C2, PT. 5 (Patreon)

“What did Tucker say to you?” Roth asked, ignoring her accusations.

She paced around the small room as the pressure inside of her mounted.

“Tucker didn’t say anything you haven’t,” she said, giving him a fake, dazzling smile. “He said I’m a slut who doesn’t know how to keep my legs closed, that I ruined his life, and he’s still dealing with the consequences of me breaking off my engagement to Ford. Oh, yeah, and the only reason I was there tonight was because of who I screwed.”

Roth’s temper began to fill the room.

“He's going to regret he was ever born.”

She gave a one shoulder shrug. “A confrontation like that was inevitable. If not him, then one of my father’s business associates would have—”

“No one would have dared. The only reason Baldwin did it is because he’s stupid enough to believe there’s nothing more that can be done to him. He’s wrong.”

“The Baldwins are my problem.”

“You don’t have any problems. That’s my job.”

“Why do you care how anyone treats me?” She was honestly bewildered. “You’ve done far worse.”

Tucker Baldwin publicly ridiculed her while Warren shredded her childish beliefs about her parents and identity, but both of those things paled in comparison to the pain Roth dished out over and over again. He’d gaslighted and conned her for years, hiding a vasectomy from her, hiding his success from her, leading her on with a promise of a future he knew she’d do anything for. It was all a game to him. He had no intention of fulfilling any promise he’d made to her. He was cruel beyond measure. The only man he equaled in the art of emotional manipulation was her father.

A series of emotions rippled across Roth’s face before he finally settled on the one he was most comfortable with—anger.

“I care how people treat you,” he rumbled.

“You can’t control what people say to me. You can’t control how they look at me and whisper behind my back. I told you, I’ve never been accepted in society, even as a Hennessy.” She waved a dismissive hand. “Lyle told Tucker would be blacklisted from future gatherings. It’s done.”

She felt the heat of his temper, even with her back to him.

“He hurt you.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re fine,” he repeated in a dead voice. “That’s why you’re trembling, bruised, and slapped me.”

She pivoted to face him with her hands balled into fists. “I’m shaking because I’m exhausted from spending all day prepping for an event you sprung on me with no warning. An event I’ve been dreaming of since I was a little girl. An event I never thought I’d attend.” Her eyes filled with tears. “And just like Dad, you realized I didn’t belong.”

He opened his mouth, but she didn’t give him the chance to speak.

“I did my best.” When tears trickled down her cheeks, she angrily dashed them away. “You might find this hard to believe, but some people actually seemed to like me.”

“That doesn’t surprise me at all,” he said softly.

“I made friends with Charlotte Trentham and almost danced with a president. I touched cheeks with a princess and got so many invitations…”

When her voice broke, he took a step toward her, hand outstretched, but she leapt back.

“Don’t you dare touch me!”

She tried to tamp down the emotional storm that wanted to rage.

“When we first got together, I told you about the panic attacks I had before social functions. I told you how relieved I was that I wouldn’t have to circulate in society anymore, and you shoved me back in, knowing how much I hated it and that I’ve never been up to par. I warned you, didn’t I?”

“Jasmine.”

“I may not have been perfect, but what could have been an enjoyable night was ruined by you and a bunch of other assholes who won’t let me forget that I don’t belong and never will. Now, all I want is some downtime, and you’re pushing me around, badgering me, and shouting at me when I did what you wanted. Fuck you, Roth. You deserve that slap and a whole lot more.”

“I need to know what happened.”

“Why?”

“Why?” he echoed dangerously. “Aside from the fact that no one fucks with my wife, this involves your sister. Anyone who makes a move against either of you makes an enemy of Lyle and me and, by extension, Rami.”

When she didn’t speak, he continued, “They banked on you and Colette not sharing, on trying to handle it yourselves as you always do. Whether it’s Warren or someone else that has a grudge or secret agenda, it weakens us as a unit and, by default, affects business.”

“And if all that was said was the truth?”

“What truth?”

She looked away and crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s up to Colette whether she wants to confide in you or not.”

She could almost hear him grinding his teeth.

“Do you want this piece of shit to get away with what he did to Colette?”

His scathing tone punctured her wavering self-control.

“Of course not! I want you to rip his fucking head off!” she shrieked. She would have thrown something if there was anything on the sleek surfaces, but they were empty. “I want you to use every ounce of hatred you felt for my father and direct it toward him. I want you to destroy him!”

“Then tell me who it is, and I’ll do it!” he roared.

She opened her mouth, lungs pumping, adrenaline surging. Warren’s name was on the tip of her tongue. She wanted Roth to turn the full force of his wrath on Warren and tear him limb from limb. She wanted that so badly, she knew she’d give Roth anything he asked for in payment, but… Her mouth shut. She couldn’t afford to make another mistake that could add to Colette’s suffering by confiding in a man who had broken too many promises, had too many ulterior motives, and proved over and over again that his first priority would always be business.

The thought of Warren getting away with it made her lightheaded with fury, but she couldn’t take such a gamble, even to avenge her sister. The consequences could be worse than what Colette had already endured, and Roth was right. She’d interfered too many times, assuming she knew what was best, and she’d been catastrophically wrong. This was her sister’s choice.

“Why,” he drawled in a voice seething with menace, “protect someone who hurt your sister?”

“It’s not him I’m protecting.”

There was a beat of silence, and then he said through his teeth, “I’m not your enemy. I have no reason to turn on Colette.”

“Not right now, but in the future, you could. I know you don’t have a high opinion of her. A few hours ago, you called her useless.” Her hand itched to smack him again. “You already have so much ammunition against us. Why would I give you another weapon to use against my sister? I can’t take that chance.”

“Jasmine, I swear…”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Using a person’s weakness against them is second nature to you, just like my father. Right now, you believe you won’t use it against us, but once we’re no longer useful to you, you’d use it to get your way and destroy us if necessary. That’s who you are. You can hurt me all you want, but I won’t let you hurt my sister. She’s suffered enough.”

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Sins. Please do not share or distribute.

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