Page 86 of Little Liar

The Reznikovs take that as their cue to leave. The hyperactive one gets up first, opening the door for the older woman, winksat me, then vanishes. Adryx glances at Abbi before leaving, and then Xander and Igor exit, leaving the four of us in awkward silence.

“What the fuck was that about?”

Mom scowls at my dad. “None of your business, Jamieson.”

“What did they already honor?”

“Nothing.” She stands. “I’m going to take Molly out for food. Do you want me to drop you off at home?”

Dad tightens his jaw. “I want to know everything.”

Sighing, she nods. “On the way.”

He grabs my hand and squeezes. “I’ll fix this.”

I try to smile but fail. They all leave, and Abigail tells me she’ll catch up with me later then jumps out to grab lunch from across the street.

The walk to my office somehow takes forever. I’m numb. Dizzy. Scared. I want Malachi. I need him.

I bristle when I get to my office and find Xander with his back to the door, staring out the window. “What do you want?” I ask.

“Close the door.”

“No,” I respond, opening the door wider as he turns to look at me. “You can leave.”

“Despite all this messing around and arguing with my father, you are aware of the contract you already signed. For someone who works in a courthouse, you’re pretty dense.”

“I’m not marrying you. Now get the fuck out of my office before I call security.”

He smirks, staring at me for far too long, then huffs out a laugh. “You’ve completely misjudged me, dear Olivia. No one will be throwing me out of my wife’s office. In fact, I could drag you out kicking and screaming and no one would help you.”

“I’m not your wife; nor will I ever be. You need to—”

“I could fuck you over your desk and no one would save you.”

I pause, stepping back. “Like I’d ever go near you.”

“We’ll see.”

“You can leave now.” I keep my voice firm and controlled, though my hand is shaking as I tighten it around the doorknob.

And then his entire demeanor changes as his hands fist at his sides. “Don’t get on my bad side, you little brat.” He forces me to let go of the door, closing it with a click. “You will end your thing with your brother and sign the fucking marriage certificate.”

Staring, I refuse to grace him with a response or question how he knows about my relationship with Malachi. If I show I’m scared, my fear will feed into his power. Men like him thrive on control—unlucky for him, I’ve had plenty of practice dealing with my mother, which has left me thicker skinned.

But deep down, fear is wrapping around all of my organs and strangling them, even as I tip my chin up. “I’d rather die than be your wife.”

“You won’t even deny that you’re fucking your own sibling?” He narrows his eyes and shoves his hands into the pockets of his dress pants. “It’s disgusting. Do you know what people will say about you when they find out? The Vize case went public, or do you forget? As soon as Malachi comes out of hiding, and the press catches on to what you two are doing, it’ll be plastered everywhere.”

My eyes sting, but I still stay silent. That was nearly a decade ago—people won’t care what we do; they’ve probably forgotten all about the case by now.

He comes closer. “I wonder if he’ll beg you to stay when you inevitably end things? Will he use his voice? Will he struggle for his words? My father will likely cut off his hands, so he’ll have no way of communicating with you ever again.”

I flinch as he comes even closer, leaning down so we’re at eye level. “You put your brother behind bars, and now you’re opening your legs for him. You’re a fucking whore.”

Despite my insides spiraling into a deep hole, the panic rising, my heart thumping in my chest, I manage to smack him across the face with a heavy palm, laugh lightly, and back away. “It’s no wonder you need to pay someone to marry you given that you won’t stop talking. How much did you offer my mother? One million? Two?”

He smirks and rubs his cheek. “My father paid her eleven million. Now do you understand why I need to do this?”