Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
When I reached the office again and had to pass the open door, Luc and his father were heavily debating someone’s involvement in a new distillery.
I glimpsed inside.
His father was still sitting at his desk, leaning back in the chair and staring at the ceiling, looking like he didn’t want to have that conversation again.
Luc was talking with a determination I hadn’t seen before. My heart raced, and I hated how even seeing the back of his head and hearing his voice was enough to make me ache for him.
It didn’t matter; he was distracted.
It was now or never.
As I was about to take a step to pass the door, he stood up, and I froze. He leaned over the desk, planting his fists on the wooden surface. His tone was lowered to a whisper, but I could hear the anger in his words. It didn’t matter what he was saying. His back was to me, and his body would block his father’s view of the door. I was able to slide by undetected.
Once I made it to the front door, the rest was easy.
It took less than forty-five minutes for me to be standing outside the Astrid mansion gate, waiting for Rose.
I was leaning against the wrought iron bars, sticking close to make sure I couldn’t be seen from the estate’s windows.
My mother’s rooms were on the other end of the mansion. Logically, I knew she wouldn’t be looking out the windows, anyway. This early on a Saturday, she would be sleeping off the hangover.
Finally, I saw Rose as she ran down the lawn in a pink dress and bare feet with two duffle bags hanging from her arms.
“Okay, this one has your phone, and like a week’s worth of clothes.” She passed the bag through the iron bars. “This one has a few high-end handbags and pieces of jewelry that you should be able to pawn for immediate cash.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me for this. All of this is yours and the maids already had it packed and ready. Thank me for calling Harrison.” She shrugged.
“You what?” I had told her not to tell anyone. I needed to be gone before anyone knew to look for me. “Is he going to tell Mother?”
Fuck, I didn’t even want to think about what would happen if she caught me. “Or is he calling Luc?”
“Oh, it’s Luc now?” She raised a brow at me.
“What is Harrison going to do?” I didn’t have time for her to grill me about the familiar name I used for the man I was running away from.
“Harrison thinks this is a good idea. He doesn’t like what Mother is forcing you to do. He says it’s barbaric and outdated. I asked him to transfer some money into your accounts, and he said that Mother’s name is still on them, so she can track them. He says he is going to get her name off those accounts and once he does, he will contact you and send you some money to help get you settled.”
I reached through the bars and hugged my sister, happy tears stinging my eyes. “Thank you.”
“He is the one that suggested selling the purses and jewelry for cash. Our brother can be surprisingly useful.”
“Yes, he can,” I said.
Words couldn’t express how grateful I was, just knowing I had one male sibling who saw me as a person and not a bargaining chip.
“Do you know where you are going?” she asked, worrying her bottom lip.
“Not yet, and you know what? For the first time, I think that is exciting.” I smiled like I believed what I was saying.
Truth was, despite the summer heat, I had a cold, creeping feeling of dread.
I was terrified.
I had traveled before, of course, but always with my mother, sister, or a group of friends.
Never on my own; never like this.
Anxiety was bubbling away in my stomach, and I wanted to throw up, then hide under a blanket like a child, but that was not an option.
She gave me a bright smile. “That is awesome, but go before they figure out you are gone, and have a room ready for me in case Mother pulls this stunt with me, too.”
“You got it. Here, take this.” I handed her Luc’s phone. “Give it to him when he comes looking for me.”
“I’ll give it to Harrison and let him decide what to do with it.”
“Even better.” I hugged my sister through the wrought iron bars one more time.
“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered, holding me tighter.
“I already miss you,” I said back before pulling out of her tight embrace and turning toward the nearest subway station.
The pawn shop was easier than I expected. Several were located not too far from where I was, just a few quick subway stops down.
I entered the first one, which had an Alexander McQueen bag in the window.