I did my best to keep my gaze away from the gorgeous man standing next to Ryker as I went to walk past them both, but I was stopped by his hand on my arm. He leaned into me, and I was instantly transported back to my bedroom, wrapped in his arms, safe and loved.
“I love you,” he murmured into my ear, too low for the others to pick up, but it still made my heart skip several beats. To hear him say it— It waseverything. And at the same time, I was very aware of the fact that my fiancé was on my other side, and we were caught in an impossible situation.
“You too,” I whispered back, and Anton huffed out a breath.No. He’d heard me. Whipping around to face him, I caught the expression on his face. He looked…resigned?Sad? That couldn’t be right, surely?
He gave Jay a wry smile, holding out his hand. “Attwood,” he said.
Jay met his gaze, clasping his hand and shaking it firmly. “Volkov.”
What was happening here?
Anton released Jay’s hand and then held out his arm to me. “Shall we go and face the music?”
“Sign in the tabbed places.” My father slid a sheaf of papers across the table to me, along with a gold Montblancfountain pen. I stared down at the first page on the stack, my eyes widening as I took it in. Inhaling shakily, I looked up at my father.
“You’re voiding the agreement?”
He gave a clipped nod. “Your services are no longer required.”
My services are no longer required?What did that mean? Did they know about Jay? Was I going to be punished?
“I-I don’t understand.”
“Stop trembling, for goodness’ sake,” my mother whispered harshly from my left, and I swallowed hard, straightening up in my seat.
“We are no longer betrothed.” Anton placed my engagement ring on the polished mahogany surface with a clink. The diamond sparkled under the low lights. “A new agreement has been made, and it no longer involves you.” His mouth twisted into the same wry smile he’d given me earlier. “You’re free to choose your own partner.”
My mother’s gaze flicked to Anton before returning to me. “Your former fiancé made it a condition of the new contract.” She pointedly cleared her throat. “You are free to choose…within reason. As a Thorpe, you have standards to uphold.”
I gaped at Anton, who gave me a small shake of his head. Okay. It was something he wasn’t prepared to discuss in front of my parents. Or his own father, for that matter. I side-eyed the silent, imposing man sitting at the head of the table. As if he felt my gaze on him, he turned, a humourless smile curving over his lips.
“Due to recent events, we were prepared to make some concessions to our original agreement. As for Igor…” His smile widened, turning genuine, filled with malicious intent. “He humiliated the family and betrayed the Bratva brotherhood, and he will pay the price.”
Well, it seemed as if there was no love lost between the two of them.
“Hurry up.” Tapping the contract rescindment with a manicured fingernail, my mother huffed impatiently. “Do you understand the expense of a discreet solicitor who is prepared to work on such short notice?”
“Elizabeth,” my father admonished, and my mother clamped her mouth shut. He drummed his fingers on the table, letting me know without words that he was just as impatient as her. My gaze was drawn to Anton, who nodded. Exhaling, I picked up the pen and signed.
Anton came to a stop in the doorway. He’d been instructed to join the other men in the smoking room while I escaped to be with my friends, but he’d hung back until everyone else had left the blue room. “The betrothal is over. You are free to be with Attwood,” he murmured.
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “Thank you. But why? Why did you do it?”
His mouth twisted. “My reasons are my own. At least one of us should be free to choose.”
“What about you?”
“I will do what I must. I am…happy for you both.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “I think your mother will approve.”
A startled laugh burst from my throat, and the corner of his lips kicked upwards. With a nod to me, my former fiancé turned on his heel and strode away.
“Nova?” Priya appeared in the hallway, gripping amedical bag. “Your mum said you were finished, so I wanted to check up on you before I leave. I’ve texted the instructions for the painkillers to you. I hope you don’t mind, but your mother gave me your number.”
“I don’t have my phone, though.” As far as I was aware, it was still in Bill’s car.
A solid body pressed up against my back, warm breath skating over my skin as Jay dipped his head to my ear. “You do. Ryker recovered it from the car.” His arm slid around my waist, my phone clasped in his hand. “Here.”
A smile spread across my face as I took the phone from him, leaning into his warmth. “Priya? Do you want to join me and the girls tonight? I’d like to get to know my boyfriend’s sister better.”
