Read episode 18 here: http://bit.ly/allureserial
“It’s one thing to lie to the women you seduce, Dorian, but how dare you try that line with me? I know you.”
Ooof. Some comments were best left untouched.
As much as I tried not to go there, though, a lifetime of history with this man replayed in the back of my mind.
My pseudo-father had just claimed I was incapable of love.
Only good for fucking. Using women.
Yeah, sure, my own actions led to that reputation, but considering his own dirt had come back to haunt him—dirt I would’ve never thought him capable of—it was a waste of time to argue about his hypocrisy.
“I love her. I’d tell you to accept it, but considering you already tried cutting her off from family money that isn’t truly yours, it doesn’t matter either way. We’re together. That’s it.” I stepped around him as the elevator door opened on my floor.
It was too much to hope that he wouldn’t follow me out, but I would’ve been lying if I said I wasn’t praying for it.
His steps were silent on the muffled carpet; I felt his presence through the sheer force of his anger close to my back.
“Listen to me, you ingrate. Everything you have is because of me.”
Excuse me?
I faced him, incredulous, and on the verge of giving into my own anger. “It was my father’s company. He built it from the ground up.”
“And the board would’ve never accepted you so easily without my help. How do you repay me? With hypocrisy. A man with your reputation judging me for what I do on my free time—”
“I’m not married.” Not yet, at least. My plans for my future were crystal-fucking-clear in my mind. “And you’re picking up my scraps without hesitation.”
Stephen scoffed. “Please, Dorian. All those sluts pass themselves around. It’s what they’re good for. I can almost guarantee that you’ve picked up some of my ‘scraps’, as you call them, throughout the years without even realizing it. What the hell does it matter?”
I stared into those familiar, light blue eyes, the exact shade of Demitra’s, and saw nothing but a stranger. Maybe I was a hypocrite for how I viewed him, but even I hadn’t callously crossed the lines he didn’t seem to care about. “You know what? Fuck all of that. But let’s discuss your double standards, shall we? You tried fucking cutting Demitra off and leaving her without any financial support simply because she was seeing someone.”
He stepped toward me, his fury returning full force. “You’re the bastard that left that disgusting mark on my daughter’s body! Mauling her like a fucking animal!”
“I am going to repeat this one last time: Demi is an adult. What she does with her body isn’t your business. Just like she’s supposed to mind her business when it comes to your betrayal of her mother.”
“You are not going to ruin my daughter’s future prospects for a husband—”
“You’re out of your mind if you think you’re going to choose that for her. You’re even more insane if you think you’re going to stand between me and that title.”