Anne Windsor smiles as her butler leads me into her living room, catching me entirely off-guard. I’ve only ever seen her smile at me once, right before she realized who I was, and every hint of warmth drained away, leaving nothing but the deep-rooted resentment that she has regarded me with ever since.
“I’m surprised you agreed to meet with me,” I say, my tone harsher than I’d intended. “I distinctly recall being banned from all Windsor properties.”
She gestures to the sofa opposite the one she’s seated on and crosses her ankles, looking as regal as her surname denotes, her black pantsuit only adding to the power she emanates. “That never stopped you before, did it?” she says, her eyes sparkling with amusement that I most definitely don’t share.
“It should have,” I tell her, my spine rigid as I take a seat, mirroring her posture. “You were right about me back then, and it would be unwise to change your mind now. If I marry your grandson, I’ll happily ruin us both. If we end up married, I’ll set his house on fire while we both sleep, and I’ll do it without an ounce of remorse.”
She tilts her head, and then she laughs, the sound rich and melodious, genuine delight in her gaze. Her reaction is so unexpected I find myself staring at her, startled and entirely unsure how to proceed. I’d thought threatening her grandson would infuriate her, that it’d bring forth every protective instinct in her, but she merely looks at me like she finds me endearing.
“Set fire to anything you please,” she tells me, her tone indulgent. “We have excellent security systems, so our men will get you out before any harm is done to either of you. Zane’s house does lack character these days. I’ve often wanted to take a torch to it myself. Burn down the house if you’d like, Celeste. We’ll just rebuild it.” She pauses then, her expression softening. “And call me Grandma. We’ll be family soon, after all.”
I blink in shock, her words rendering me speechless for a moment. “I… I’ll smother him in his sleep,” I stammer, my entire body blazing with anger and helplessness, my control over the situation slipping between my fingers.
She clears her throat, and the way her eyes widen makes me think she’s finally hearing me. “I’m not sure it’s appropriate to tell me about my grandson’s sexual preferences,” she says, her tone light.
“Enough. Both of you.” My entire body freezes at the sound of Zane’s voice. I don’t have to turn around to know what I’ll find. I’ve committed every single thing about him to memory, so much so that I recognize his footsteps as he walks into the room. “If I couldn’t change my grandmother’s mind, you certainly won’t.”
I rise to my feet, my heart hammering in my chest as I take in his wrinkled white shirt, and the way he’s rolled up his sleeves. “Was this you?” I ask, trying my hardest to stay calm. “Is this an attempt to break Clifton and me up?” Something familiar crosses his face — possessiveness mixed with jealousy, and it does something to me, makes me want to hurt him a little more, cut a little deeper.
He clenches his jaw and crosses the room in a few swift steps. His hand wraps around my wrist, and he pulls me into him harshly, startling me. My body crashes against his, and I stare up at him with pure unbridled hatred coursing through me, coating me in malice. “Let’s have a chat, shall we?” he demands, dragging me along and out of the room.
I try to pull my wrist out of his grip when we reach the hallway, and he looks over his shoulder, his expression hard. “Don’t make me throw you over my fucking shoulder, Celeste,” he warns, his voice low, threatening. “Walk, or I’ll carry you.”
My lips part, but my words are lodged in my throat. I have no doubt my cheeks are flushed, betraying how flustered he’s made me feel. Zane’s shoulders relax just a little when he realizes I won’t fight him, and I’m instantly tempted to agitate him. If I do, would he carry me the way he used to?
We’re both quiet as we walk through the elaborate gardens that connect all the Windsor properties. I thought he’d lead me to his house, but he pauses at what I can only assume is the property line, the observatory looming behind him.
He pushes my wrist away then, letting go of me. The distaste in his eyes only fuels my anger further. “Neither of us is getting out of this,” he says, his tone defeated. “I’ve tried everything, Celeste. If there was a way out, I’d have found it.”
