Chapter 0136

In the early hours of the morning Kent comes through the door to the third floor dressed in his wrinkled clothes from the night

before. He exhales a deep breath through his nose as he pulls the door shut behind him and starts downward, his eyes on his

feet.

“What were you doing with her in there, dad?”

Kent jumps at the voice, his eyes fastening suddenly on Daniel, who sits at the foot of the third-floor staircase, his back pressed

against the wall. Waiting for him.

Kent says nothing to Daniel, just stands frozen, staring at his son. Daniel looks exhausted as he slowly shakes his head. Has he

been sitting there all night?

“I saw her when she came out last night, crying. You can’t bullshit your way past this one, dad.”

Kent's eyes narrow at his son. What, after years of having no qualms or questions about his choices in women, suddenly he

wants to be involved? Suddenly he wants to play the morality police?

“Go to bed, Daniel,” Kent commands, starting down the stairs again. “Don’t you have a test or some other bullshit to concentrate

on today?”

“Dad —* Daniel protests, getting to his feet.

Kent whirls on his son when Daniel puts a hand on his arm to stop him. “Stay out of things you don’t understand, Daniel,” Kent

orders, taking a step towards his son to glower over him.

“She’s better than this,” Daniel hisses through clenched teeth, holding is ground. “She doesn’t deserve to be treated like trash —

like you treat all of the women who —*

“Shut your mouth, Daniel,” Kent snaps, his voice low with warning, moving so close to his son that Daniel takes an involuntary

step back. “You don’t get to say a god damn thing to me about this. She’s mine now.” Kent pauses, giving Daniel a second to

process that fact. “Find yourself someone else to defend, and someone else to fuck. Not that you weren't doing that already.”

Daniel's mouth falls open as Kent turns away and continues calmly down the steps. Daniel knew, of course, that his dad found

out about Jerome’s secret visit to his room. Whether or not Kent knew it was Jerome was another question. But this was the first

time, ever, that his father had ever come even close to acknowledging his secret love life.

And Daniel realizes that Kent probably knows more about Daniel and Jerome than he was letting on. And that Kent is very willing

to use it as a weapon if that information carves a path to getting what he wants.

And what he wants, apparently is Fay.

Daniel clenches his fists as he watches his father’s form disappearing into his office. Because Fay is his, not his dad’s — she is

the only good thing in this stupid world, the only thing that made Daniel feel at home. And even if he could never be a true

husband to her, he still wanted her at his side as his wife. He knew he could make her happy, in the end.

And so, he was going to fight to get her back.

I groan when I hear a knock at my door.

I glance on the clock on my phone

and see that it’s not even six o'clock.

Who the hell c Ieayant fny-Eompany

row? bawinig my feet off of my bed,

heading to the door thinking that it’s

even too early for my clothes to be

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I pull open the door, yawning, and immediately freeze.

It's Kent standing there, in perfectly pressed suit pants and a crisp white shirt.

Kent, who never comes to my bedroom in the morning — who always waits to speak to me until I come down to the kitchen for

breakfast.

I stare at him, shocked and a little

afraid, as his eyes flick over Mey il

ickly appessing tty umpled hair

ahd my bare legs and — oh my god —

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Ivan’s jacket.

Indeed, his eyes pause for a moment

on the fine wool of the suitcoat, its

long sleeves rolled u omy. Abas

its wayrtoxcbig tor me, and Kent

would certainly recognize one from

his own collection or from Daniel's,

so he certainly will figure out... Please

read the original content at

.