I Still Don't Get It

I Still Don't Get It

SARAH

My father’s eyes flickered, just for a second, as if he hadn’t expected Mr. Cincinnati to say it out loud. But he didn’t correct him. He didn’t even deny it. He just stood there, silent, his jaw hard, his gaze fixed on me.

Cullen shifted beside me, his hand brushing against mine, steadying me.

"What do you mean? What the hell have you done?”

Mr. Cincinnati chuckled softly, the kind of laugh that wasn’t really laughter at all. “Don’t sound so shocked, boy. You think love just happens? You think marriages like this just… fall into place? No. They’re built. Arranged. Negotiated. Protected.”

My stomach dropped.

“Arranged,” I repeated, my voice breaking on the word.

My father’s eyes snapped to mine then, sharp and commanding. “Don’t twist it, Sarah. Everything we did, everything I agreed to, was for you. To protect you. To give you a life, a future.”

Cullen’s chest rose and fell hard beside me. His fists clenched at his sides. “Protect her?” he spat. “You call threatening me, threatening her, protection?”

Mr. Cincinnati raised a hand almost lazily, as though calming a child. “Don’t waste your anger on things you can’t change. What matters is that it worked. Look at her.” His eyes flicked to me. “Look at you both. She loves you. You love her. That’s all that matters. Our job is done.”

“So what you’re saying,” Cullen pressed, his voice sharp, “is that everything that has happened ever since Sarah’s accident has been an act? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Not really,” his father replied calmly. “All I’m saying is that we all wanted to give you a chance to find your way toward each other. And if you didn’t, then it failed. But if you did, if you found yourselves together, just like you are right now....then we were successful.”

Cullen shook his head, disbelief written all over his face. “I still don’t get it.”

And the truth was, I didn’t get it either. My eyes darted to my father, silently questioning him.

Mr. Cincinnati gave me a single nod, then took a slow step back, his gaze shifting towards both of us

“I know you’re confused,” he began, his tone steady, almost soothing. “Your father and I... we wanted different things for you both. I just wanted you to be happy, son. I know this is a hard subject, but your fascination with Bella… I knew it was hard to breach. And I just knew you wouldn’t find happiness there. I knew you would find it in this beautiful young woman. And you did. I want you to know I’m proud. I’ve never been prouder than I was yesterday, when you told me and Cyrus to go fuck ourselves. Because in that moment, you were fighting for your family. You were fighting for your wife and your future.”

“But…” Cullen’s voice cracked slightly, still heavy with doubt. “You seemed so angry. Cyrus was so angry.”

“Cyrus didn’t know,” Mr. Cincinnati said simply.

“What?” Cullen’s brows furrowed in disbelief.

“I mean, he didn’t know until we left. Yesterday, when we left, he was thinking about doing something crazy. Your brother loves you, Cullen. He loves you very much. And yesterday, he was ready to do something stupid to save you.”

Mr. Cincinnati’s expression softened, his words sinking into the room.

“So I had to tell him the truth about the agreement I made with Sullivan. Sullivan just wanted his daughter to be happy. He knew his son, the one who was going to inherit his kingdom, was.... A bit problematic. And we both know what this life is like. One day you’re alive, the next you’re not. Sullivan just wanted to make sure that his daughter would be left in safe hands.”

“Dad,” I said, turning my attention toward him. “Is this true?”

He moved a bit closer to Mr. Cincinnati and us, swallowed. “It’s true, darling. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you, but if I told you, you would have either… fought against it or fought too much to have it, and I wanted it to be natural. I wanted to really see if there was really a chance for the two of you to find your hearts towards each other. If there was really a chance that he was the one.”

I found myself shaking my head.

“I’m sorry, Angel,” he said, his voice small. “I’m sorry if you think I did another thing to try and control you, if you think I made another mistake. But, to be honest, I didn’t have to lift a finger for you to find yourself in Cullen’s arms, I didn’t have to lift a finger.”

His eyes searched mine. “And you do love him, don’t you?” he asked.

I turned to look at Cullen. “Yes,” I said, because I did love him. I love him so much.

My father nodded tightly, like a man who’d finally let himself breathe.

“And I know that he loves you, too. He has proved he is ready to lose his life and stand against anything and anyone for you. And for that, even though I hate him so much for making you nearly drown.....” he broke off, a painful twist in his face,

“....it’s all in the past.” I found myself defending Cullen.

I felt a rush of anger, hot and immediate. I wanted to hit him for what he’d done. For the decision he’d made without me. Again.

My father’s mouth softened. “I just know that if anything were to happen to me right now, you would be in safe hands. And that would allow me to sleep more peacefully from now on.”

He looked at me then, his face full of a strange emotion. I hated him for the trick, for the secret, for the way he’d taken something from me. I wanted to stay furious forever.

Instead, the tear fell.

“Come here, Angel.” My father opened his arms, his voice carrying both command and tenderness.

He beckoned me forward, and though my body hesitated, my heart betrayed me.

I don’t know why, but before I moved, my eyes flicked to Cullen. Maybe I was asking for permission. Maybe I was asking for courage, or simply for support.

And Cullen, steady as always, gave me a single nod. That was enough. I stepped toward my father and let him pull me into his arms. His embrace was warm and familiar, and yet so complicated. My chest ached with everything I held inside me.

Because in that moment, I wasn’t just his daughter. I was also a woman who had just discovered that her father had made an agreement with Mr. Cincinnati. I was still kind of lost on the fence about how to feel about it. A woman whose body and choices had been pushed and twisted by him.