C3, PT. 3 (Patreon)

“I underestimated James Roth. I thought he would be satisfied with the deal he made with Don Langdon, but he focused his sights on you after seeing how useful you were at the party. He thinks ruining you will force me to accept him.” His eyes glinted with malice. “Is that what you two planned?”

She shook her head wildly. “No! It’s not like that. It just happened. We’ve never talked about the future or—”

“So you threw yourself away on some nobody without expecting anything in return but an orgasm?”

Every ounce of blood leeched from her face.

“I've given you every resource I possess. The best education, opportunities people would beg for, and this is what you choose to do with your life? Tarnish my name and label yourself a whore? Have you no self-respect? No honor?”

She tried not to show any reaction to his verbal blows, but despite her best efforts, her eyes filled with tears.

“You really are your mother’s daughter. Desperate, impulsive, selfish, disloyal. I shouldn’t have wasted my time, trying to make something of you. The other half of your genetic makeup was always going to lead us here.” He shook his head. “Even dead, Elena’s having the last laugh. Do you think Ford will take you now that you’re used goods? He has every right to walk away. I would. Who wants to be tied to a loose woman with no morals? You’re a disgrace. I can barely look at you.”

He turned his back on her to face the view as she bent at the waist, arms around her middle as his words did catastrophic damage that made it hard for her to stay on her feet. She clenched her teeth to hold back the sobs that were making her chest quake. When a tear dropped into the thick carpet, her nails sank into her palm hard enough to break the skin, morphing her pain from emotional to physical, which was easier to manage. After a minute, she straightened, took a deep breath and brushed her sleeve over her eyes.

Maximus stood in front of the window, an impressive figure in his tailored suit and military straight posture. She suspected he’d turned away because he knew she’d fold. She had the least control out of her sisters, and he despised it. Giving her time to regain control was a small concession she was pathetically grateful for, but she suspected he also needed it. His flushed face and jerky, agitated movements betrayed the rage that wanted to burst forth. The temperature seemed to be steadily dropping, making her skin pebble. But she knew it was her hypersensitivity to her father’s savage temper that made her feel like she was in a frigid hell.

“I tried to rectify my mistake twenty-three years ago, and I’m still being punished for it,” he muttered.

She imbedded her nails into fresh skin. The pain wasn’t enough. Her eyes moved to the letter opener on the desk before her father turned. Their gazes met for a moment—condemning blue to contrite hazel.

“You created this mess. What are you going to do about it?”

Her lips parted, but she said nothing.

“You’re willing to sacrifice everything for him?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

“You can’t seriously believe he actually cares for you,” Dad jeered. “Do you think he would have given you a second glance if you weren’t my daughter? If he couldn’t use you to advance his ambitions? What makes you special? Are you beautiful or gifted in any way? No. Your only appeal is that you’re a Hennessy. Can’t you see that?”

She double blinked to hold back the tears. Her father couldn’t make it more obvious that he saw nothing of value in her.

“Do you think he’ll sacrifice what he’s built for you?” Maximus drawled. “Shall we put his affection to the test?”

“Please don’t.”

“Why not? You think he cares for you, right?”

His sarcasm caused a tear to leak out. Despite her father’s opinion of her naiveté, she wasn’t stupid enough to believe Roth would choose her over what he’d worked so hard for. She hadn’t expected any commitment or vows. He desired her. That had been enough. He saw her as a person, not a Hennessy. Just once, she wanted to know what it felt like to be wanted. So she’d indulged shamelessly, unintentionally making him a target for her father’s wrath. He shouldn’t be punished for giving her such a gift.

“I’ll do anything,” she whispered.

“You break it off with him, or I’ll ruin his deal with Don Langdon,” Dad decreed.

She nodded.

“You never see him again.”

The thought of never seeing Roth again made her chest ache, but it was for the best. She always knew this day would come, she just hadn’t imagined it would be on her father’s terms.

“I don’t know if any of this can be salvaged. There are millions on the line. Business deals and a partnership that has been in place for nearly thirty years that you put in jeopardy. It’s only a matter of time before news of this spreads. You won’t be able to keep it quiet, but you wanted attention, right? Well, you got it. Everyone’s going to know exactly what you are. Worthless. Now, get out of my sight before I do something I regret.”

***

Jasmine sat stone still as her father’s cutting remarks rained down on her, pouring acid on still bleeding wounds. He’d been brutally frank about what a disappointment she was. Although they made peace with one another in the last years of his life, it didn’t negate the countless times he’d told her she should be grateful that he’d decided to claim her despite being Elena’s child… and all the times he expressed his regret that he hadn’t been able to rectify his ‘past mistake.’ Thanks to Warren, she finally understood exactly what that entailed. She should have never been born.

You proved your worth in Colorado. Our time at the cabin reminded me what it’s like to have a whore who likes what you’re giving her.

Her body jerked as Roth’s voice chimed in with her father’s.

Some days, I wish I never laid eyes on you.

She tried to blank her mind, but the floodgates were open, letting loose a torrent of her most painful and damaging memories, which beat her when she was already on the ground with no will left to fight.

I played my hand. I wanted to see how far you would let me in. I didn’t expect you to be so accommodating.

Her hands fisted in her hair. “Stop,” she pleaded. “Please stop.”

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

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