Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Which meant that she could build up her secret custom cakes business. She’d started to gather quite the following on social media. Things were really starting to take off for her.
Soon she’d have enough money to get free of her father.
She rushed out of the bakery, waving at Wilma as she left.
“Good luck!” Wilma called out.
“Thanks.” She was going to need it. Since her father had taken over as Acting Governor, she’d seen a lot less of him.
Thankfully.
It meant that she could spend more time at Café Comma, creating cakes and cupcakes. Mostly, she did it after the café closed because then she could create her videos without any interruptions or noise. She never showed her face, she didn’t want anyone recognizing her.
The only people who knew that she made these videos were Pop-Pop and Wilma. Wilma was the daughter of one of Pop-Pop’s old friends. He’d connected them and they’d hit it off. Wilma had been all too happy to let Arabella use her café to bake her cakes.
So far her father had no clue about this arrangement and that’s the way she wanted to keep it until she was ready to move out.
And she knew exactly where she wanted to go.
It would be hard to leave Wilma, but if she could find her own place. . . God, that would be amazing.
She climbed into her car and drove as fast as she dared to the governor’s mansion. Her father insisted that she live there. He’d used the excuse that it was for security. Which seemed insane to her.
She went out and about on her own all the time with no issues. Why couldn’t she live on her own?
You know why . . . because he couldn’t control you as easily.
After heading inside using the back door, she rushed up the back stairs to her room to hastily shower and get dressed.
When she was ready, she took a breath before heading downstairs. She didn’t even know who they were entertaining tonight.
Her father’s personal assistant just added dates and places to her calendar and she knew she had to turn up.
Or else.
As she headed into the reception room, she was surprised to find that there was only one other man beside her father in the room.
Both men turned to her. Hank was frowning. But, for once, he didn’t feel like the biggest threat in the room.
No. That definitely went to the other man.
The one who was looking her up and down and undressing her with his gaze.
A cold shiver ran through her. An omen of something terrible to come.
She’d met Lee Newsome several times, but he usually ignored her. He gave her the chills and she hated being around him.
“You’re late!” her father barked.
“S-sorry,” she stuttered. “I, um, I didn’t realize that you were waiting for me.”
“It was in your calendar. You were expected to be here on time.”
What was going on? Hank only spoke to her like that when they were alone.
Which meant that Lee knew what her father was really like. She wasn’t even sure how her father knew him or what he did. She’d asked her father about him before, but he’d always shut her down. He didn’t work for her father. He almost seemed like an advisor.
“Now, Hank, I think we can give her some grace. After all, it takes time for a woman to get ready. To make herself look all beautiful. I do like my women to take care of themselves.”
Hank still frowned but nodded. “She cleans up all right. Good breeding.”
Good breeding? Was he kidding her? Were they going to ask to check her teeth soon? To see her pedigree?
Why was this asshole undressing her with his eyes? She wanted to snap, but she held herself back.
Arabella knew her job.
She was the hostess. The dutiful daughter. Quiet and barely seen.
If she did everything her father asked, then he’d leave Pop-Pop alone.
Well. She hoped that was still the deal.
“May I get the two of you a drink?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“I’ve always appreciated how lovely she speaks,” the other man said. “So graceful.”
She wasn’t really. Sometimes she tripped over air.
“So she’s still acceptable to you?” her father asked.
Her heart raced with panic. What was happening right now? It couldn’t be what she thought, right? Maybe he meant acceptable as a . . . as a what?
What could you possibly offer this man except for one thing. The only thing that your father deems useful about you.
“She is,” Lee replied.
“What’s happening right now?” she asked.
“Arabella, you are now engaged to Lee.”
“It’s a pleasure to be your fiancé, Arabella,” Lee said. “I’m sure we’re going to get on just fine.”
Yeah.
Arabella swallowed heavily, trying not to throw up. Why hadn’t she thought about this possibility?
Just because her father was now the acting governor, didn’t suddenly make him a better person. And he didn’t seem to fear that she’d tell anyone the truth about him.