“And a Thorne never defies the legacy,” I finish for him. Before Bradford could speak, I’d already mimicked his words.
There’s a slight satisfaction in his face. The way it creases with a small smile makes me feel as if I just made him proud. It isn’t something I’m used to feeling. I’m not the son who makes him feel as if he raised us properly.
My father turns toward his safe. The clicking of the lock is loud, bouncing off the walls of his office before the door opens. He rummages around in the darkness, and when he pulls out an item, a large velvet pouch, he takes me in with a smile.
“You’ve finally learned the reasoning behind being a Thorne. We never defy legacy,” he tells me before handing me the item. I’m not sure what it is, but when I take it, I feel the hard corners of whatever is hidden inside.
“What is this?” I ask, lifting my gaze from my hands to my father. Each time I’ve been in his office has brought about nothing but destruction to my life. There is no happiness that comes about in Thorne Haven, and within the manor, it’s always ensured that either anger or fear is prevalent in my mind.
“Since you’re going to be getting married, it’s time you took the throne.” His voice is nothing more than a whisper, but I hear every word. I’m not sure what he means, but when I drop my stare and unravel the bag, I’m met with a crown of silver. “There are two sovereigns within our society,” Dad says as he rounds the desk to stop near me. “There is the Gilded Sovereign, from Tynewood, as well as the Silver Sovereign.”
Shaking my head, I look to my father. “I don’t understand. You’ve never mentioned this before. Not to Damien or Cassian. Unless they never told me about it, but all my life, I don’t recall ever hearing about this.”
My father nods. “There are two towns that run within families who have power over governments the world over,” Dad explains. “Thorne Haven, run by us, and the Havens.” This is something I know already. But when he continues, my father finally has my attention. “Then there is a town called Tynewood. It’s run by four families. It’s much larger than Thorne Haven, but it also has a myriad of secrets that hide within its walls.”
“And the crown?” I lift the sparkling headdress, unsure of what to do with it. There are small engravings in the metal, and the stones that adorn it are the color of a deep purple sky when the sun is about to rise. As the light glints against the jewels, I can’t help but wonder why I’m the one to receive this.
“You’re the youngest son,” Bradford says. “And most times, it’s the eldest son who has to take the reins, but since you never wanted to run Thorne Industries, and your passion was far more removed from Thorne Haven, I chose you to represent us in something as important as the family business.”
Narrowing my gaze, I regard my father with as much trust as I would Zaria. I don’t know her. I’ve only just met her, and yet, I may just trust her more than I do the man before me.
“And what could that be?”
“You’ve always wanted to travel,” Dad says, as he gestures with his chin. “You’ll be able to fly to the countries where you’ll meet the Sovereign and represent our family in meetings. The men you’ll meet aren’t good people, and they will do anything to get ahead in life, that’s what happens when you have money.”
“And you want me to go to these meetings and what? Rub some shoulders so your name can be whispered about?” The incredulousness in my tone is enough to have my father chuckling. He shakes his head before he steps closer to me. His hand lands on my shoulders, and his fingers tighten with a grip so firm, I almost wince. But I’ve trained my features to never show weakness. There is only one person in this world who can now break me, and I’ve allowed him into my heart and mind.
“You’ll take Zaria to Tynewood to meet with the Lancasters,” Bradford tells me. “They’re the ones we need to impress. I want their business, Finn. Once you sign them as clients,” he murmurs, stopping to ensure he has my attention. He does have it. He’s fucking claimed it because right now, all I can think about is leaving Thorne Manor. “I’ll give you the option to decide your fate.”
“What?” Shock laces my tone. My mouth falls open as I regard him staring back at me. He’s never given me choices, not when I was younger, and certainly not after I’d turned eighteen. Growing up was difficult because all I wanted to do was please my father. I wanted to make him proud of me. I watched as he doted on Damien and Cassian, but he was harder on me than either of them. And now, I wonder if this is the reason for it. I’m meant to go sit in weird secret society meetings and hold my head up high.
I’m a Thorne.
And it seems like my father had been training me without me knowing about it.
The smile that curls my father’s lips makes me take pause. “If you can pull this off, I’ll gift you the choice. You know, Finn,” my father says, then pauses, and I know it’s only for dramatic effect. “I’m an old man. I’ve been around the block a time or two, and I’m certainly not stupid.” Something flicks inside my mind. My chest tightens as he speaks, and when those eyes that match my brother’s look at me once more, I realize there’s something that he knows and it’s something I don’t want him to know.
“I didn’t think you were stupid, Dad,” I tell him, but it’s too late because he chuckles. It’s a dark, foreboding sound that sends warning bells off in my head.
He knows.
I don’t know how, but he knows about Jarred and me. It’s the only thing I can think of because it’s the only secret I’ve kept. Besides the fact that I knew my mother cheated on him. But that wouldn’t cause him to change my destiny. My path was set out a long time ago.
“There are choices we all have to make when it comes to matters of the heart,” Bradford continues slowly as he settles back in his chair. The fact that he’s far away from where I’m standing eases my tension, but not by much. I don’t speak, I simply wait for him to continue. “I’m not a prude,” he tells me. “If you want to live your life one way, then I’m not going to stop you. But, if it becomes a hinderance on the family…”
The warning is clear. It hangs in the silence. In the words my father doesn’t say. There’s no longer a doubt in my mind that he knows about Jarred. I’m not going to deny it, and I’m not going to show any fear in my expression. I’ll allow him to hold this over me for a moment.
“Just make sure you sign the contract.” It’s a dismissal, which forces my feet to move for the door. But before I can escape the lion’s den, my father’s voice halts me in my tracks. “And when you go to Tynewood, you can take him with you.”
I want to turn around and see if he’s joking. I want to laugh out loud and call his bluff, but I don’t. When my father offers a mercy to me, I don’t fuck with it. I take it and run.
In the hallway, I stop, breathing deeply as I shut the office door. I’m no longer a child, but my father continues to instill the fear of God in me.
I head for the meeting with my mind whirring at the possibilities of being able to be with Jarred. But I have a feeling as much as my father has laid out the terms, there’ll be a lot more to this verbal agreement than he’s letting on. He can’t just let the Abadi family down. I can’t walk away from a contract signed in blood.