“You don’t even know me,” I say calmly.
“I know I don’t like you. That’s all I need to know.”
I turn my attention to Harold. “Mr Prescott, with all due respect, I would like for Charlotte and myself to talk to you without Edward here.”
Edward slams his hand onto the table. “Go to fucking hell, this is my house.”
“And you’re acting irrational.”
Harold pinches the bridge of his nose. “Edward, enough!” he snaps.
Charlotte slides her hand into mine on my lap.
“The stories you have read in the magazines are mostly untrue,” I begin.
“Mostly.” Edward huffs. “Un-fucking-believable. You were with another woman last week in Ibiza, for Christ’s sake.”
“No, he wasn’t,” Charlotte interrupts. “Those were all lies.”
“Charlotte, you cannot be that gullible,” Edward cries. “I’ve worked too damn hard to protect you from shit like this to have your reputation ruined in an instant by a cad like him.”
I glare at Edward as I swirl my Scotch around in my mouth. I get an image of myself diving over the table and strangling him ‘til he turns blue.
Charlottes face falls. “He’s not a cad, and I’m in love with him.”
Harold rolls his eyes. “You are not in love, Charlotte, you are in lust. He’s your first boyfriend. There is a big difference, darling.”
“You’re wrong,” I tell him. “We are very much in love.” I reach into my inner pocket of my suit coat and take out the folded piece of paper in there, handing it over to Harold.
He narrows his eyes, opens it and begins to read.
“What’s that?” Edward whines.
“It’s a prenup of sorts,” I reply. “A co-habitation agreement.”
Charlotte’s face falls as her eyes search mine.
“What?” Edward roars, standing immediately. His chair falls back and hits the floor with a thud. “Over my dead fucking body are you moving in here.”
“Charlotte’s moving to London with me.” I take a sip of my scotch. “Tonight,” I add.
Edward’s eyes narrow and he marches across the room and stands over me.
“Edward, stop it,” Charlotte whispers. “Dad, do something.”
“You’re not going anywhere, Charlotte. He’s a player, and he’s using you,” Edward seethes.
I lose my grip on my temper. “For what?” I yell. “I’m in love with her. How is that using her?”
“Her bank balance is an incredible incentive, isn’t it, Mr Jones?” He sneers.
“I don’t want your goddamn money. It’s there in black and white in that contract.” I gesture to the contract in Harold’s hands. “I’m successful all on my own, and I have enough money for both Charlotte and I to live forever without touching a penny of your inheritance.” I stand angrily. “I didn’t come here to justify my character. I do, however, have some serious doubts about yours. Tell me, Edward, why is it you travelled halfway across the world to see me, but not once did you contact your sister to see how she was?” He narrows his eyes.
“She is not a fucking possession. She is a beautiful woman who deserves to be loved, and I will not allow you to keep her here as your trophy for one minute longer,” I yell as I completely lose control.
“Wyatt!” Charlotte calls, sensing that this is about to get out of hand.
Harold frowns at what I’ve just said.
I turn to Harold. “She is a prisoner of your fucking bank balance!” I yell.
Edward pushes me, and I quickly grab the lapels on his shirt.
“Edward!” Harold yells, standing abruptly.
“Stop it!” Charlotte cries. “Stop it, both of you.”
Wyatt and Anthony appear and run to break us up.
“You’re both fucking fired!” Edward yells to them as they drag him back from me. “How did you let this happen?” He breaks free from their grip. “You were supposed to guard her from men like him.”
I suck air into my lungs and glare at him. Contempt for him drips from my every pore. I don’t think I’ve ever hated anyone as much. I step back and straighten my suit.
“Anthony and Wyatt, you work for me now,” I tell them breathlessly. “You guard Charlotte for me. To hell with this Prescott bullshit. They can stick their precious money up their arses.”
Harold’s face falls.
“Let me tell you this,” I say. “I’m in love with Charlotte. I’m marrying Charlotte, with or without your permission. Get used to it.”
I turn and take Charlotte’s hand. “We’re leaving.”
“Spencer,” she whispers.
“Now,” I growl.
“Don’t you fucking go anywhere with him, Charlotte,” Edward hisses. “I’m warning you.”
I turn to Edward and point at him. “Don’t you dare warn her. Nobody speaks to her like that. Do you fucking hear me? If you upset her or disrespect her in any way, I will come here and personally knock you the fuck out.”
Edward’s eyes blaze with anger.
I turn to Harold and nod. “Mr Prescott, you are welcome in my home anytime. I’m sorry that tonight didn’t go as well as Charlotte and I had hoped it would.”
“Goodbye.” I take Charlotte’s hand and lead her outside. Harold follows us. “Don’t go,” he begs her softly.
Charlotte wraps her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry, Dad, I have to.”
I shake his hand. “I will hopefully see you soon.”
He drops his eyes to the ground, unable to make eye contact with me.
I lead Charlotte out and open her car door for her. She hesitates and looks up at her father on the porch, silently begging him to accept me.
“Let’s go, angel.” I put her in the car and then drive out the gates, unable to miss the way her eyes fill with tears.
I run my hand through my hair when I see Wyatt and Anthony pull out behind me onto the road. My heart is beating so hard in my chest.
What a fucking disaster.
I grip the steering wheel with white knuckle force. I can’t believe what just happened. Why the hell do they hate me so much when they don’t even know me? Fucking Alexander York is getting a visit tomorrow. What’s he told them about me?
Charlotte begins to cry, and my stomach drops. I instantly feel like shit.
“I’m sorry that didn’t go to plan, angel.” I reach over and take her hand in mine.
Her face screws up in tears as she watches me. “That’s it, isn’t it?” She begins to really cry. “I’ll never see them now, will I?” She sobs.
“What did you want me to do?”
“Be nice, Spencer. I wanted you to be nice. You said you were going to be nice.”
“I was fucking nice. I should have knocked him out, that’s what I should have done.”
She throws up her hands in despair and begins to wail.
I roll my eyes as I drag my hand down my face. Great. Just fucking great.
*
Two very silence-filled hours later, and I pull into the Four Seasons. I hand the car keys to the valet. Charlotte wanted to sleep here tonight and not at my house.
She’s angry with me for fighting with them, but honestly, what was I supposed to do? What would any man do if he were under attack like that?
I hold her hand as we take the lift in even more silence. I don’t even know what to say to her to try and make this better.
I know more than anyone how much a parent’s rejection hurts.
First mine, now hers.
They don’t even know me.
We walk into the apartment, and she heads straight for the stairs. “I’m going to bed.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m having a drink.”
“You don’t have any scotch left.”
“I’ll go down to the bar to get some.”
“Whatever,” she replies flatly.
Whatever? For fuck’s sake. I’ll give fucking Edward whatever when I see him. He’s done exactly what he wanted to do by causing trouble between us.
I leave and head straight for the hotel bar.
“What will it be?” the waitress asks.
“I’ll have a bottle of Black Label to take away, and a scotch on the rocks for now.”
She smiles as she wipes the bar down. “Sure.”
Moments later, she hands me my drink and I sip it sadly. I go over the conversation with Edward in my head.
“You’re not going anywhere, Charlotte. He’s a player, he’s using you.”
I run my hands through my hair in disgust. I hate that I’m perceived this way.
I honestly love her.