He's never hit me before. Never. In all my years of trying to please him and sometimes failing, he's never once raised a hand to me.
"You stupid, selfish girl." His voice is shaking with rage. "Do you have any concept of the damage you've caused?"
I touch my cheek. I can feel it already starting to swell, and I'm too shocked to speak.
"I have spent years building this alliance. Years cultivating the Whitmores, positioning our families for maximum advantage. And you've destroyed it all for what? For some criminal who got you pregnant?" His hands are clenched into fists. "You're going to fix this. You're going to end things with Ciresa, and you're going to marry Thaddeus, and you're going to pass that baby off as his. Do you understand me? Get Thaddeus to come back and fuck him tonight if you have to."
I feel sick, hearing him speak to me that way. "No. I'm not going to do any of that."
"You don't have a choice?—"
The door opens, and Romeo is there. His eyes go immediately to my face, to the red mark on my cheek, and something in his expression shifts and goes cold. Dangerous.
"Get out." His voice is quiet, but I can hear the violence underneath.
"This is a private conversation—" Edgar starts, but Romeo is already moving into the room.
"I said get out." He's looking at my father now, and I've never seen him look at anyone like this—like he's calculating exactly how much damage he can do, exactly how much pain he can inflict. "You have five seconds to leave before I make you leave."
"Romeo—" I start, but he holds up a hand.
"Did he hit you?" His eyes are still on Edgar, but the question is for me.
I touch my cheek again, and I can feel tears starting to fall. "Yes."
Romeo takes a step toward my father, and Edgar actually backs up. I can see fear flash across his face before he covers it with indignation.
"You can't threaten me?—"
"This isn't your apartment." Romeo's voice is still quiet, still controlled. "This is mine. And you just hit my woman in my home. So I'm going to give you one chance to apologize to Savannah and leave peacefully. Or I'm going to break every bone in your hand and throw you out myself."
"Your woman?" Edgar sounds aghast. "She's my daughter. She's engaged to Thaddeus Whitmore. She's?—"
"She's mine." Romeo moves to stand beside me, and his hand finds mine. "She's carrying my child. And she's not marrying Whitmore. Not now. Not ever."
"You have no say in this?—"
"I have every say in this." Romeo's voice is harder now. "I'm giving you one chance—one—to accept that and help us stop Whitmore. Or I will destroy everything you've built. I will dismantle you piece by piece. I will expose every corrupt deal, every bribe, every dirty secret you've spent decades hiding. And I will watch your empire burn."
Edgar stares at him for a long moment, and then he laughs. "You're threatening me? You're a thug. A criminal. You have noreal power. No connections that matter. You think you can go up against the Beauregard family and win?"
Romeo smiles, and it's the coldest thing I've ever seen. "You're right about one thing. I am a criminal. Which means I don't have to play by your rules. I don't have to worry about social consequences or public opinion or maintaining appearances." He takes a step closer to Edgar. "Men like you—you have systems you have to abide by. Rules you have to follow, even when they're corrupt. You have to maintain the illusion of respectability. You have to keep your hands clean."
"And you don't?" Edgar's voice is mocking.
"No." Romeo's smile widens. "I don't. Which means when I say I'll destroy you, I mean it literally. I will take everything you care about and burn it to the ground. And I won't lose a single night's sleep over it."
The silence that follows is suffocating. Edgar is staring at Romeo like he's seeing him clearly for the first time, and I can see the moment when he realizes that Romeo isn't bluffing. That he means every word.
"You're insane," Edgar says finally.
"Maybe." Romeo's hand tightens on mine. "But I'm insane about her. And I will do anything—anything—to keep her safe. So you have a choice to make, Mr. Beauregard. You can accept that Savannah is with me now. You can help us stop Whitmore. You can be part of your daughter's life and your grandchild's life. Or you can keep pushing, keep trying to force her into a marriage that will get her killed, and find out exactly what I'm capable of when someone threatens what's mine."
Edgar looks at him for a long moment, and I can see the hatred in his eyes, the fury at being dismissed, at losing control. But he's smart enough to recognize when he's outmatched.
"This isn't over," he says as he moves toward the door. "You think you've won, but you haven't. The Whitmores won't let this go. And neither will I."
"I'm counting on it." Romeo's smile is cold, dangerous. "Because when you come at me, I'll be ready. And I'll make sure everyone knows exactly what kind of man you are."
