C6, PT. 1

There was a strange roaring sound in her ears, as if she had been shoved underwater. Her limbs went weightless, and her chest seized, but she didn’t fight the paralysis, she let it consume her. He just confirmed her worst fear.

All the signs were there—his anger and resentment, his takeover of Hennessy & Co, and his insistence that they marry for this charade. He wanted legal ties to… what? Take her inheritance? That niggling worry that there was some vague clause in the prenup that would come back to haunt her came back full force, making her scalp tingle with alarm. Everyone warned her that Roth had ulterior motives, but she arrogantly assumed she could handle him.

What the hell had she been thinking, sacrificing herself to save Hennessy & Co? She cared nothing for society, so why had she felt responsible for upholding the family name? As Roth had pointed out countless times, she and her sisters weren’t close. Yet, she didn’t hesitate to throw herself across the train tracks to save them from a problem they created. Who would willingly remarry an ex-husband she couldn’t trust, who never claimed to love her, and who had upended her life for his own selfish reasons? What the fuck was wrong with her?

The same feeling that overwhelmed her last night consumed her again—an abject helplessness and despair. She thought they were clearing the air and coming to an understanding, only to uncover more secrets that proved they were never meant to be.

She didn’t look at him as she got to her feet and rounded the couch.

“Jasmine.”

Her pseudo-serenity shattered. Her socks scrambled over smooth marble as she raced down the entry hall and lunged for the elevator keypad. There had to be a way to override it in case of emergency. She typed in nine-one-one before remembering what country she was in and switched to nine-nine-nine. The gold elevator doors remained closed. She looked up, hoping to see a camera, so she could speak to someone, but there was nothing.

“Jasmine.”

Her nightmare was coming. Panic engulfed her. She had to get out of here. She beat her fists against the metal doors and screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping there was a sensor that would detect the disturbance.

“I need help! Please! Somebody help me!”

Maybe someone using the elevator would hear her and—

Massive arms wrapped around her, clamping bent forearms to her chest. “Stop.”

“You can’t keep me here!”

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Because I’m not going to let you anymore! I’m done.” She lunged backward, clipping his chin with the top of her head. There was a satisfying crack and curse, but he didn’t loosen his grip. “Destroy the company, destroy my family! I don’t care anymore.”

His arms flexed around her. “I’m going to make this up to you.”

A hoarse, hysterical laugh erupted from her mouth. “That’s impossible.”

“No, it isn’t. Whatever you want that’s in my power to give, it’s yours.”

She stilled, hope burgeoning in her chest. There was only one thing she wanted. “Will you let me go?”

His chest expanded before he let out a gusty sigh. “No.”

For just a second, she’d tasted freedom. The crushing disappointment was almost too much to bear. “I hate you! I’m not playing this game anymore. Nothing is worth this hell!”

She thrashed, but he subdued her with ease, as he had so many times before. She hated how weak and helpless he always made her feel.

“It wasn’t bad enough that I had Maximus Hennessy as a father, I had the misfortune to choose someone just like him!” Bitter tears slipped down her face. “I was a disappointing daughter and an even more abysmal wife. So much so, I’m still being punished for it. What more do you want from me? How much more do I have to suffer before you’re satisfied?”

“I’m not going to punish you.”

“You already have!”

“I’m sorry.”

Those two words, words she had longed to hear and never thought she would, cut her to the quick. She clenched her teeth to stop the sob from erupting from her mouth. If she started, she would never stop.

“I’m sorry, princess.”

The ache in his raspy, uneven tone undid her. Her body collapsed under the unbearable weight she had been carrying. All morning, she had been trying her best to keep her shit together, but she was so fucking done. She thought last night’s battle was bad, but today’s casualties were worse. The reality of their situation was so mangled and hopeless, she couldn’t see a way forward. She surrendered to an avalanche of emotion, too overwhelmed to hold back the tide.

Roth sank with her to the floor, crouching over her as she knelt with her head bowed, crying her fucking heart out. He tucked his face against hers and held her tight, comforting her through the devastation he caused.

“Please,” she sobbed. “Please let me go.”

“I can’t.”

She didn’t care that he sounded as if he was in pain.

“You can! You said what’s within your power. This is! Find someone else who—”

“There is no one else. It’s always been you.”

She shook her head wildly, keening as her emotions spilled all over the place. She strained against his hold until she got one arm free and extended it toward the elevator. “I have to get out of here.”

His large, dark hand covered the back of hers. He slipped his fingers between hers, gripping, as she reached for freedom.

“Stay with me.”

She blocked out the beseeching tone she had never heard from him before. They couldn’t continue with this charade. They were killing each other. They were a tragic cautionary tale of what happened when money, power, and lust collided. The shiny elevator doors reflected a surreal image in gleaming gold of Roth’s large bulk surrounding her. She looked small enough to be a child as she huddled in on herself in an attempt to escape her internal suffering.

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Confessions. Please do not share or distribute.

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