I grabbed another pile of clothes and she shrieked, absolute frustration marring her beautiful face.
The sound tore through the suite. Frustrated and wild and completely unlike her. My hands locked around the clothes. She glared at me with her jaw locked and her eyes glassy.
“I will not live my life under Julian’s control.” Her hands shook as she snatched the clothes from me and threw them back into the suitcase. “If you’re fine with that, whatever, you do you. But I will not live my life pretending he doesn’t have one of his lackeys tailing us.”
“When?”
She whirled on me. “What?”
“When did Dorian follow us?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yeah, it does.” I crossed my arms. “Because if it was before I announced Hazel, then there’s no reason for him to keep tabs now.”
She shook her head. “You think this stops?”
“Why wouldn’t it?” I grabbed the suitcase, yanking it away from her. “Your dad got what he wanted. We’re together. He’s happy. Mission accomplished.”
“You’re an idiot.”
My brows shot up. “Excuse me?”
She stalked toward me, eyes blazing. “My control freak father will never stop watching. Never. That’s not how he operates.”
“You’re being?—”
“Don’t.” She jabbed a finger at me. “Don’t tell me I’m paranoid or hysterical or any other word you’re about to throw at me.”
I held up both hands. “I was going to say cautious.”
“Bullshit.” She shoved past me, grabbing more clothes from the dresser. “He blackmailed me into being your nanny. He’s spent my entire life threatening anything I show even an inch of interest in. He had us followed. And now that he has me exactly where he wants me, you think things will just be fine?”
Blackmail felt like too strong a word for what was Julian being Julian. Overbearing. Controlling. The kind of man who’d threaten my contract without losing sleep.
But would he actually threaten his own daughter?
I’d watched them together for years. He showed her off at events, bragged about her degrees, gave her whatever she wanted.
Whatever pressure he’d applied to get her here, it couldn’t have been that bad. She was starting a doctorate next year. She had a life of her own. Julian wouldn’t risk losing her over a babysitting job.
“So he pressured you.” I grabbed more clothes she’d packed, pulling them back out. “That’s just Julian being Julian.”
“Are you serious right now?” She wrenched them from my grip.
“Yeah.” I shoved them back in the drawer. “Your dad pushes everyone. That’s his management style. But now we’re together, and he’s got what he wanted. It’ll stop.”
Her laugh was sharp. Bitter. “You really believe that.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you don’t know him like I do.” She moved past me, grabbing more clothes. “He will use me to control you.”
“Let him try.”
“Griffin—”
“No.” I blocked her path to the suitcase. “You’re making this bigger than it is. We’ll handle him.”
