My Freedom, His Lifelong Regret

ley

king with what she was selling as sobs. "Oh, Clayton," she whimpered, her voice muffled against the expensi

shed tears, but beneath the performance I caught the flicker of tr

s playful nature upset you. We're just a very close family, you underst

harsh and dry, a soun

hat what this is, Clayton? Another one of your carefully orchestrated hu

th deliberate protectiveness. "Hailey, you're being unreasonable. Anjelica is expr

the instant Clayton glanced at her. Her performance was flawl

sport, stepped forward. He held out a glass of champagne, his fingers elegant around

am-the same look from the hallway, from

emembered what my mind tried to bury. I s

ass from Daron's hand with theatrical urgency. She lifted it to her lip

ass sh

aking through the linen. Shards of crystal glitte

"Oh, it hurts, Clayton!" Her voice pitched high and trembling

a dismissive push that sent me stumbling back a step. He gathered Anjelica into hi

absolute, as if there was no other possible version of events w

, with perfect, crystalline clarity, exactly what I was to them. A pawn. A villain in a story they were writing together. Ev

ulder. Then, with a subtlety that was a

eeve s

tique Cartier. Intricately designed, with a small, distin

is voice reverent, his eyes holding mine. "This is for you, Ha

air left my lungs in

he showed me photographs of the bracelet on his phone. He had spoken of it like it was

nniversary. It was mass-produced, barely worth twenty dollars. The charms were lightweight and hollow, the kind that ca

he cold metal felt we

flimsy charms jingled faintly as

uld feel how pale my face was, how empty my eyes must have looked. "I said we're done. Financia

ne appraising garbage. Then he tossed it carelessly onto the floor. It clattered against

tle act of yours-the righteous anger, the wounded dignity-it's always been about the money, hasn't it? Your humble backgrou

landed l

ley. A test of your true intentions. If you didn't care about it-if you proved you

was a cruel,

d at her, his expression softening into something that

sible shapes, of enduring humiliation after humiliation. And he had seen all of it as a cynical scheme for his money. Meanwhile, Anjelic

chasing his fortune, when all I had ever wanted was his respe

gainst Clayton, suddenly

eliberate motion, she slammed her hand-the wrist with t

watch mechan

e white tablecloth, scattering like deadly confetti. The sound

e looked at me, her face contorting into a mask of shock and accusation

nted at my chest. "What have you done?! You push

lf in my hand. Blood welled immediately, bright crimson against

azed with pure, u

precise. He forced my head up, his grip unrelenting. His breath was hot aga

ame withou

estaurant. My head snapped to the side. Pain exploded across my face, a searing,

ating with barely contained violence. "You think you can destroy my family's legacy? Yo

digging into my skin. "You'll pay for t

that sent me stumbling backward

voice was cold and steady now, the calm of someone delivering a sentence. "M

tion. His hands were like iron bands around my arms. He forced

rough my pants, through my skin, sharp edges grinding against bone. Pain screamed

, as the shards bit deeper. But you ju

othing-compared to t