“Family?” I chuckle. “None of you know the damn meaning of the word. My family died when my mother did.”
I storm out of his study with him calling my name, but I ignore him. When I say I’m done, I’m done. There will be no more handouts given, no more saving him from shit he got himself into. No more funding my sisters’ extravagant lifestylesor wasting money on exclusive rehab. This will be the last time I save my family.
Sleep doesn’t come. I’ve been tossing and turning since I got to my penthouse. I love New York, but being here stresses me out. Little did I know this short trip to relax for a couple of days would spiral into a complete shitshow. It’s a reminder that when it comes to my family, things are never simple.
Florian should have the papers by now. If not now, he’ll get them first thing in the morning. Will he be happy with this arrangement? Because I’m definitely not.
Unable to sleep, I open my laptop and start searching for information about my future husband. The thought that I’m going to marry someone I don’t know sends a burst of terror racing through me.
“What the hell am I going to do?” I mumble as a picture appears on the website. I instantly recognize him by his rugged beauty. “That’s the man Samuel introduced me to. One of the theater’s donors.”
I scroll through the many articles that have popped up about him.
Even though he’s been photographed a lot with a mesmerizing blonde bombshell, Florian Larsson is still considered one of the world’s most eligible bachelors, according to the popular tabloidExposé.
“Someone who looks nothing like me.”
One article’s headline suggests that a wedding is on the horizon for them. Despite what the papers say, his bodylanguage doesn’t convey that he’s in love with her. Our arranged marriage is further evidence of this.
“Either she’s a great actress, or she’s in love with him,” I mutter as I continue to scroll through picture after picture of the beautiful couple. “She’s going to be a problem.”
In some of the photos, her eyes are fixed on him with such intensity, like he’s the only thing that matters in the world. In other pictures, they pose for the camera, giving off the impression of being the next sought-after couple. However, I can say that the way he looks at her falls short of the way she looks at him. He maintains a cold and distant demeanor. In every photograph, his gaze never meets hers and is always fixed on the camera.
“But she has to mean more to him than just someone to take to fancy functions, Belle,” I say to myself as I search through even more photos and articles of the couple that go back years.
Since this isn’t a real marriage, will he have a mistress even though it says in the contract he must remain faithful? Will it be her?
I push those thoughts out of my mind, but it leaves behind a lingering feeling of sadness. While I don’t know him, and this marriage won’t be real, I still don’t want to imagine I’ve given the rest of my life to someone who’ll disrespect me in that way because that’s not something I would do despite this being a farce. But his relationship with her is something I’ll deal with when the time comes. It’s definitely a conversation we’ll need to have. Right now, there’s something more important I need to know.
“I need to find out why the hell they call him Beast.”
After doing a little more digging, I stumble upon another article fromExposé, this time written by investigative reporter Amy Moreno.
It’s unclear whether this is a ploy for attention or fact, but the reporter alleges that he’s the head of one of the six established Swedish Syndicates who have made waves in the criminal underworld in the US in the last few years, especially with Florian at the reins.
“Oh my god.” I rub my temples, the pain increasing in my head as reality sinks in. “My dad sold me to the mob.”
Known for his cutthroat tactics in business, Florian has become a prominent figure in both legitimate business circles and the shadowy realms of criminal activity since succeeding his father, Olan Larsson, according to Amy Moreno.
He lost his mother at a young age and basically worked his way into the position he holds now. Despite his reputation for cruelty, people still view him as an enigma because he effortlessly moves between both worlds.
“Who is this man, and how in the hell does my father know him?”
Although he seemed nice when I met him after my performance, what my family had to say about him let me know that I totally misjudged the person he is.
I shut down the laptop, its screen going dark, and place it on the bedside table, adding to the clutter of books. There has to be a way to prepare for this, but how do you prepare for someone you don’t know? Someone known as Beast.
“I’m so screwed.”
13
Florian
Closing the front door to my penthouse, I grip the large brown envelope in my hand like it’s my lifeline, and if I let it go, it might vanish into thin air. Or maybe I might wake up, and it all will be a dream.
Hugo just delivered Arabelle’s contract, and I’m in total disbelief. I’d believed that she would finally stand up for herself and tell her father to go to hell, but I guess she isn’t at that point yet. While this works in my favor today, I know eventually, she’ll be able to cut ties with her family because all they are doing is holding her back from living the life she deserves.
“She signed it.” I shake my head in disbelief. “She fucking signed it.”
