
"Why didn't you just make me your personal assistant? You could have still gone on to marry someone else.”
His fingers slid up to my throat, tilting my head backwards so he could bite my neck.
I moaned shamelessly, rubbing myself over him as he tightened his fingers around my throat.
“You were mine the moment you walked into my club, Arayna." Fuck. He said my full name.
Nobody had said my full name in a long time. I'd almost forgotten the sound of it until Liliana mentioned it.
But hearing Thayne say it like a prayer? I wanted it to be on repeat in my head.
“You were mine the moment I claimed you with my tongue. Even if you'd gone on to date someone else, I would have kicked him out of the way to claim you back. You are mine, and not even my father can take you away from me." With this, he kissed me.
Ravenously. A kiss of want and hunger.
"I want you.” I told him when we pulled apart to catch our breaths. I was tired of the back and forth, of pretending this man wasn't what I needed.
One moment, I was on his lap, and in the next, my back was against the comfy back seat of the Limousine.
There was no gentleness in the way he lifted my thighs. There was no hesitation in the way he pinned my wrists above my head and sank his cock deep inside me, all the way to the last inch.
He jerked his hips once, and one thrust was all I got when the Limousine came to an abrupt halt.
A predatory look lit up in his eyes, like he wanted to devour me whole and leave no crumbs.
“We're taking this to the redroom, Arayna." He growled.