Zane runs a hand through his thick dark hair, the strands a little longer than before. The movement is so deceptively familiar, and so vastly in contrast to the hatred in his eyes. “Once upon a time, I’d have walked away from my inheritance for you — not anymore. If I have to marry you to get my Windsor Hotels shares, I will.” He stares at me for a moment, and I can’t help but wonder what he sees.
“I cannot marry you,” I tell him, my voice breaking.
He smiles and takes a step toward me, his expression unreadable as he wraps his hand around the back of my neck, his thumb resting on my throat. My heart instantly begins to race. “Yeah?” he murmurs, sounding entirely too gleeful for a man whose fate is as forsaken as mine. “Can you afford to walk away from an opportunity to merge with Windsor Hotels for Emerson?” He chuckles, but his amusement is notably absent from his eyes. Zane tightens his grip on the back of my neck, his touch possessive as he steps into me.
“Please,” I whisper, unable to articulate my torment. He’s the one man I can’t marry, the one person I can’t be with. I’ve failed Lily enough throughout the years, but this is the one thing I know she’d never forgive.
Zane’s gaze heats as he pulls me closer, my body brushing against his. “I’ve always loved the way you beg,” he whispers, tilting his face toward mine, his eyes roaming over my face and settling on my lips. “Do you beg for him like that? Did you beg him to save you, only to realize you can never escape me?”
My hands find their way to his chest with every intention of pushing him away, but the moment I touch him, my resolve wavers. “You don’t want to marry me,” I warn him, my voice soft, filled with promises he won’t want me to keep. “I’ll turn your days into a living hell.”
He grins and squeezes the back of my neck, bringing me closer until my hands are trapped between us. “You already do, Celeste. Except this way, I get to drag you down with me. I don’t want to make you my wife, but I’ll enjoy every second of it. I’ll make you regret the day you crossed me. Every day of torment you caused me, I’ll return a thousand times over.”
He’s so close that the air between us fills with the fresh smell of menthol, and I suck in a breath, my entire body responding to him. “I won’t give up on Cliff,” I warn him, my need to hurt him overwhelming my senses. “I won’t stop seeing him, Zane. Even if I marry you, he’s the only one I’ll love, the only one I’ll touch.”
His entire body goes rigid, pure fury blazing in his eyes as he tightens his grip on my neck. “You have no idea what you’re getting into, do you?” he asks, moving his hand up, until it’s my hair he’s wrapping his fingers into. Something dark sparkles in his gaze, a silent warning of the words to come. “There are several rules to a Windsor arranged marriage.”
I frown, and Zane grins as he wraps his free hand around my waist, holding me in place. “Rule number one: no cheating. If either of us cheats, we both lose everything. Our grandparents will sell our shares out from under us and disown us. Go anywhere near Clifton, and you’ll lose everything you fought so hard to save.”
My eyes widen in shock, and he smiles humorlessly, his gaze victorious. “Rule number two: we can’t spend more than three consecutive days apart, which means we can’t turn this into a paper marriage whereby we never see each other. If the contract our grandparents enforce is the same as the ones Ares, Luca, and Dion signed, then we can’t be apart for more than a couple of days per year in total.”
For a moment, I wonder if he’s messing with me, but the look in his eyes tells me he’s serious. Zane grins as he leans in, his lips brushing against my ear. “Rule number three,” he whispers, his hot breath sending a shiver down my spine. “We’ll share a bed every single night.”
Zane turns his face, his teeth grazing over my ear, and I bite down on my lip as he pulls away to look at me, my face flaming. “I don’t even want to look at you, let alone marry you,” he tells me, seemingly unaffected. “But I’m with left no choice, so I’ll do what I must. I highly recommend that you do the same. You’ve cost me plenty throughout the years — you won’t cost me my company too.”
I push against his chest, and he lets go of me with a vicious smile on his face. “I’ll find a way out,” I tell him, breathing hard. “I won’t marry you.”
He crosses his arms and studies me for a moment. “Once you realize there’s no way out, come find me, Celeste. We’ll discuss how to survive this bullshit.”
