“I don’t believe that,” he huffs. “Of course, she is upset about this marriage, but she wouldn’t do that to her family. She always sticks by us.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you believe, Arthur. Did she not say she was done with you when she signed my contract?”
His silence says it all. He can’t put this on me. It was a decision Arabelle made on her own. She found out what kind of man her father truly is when he decided that his comfort meant more than his child. He just didn’t believe she would stand by her decision and completely cut them out of her life.
Reluctantly, I tear my eyes away from the performance to glance at him. The last time I saw him, he looked so much younger compared to now. Don’t get me wrong—he looked like shit then, but he’s definitely looking worse now. I guess money problems can age you.
“But you should thank her because I know what you planned with Adahlia,” I say so there’s no confusion on his part, and so that he realizes the mercy I’ve given to him. Only because his daughter asked me to.
“Florian…I’m…I’m sorry,” he stammers.
I raise my hand, silencing his lies before they can escape his lips.
“I don’t need your apologies, Arthur. They won’t do any good anyway, but I’m not mad at that, even though I should be. It was a clever ploy. But that plan almost got your daughter killed. Now, that’s something I will never forgive. Or forget.”
His eyes widen in alarm as he comprehends the gravity of the threat. And let’s be honest—that’s exactly what it is, and that’s how he should take it. Even in the darkness of the theater, I see the fear dancing in his dark eyes. He should be very afraid of what I can do to him because he’s forever on my shit list. All my Beauty has to do is say the word, and Arthur Williamson will no longer breathe.
“I didn’t know she would try to hurt Arabelle,” he says, trying to make excuses for putting Arabelle in danger. “She was only supposed to seduce you so Arabelle could break the contract. I would never hurt my daughter.”
“And yet, you gave her to me so you can have your precious company.” I turn my attention back to the performance. “That says more about you than you can ever imagine, Arthur.”
“Listen!” he shouts, jumping to his feet, then pointing his finger at me, which causes me to give him the attention he so desperately wants. “If you keep my daughter away from me, you’ll regret it! I’ll make sure of it!”
I’m glad the music is loud enough to drown out his outburst, creating a shield of sound that keeps unwanted eyes away. I don’t take threats lightly, and his words have given me all the reason to view him as the threat he truly is.
“Is that right?”
With a wave of my hand, Asva seizes Arthur, tugging him closer to the door, immersing them both into the darkness of the box. I rise from my seat and stalk toward my father-in-law, my eyes fixed on him like a predator. As I pull the small knifefrom its sheath nestled in the waistband of my tuxedo pants, he desperately fights against Asva’s grip. When I stand in front of him, fear is etched across his face. He should have thought about that before he tossed his threats about so carelessly.
“She’ll never forgive you if you hurt me,” he says, his voice trembling.
I firmly grasp his shoulder, digging my fingers into muscle. My smile widens as I lean close to him. With a swift motion, I drive the knife into his stomach and twist the hilt, eliciting a guttural grunt from him.
“Then I’ll make sure she never finds out it was me,” I whisper in his ear. “See you in hell.”
After removing the knife from his body, I retrieve my handkerchief from the inside pocket of my tuxedo and use it to clean the blood from my hands and the blade. Finally, I place it inside Asva’s jacket pocket so he can get rid of it.
The utter horror that’s mixed with pain on Arthur’s face is hilarious. He quickly forgot who he was dealing with.
“Make sure no one sees you on the way out. And dump him where it’ll take at least a week to find him. Maybe one of the old gambling houses.”
Asva nods.
I turned my attention back to Arthur, whose dark shirt will do a very good job hiding the blood gushing from his stab wound.
“Just because I know my Beauty will be devastated when she learns of your death, I’ll give her the opportunity to say goodbye to you.”
“You won’t get away with this,” he groans.
“Maybe I won’t, but you won’t be around to find out. And she’ll finally be rid of you once and for all.”
Ignoring the groans and curses coming from Arthur, I sink back into the comfort of my seat as Asva helps him out of the room.
He’s on the verge of death, and I feel absolutely nothing. He’s nothing but a burden to his daughter, which means he’s better off dead.
As Arabelle makes her way onto the stage, her father’s presence fades away and is replaced by a rush of adrenaline and excitement. It’s like seeing her all over again for the first time. It’s like I’m experiencing the joy of falling in love with her all over again, and my face betrays my pride with a constant smile. With every step, turn, and leap, she’s the epitome of grace and beauty. And I can proudly say that she’s all mine.
27
