Chapter 7

Chill ran down my spine thinking about all the possibilities that could ruin my life, the air in the room grew thick. I never in my wildest dream thought that I would be so scared in front of Uncle Julian. 

Uncle Julian looked at me with narrowed eyes and the weight of his stairs made me uncomfortable and uncomfortable was a very lighter term that I was using. 

I was horrified and closed my eyes. 

“I thought you trusted me.” He accused me. 

“I ..Uncle..” I tried to say something, anything that would make him less mad. 

“No, you can’t uncle me, now.” He stood up and I did that too. I was so scared that I stuttered. 

“I…I didn’t know.. I was scared.” I stuttered. 

“You were scared?” a hollow laugh escaped his mouth. 

“You know how embarrassing it was to find out that my niece is in love with Knight’s nephew,” he said. 

“I am really… what?” I looked at him, startled. 

I could not believe what I heard. 

“What did you just say?” I asked him. 

“Don’t act so innocently in front of me. You are dating Maxmillion Knight’s Nephew. And I do remember him dropping you home from school.” He looked at me accusingly. 

This was.. 

What can I say surprising? 

Weird?

“I don’t know…… What you are saying.” I said. 

“Oh no, young lady. Now sit, we are going to talk and you will tell me the truth.” 

“I don’t know what you want to hear?” I asked in a huff. 

“Truth. If there is nothing, then why were you so scared right now? Tell me.” he demanded and again I was left speechless. 

There were many things I could be afraid of, I didn’t want them to find the truth, and to avoid any kind of confrontation, I agreed. 

I let myself fall into the trap, to protect one lie, I dug another one. 

“I.. Okay. I am with Adrian, but we are just getting to know each other. We are not something serious.” I faked a smile. 

My heart beated radically in my chest, and Uncle Jullian smiled at me. 

It did little to ease my worries. But still, it was a start. 

“Do you want to tell Nick about it?” he asked me and my eyes widened. 

“No..” I exclaimed. 

“Not right now, I.. I just want to be sure. You know, if things didn’t work out I don’t want Dad Mave to hunt him down. You know right.” I told him while hoping to keep up this charade. 

He nodded and sighed. 

“Okay, for the time being, I will keep your secret, but you have to understand this, no more hiding anything from me. Promise,” he asked. 

“Promise, I won’t hide anything from you.” I lied. 

There is definitely something that I am hiding from him. 

I left him in the office and moved out of his office. Before leaving Uncle Jullian asked me to have lunch downstairs, in the restaurant. 

I whirl a motion, I reached downstairs and I sat in the farthest corner of the room and ordered my food. 

When my order was served I called Adrian. 

“Hello Darling,” He purred. 

“Shut up, just tell me why your uncle is singing the song that we are an item.” I hissed on the phone. 

I was greeted with silence and then a burst of booming laughter. 

“Stop, and tell me what new fresh hell is this?” I asked. My blood boiled listening to him laughing at my misery. 

“Ah, I didn’t want you to find it like this,” he started. 

“What?” 

“We are in a relationship, darling. And this is what it is going to be?” 

“What do you mean, are you crazy, or is this new limit to your delusion.” I clenched my teeth. 

“I am not crazy, this is how it is going to be. Daphne, you will act like my girlfriend.” There was a sudden calm in his voice, that sent a chill down my bones, but reacted anyway. 

“If you think the ball is in your court, then you are sorely mistaken. You will do what I am telling you to. So stop acting like you have any control.” he hissed at me. 

“And what are you going to do, tell everyone that we slept together. Having sex is not a fucking crime. And virginity was not a prized possession. So get out of your fucked up mind and face the reality.” I was on the end of my wits, and his demands were making me furious. 

I wanted to burn something, maybe him particularly. But can I do that, it was a matter of principles. 

“Like I just said, you don’t have any authority in that. I will have a final say, or are you ready to face the consequences.” 

“Talk to me in a language that I understand. I am not getting anything and trust me you don’t have anything on me.” 

A dark chuckle follows through the phone and for a moment my heart stops. 

He cut the phone in the next moment and then I received a message. 

It was a video, mostly my dash cam footage. 

Fuck, no.. 

It was my video of hitting someone and then panicking. 

I panicked when I felt there was no pulse and then I did what I could do. 

I dragged the person to the adjoining ditch and ran from there. 

But I thought there was no one. How could he get that footage? 

All the blood drained from my body and I wanted to scream, but I was numb, and scared. I could hear people talking, and laughing but all I saw was me in that footage. 

Suddenly my phone rang, it was Adrian and I answered it immediately. 

“I hope everything is clear now..” he drawled. 

“How?” I whispered. 

“Does it really matter? How, when, and what. Nothing matters. I have my own ways.” he said. 

“You can’t do this. I.. will tell my fathers.” I tried to defend myself. 

“If you wanted to do that, you could have done that sooner. No, you won’t tell them anything.” he answered. 

“But now.. I can.” I whispered. 

“Yeah, and who do you think they are going to support? Will Blackwood let his reputation tarnish because of your one reckless act? I think the board of directors won’t think twice before kicking your grandpa out. And think about James' brothers, will they be able to help you? To them reputation matters, it is everything.” he paused and I took a deep breath. 

“They are not like that. They do love their reputation but they love me more.” I tried to argue. 

“They do love you, I know this but they do love you enough to lose everything for you. After all, you are not their daughter.” That was the last blow and then he ended the call. 

I sat there, listening to the buzzing of the cell phone. The line was dead but I still could hear Adrian’s voice. 

He was right, I can’t take risks and above all, I don’t want to be the reason for my family’s downfall. They have given me everything, I can’t do that to them.

I had to be strong, so I did whatever to protect me. 

I picked up my phone and messaged Adrian. 

Me: I am ready. 

His reply was immediate

Devil: That’s my Darling.