“Can we just get this over with?” Michael asks, making Henry’s grin disappear.
“That’s no way to speak to the man who’s holding your marriage and career in his hands,” Henry says, taking the file from Michael and walking over to the closest desk. “Sign these.”
I wait for Michael to go over and do as he said and then realize Henry is talking to me. “What? I’m not signing anything.”
“Yes, you are,” Henry says easily. “Because if you don’t, your brother won’t make it out of jail.”
“Fuck you!” I hiss. “Do you realize who you’re messing with?”
I’ve barely finished my question when Henry cuts across the room and shoves me against the wall, wrapping his fingers around my throat.
“The question is, doyourealize who you’re messing with?” he growls. “One call to the right person, and your brother’s life will be over.”
“You’re lying,” I choke out.
“Fine.” He shrugs, steps back, and pulls out his phone. He dials a number and then puts the phone to his ear, his eyes never leaving mine. “The moment Russo is behind bars, teach him a lesson.”
“No!” I yell.
I lunge toward him in an attempt to grab the phone from him, but it’s too late. He’s already hung up.
“Call him back!”
“It’s done,” he says, pocketing his phone. “This time, it will only be a beating, but if you don’t start cooperating, it’ll be his death.”
“Why are you doing this?” I cry out, wondering how I was so naive to think the man I married was a good guy.
“You don’t need to worry about it,” he says, walking back over to the papers. “All you need to know is that your brother will be signing his power of attorney over to you and you’ll be signing it over to me.”
Oh my God. I feel sick. He wants access to our family’s company.
“Why?” I breathe out. “If you’d just asked, I could’ve talked to Lorenzo. He would’ve gotten you a job here.”
Henry barks out a laugh. “I don’t want a job here,” he hisses. “I want to destroy this company. And thanks to you, I’m going to do just that.”
He steps closer to me and grips my chin between his thumb and forefinger, squeezing my cheeks so hard that pain radiates through me. “You made it too damn easy,” he murmurs. “The moment Michael told me your father had added you to his will, my plan formed. I must admit, seducing you took more effort than I’d thought. For a fat bitch, you were hard to get under my thumb. But I gotta give it to you—you made me work for it.”
“Fuck you!” I spit, backing away from his touch.
“Been there, done that, and sorry, darling, but you’re not that good in bed.”
His words shouldn’t hurt me, but they do. As a plus-size woman, I’ve always been self-conscious about my weight. It doesn’t matter that I eat healthy and try to work out regularly—being on the thicker side is my norm.
I’ve had a couple of boyfriends, and even though they always told me I was pretty, they’d constantly make comments about my weight, offering suggestions on what I should do to lose it.
But I thought Henry was different. He never once said a negative thing about my size, but now, I know it’s because he was only using me, so he didn’t care how I looked.
“You ready to sign?” Henry asks, taking his phone out of his pocket. “Or do we need to do it the hard way?”
Wordlessly, I walk over to the paperwork and read the top sheet, stating that I’m giving him power of attorney. I lift the pen resting on the paperwork, and as I scribble my signature at each spot where a tab indicates where to sign, my heart cracks. This was my father’s pride and joy, then Lorenzo’s. And because of my horrible decision to marry a man who has been using me, I’m destroying everything they’ve worked for.
When I sign the last sheet, a sob breaks free. I drop the pen and walk away, but before I can get far, Henry grabs my biceps, halting me.
“Sorry, darling, but you’re not going anywhere.”
“What else could you possibly want from me?”
“It isn’t personal,” Henry says. “But if I let you go, I lose my leverage because we both know you’ll run straight to your brother and spill everything you know to him.”
