Chapter 264
Summer’s POV
I watched from the car as Elle clung to Brandon’s waist like her life depended on it, her manicured fingers digging into the fabric of his suit. The scene unfolding before me was like something straight out of a soap opera–too dramatic to be real, yet happening right in front of my eyes.
‘Let go! Brandon’s voice cut through the air, cold and commanding Even from inside the car with the windows up, I could hear the steel in his tone.
Elle flinched momentarily, but quickly recovered, shaking her head frantically. “No, Brandon, please don’t go! Her voice was pitched high with desperation.
She tightened her grip around him, face tilted up in supplication. “Brandon, I know you’ve always cared about me, haven’t you? I’m begging you! You’re angry at your aunt, but don’t take it out on me! haven’t done anything wrong!*
Brandon’s jawline hardened, his eyebrows drawing together. “I’ll say it one more time. Let. Go.”
Brandon’s fingers closed around her hand, squeezing with deliberate force. There was no gentleness in his grip, no consideration for her being a woman. He was treating her exactly as he would any unwelcome contact–with clinical efficiency and zero mercy.
Elle’s scream pierced the air as her face drained of color. “Brandon, it hurts! Let go, please! You’re hurting me!”
“Then release your hold,” Brandon commanded.
“No!” Elle cried out, stubborn even through her pain. “I won’t! The moment I do, you’ll leave. I won’t allow that.”
Something dark flashed in Brandon’s eyes. With a swift, powerful motion, he twisted her wrist and forcibly removed her grip, sending her flying backward. Elle landed hard on the ground, skidding a few feet. Her palms and elbows scraped against the pavement, drawing blood.
“Brandon!” she sobbed, curling into herself. “How could you do this to me? How could you push me away?”
Brandon stood a good fifteen feet from her, looking down with an expression of pure disgust. Without hesitation, he shrugged out of his expensive suit jacket–the one Elle had touched–and tossed it into a nearby trash can as if it were contaminated.
I watched, wide–eyed, as he pulled out a handkerchief and methodically wiped his hands, his face a mask of revulsion. It was like he’d touched something rotten and couldn’t wait to cleanse himself.
Elle’s face went ashen as the reality of Brandon’s feelings finally seemed to sink in. She struggled to sit up, her hands cienched into fists so tight that blood seeped between her fingers, creating a truly pitiful image.
“Brandon, please don’t treat me like this,” she whimpered, biting her lip. “I’m your-*
“Enough,” Brandon cut her off sharply. “This is the last warning, The next time you touch me without my permission, the consequences will be far worse than what happened today.”
Brandon’s voice dropped to a deadly whisper as he delivered his final warning. “You’re a Sinclair, my cousin. Remember your place. If you can’t do that, you won’t just be unwelcome in the Stark household–I’ll make sure you’re unwelcome in the Sinclair family too. My capabilities… your hunt knows them well.”
Elle’s eyes widened in shock, and she glanced behind Brandon. I followed her gaze and spotted Jane Sinclair standing on the mansion steps, her expression thunderous.
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Chapter 264
“Elle, what happened? Are you alright? Jane rushed to her niece, kneeling beside her on the ground.
Brandon turned away from thein without another word, striding toward our car with purposeful steps. I quickly straightened in my seat, pretending I hadn’t been watching this whole scene unfold with bated breath.
The driver’s door opened, and Brandon slid in beside me, his movements precise but tense, I could feel the anger radiating off him
in waves.
Before he could even start the engine, Elle broke free from Jane’s grasp and sprinted toward our car, yanking at the passenger door handle. My heart leaped into my throat as I frantically grabbed the Handle from inside, keeping it shut.
“Brandon!” I whispered urgently, watching Elle’s distorted Tace through the window as she continued to pull violently at the door.
Brandon’s face darkened as he quickly hit the central locking system Seatbelt,” he reminded me, voice tight with barely controlled
fury.
“Oh, right,” I replied automatically, then winced when I realized Elle could probably hear me. The last thing we needed was for her to discover me–Brandon’s wife–in the car with him.
Elle froze, her head tilting like a predator catching a scent. “Who’s that?” she shrieked, pounding on the window. Brandon, who’s in there with you?”
She darted to the front of the car, trying to peer through the windshield. I ducked down instinctively, heart hammering in my chest.
Brandon glanced at me briefly, then back at Elle as she pounded on the hood of his car. Something dangerous flashed in his eyes- pure, cold irritation.
Without warning, he started the engine and slammed his foot on the accelerator. The car lurched forward, brushing past Elle with enough force to send her spinning. She fell hard, tumbling across the driveway before finally coming to rest against a decorative
shrub.
I gasped, twisting in my seat to look back.
His eyes fixed steadily on the road ahead as we tore away from the Stark mansion.
In the rearview mirror, I could see Jane Sinclair rushing to Elle’s side her face a mask of shock and disbelief. Elle was clutching her side, sobbing hysterically as she pointed at our retreating car.
Brandon drove in tense silence, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. I studied his profile, noting the tight set of his jaw and the slight furrow between his brows. Something was clearly bothering him, and I had a pretty good guess what it was.
From what I’d gathered, Brandon rarely visited the Stark family mansion these days, primarily because of Jane Sinclair and Elle’s presence If it hadn’t been for Aunt Meave, I doubted he would have come at all today.
I couldn’t help but feel for him. Jane Sinclair seemed like the type who believed everyone else was wrong and she alone was right- the kind who would burn the world down before admitting any fault
“Brandon?” I reached over hesitantly, placing my hand over his on the gearshift. “Are you okay?”
He attempted a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s nothing, he deflected, then quickly changed the subject. “What would you like for dinner tonight?”
I sighed, gently squeezing his hand. “Brandon, we’re married. When something’s bothering you, you should tell me. That’s what marriage is–sharing the good and the bad. Keeping everything bottled up inside just makes it worse, doesn’t it?”
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Chapter 264
“Silly girl, I’m fine, Brandon replied, his voice softer but unmistakably tired despite his attempts to hide it. Just think about what
some fresh produce,” you want to eat. We’ll stop by the supermarket to pick up
I nodded, accepting his evasion for now. “Alright.”
A moment later, I leaned closer to him, my lips nearly brushing his ear as I whispered, “Brandon, no matter what happens, you still have me. I’ll always be by your side,”
I pressed a gentle kiss to his earlobe, then another to his jaw, feeling a slight shiver run through him at the contact.
Brandon’s eyes darkened, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. The car’s speed gradually decreased as he turned slightly to look at me, his gaze intense and filled with something that made my heart race,
“Summer,” he warned, his voice dropping to a low and dangerous tone, “don’t play with fire.”
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