Build And Break novel Chapter 7

Steven saw Angela's face starting to get red in humiliation. And in anger. Much anger. He stepped to her. "Honey, why don't you go to our room while I have coffee with your father and Mr. Jones." He touched her arm which she quickly pulled away and ran to her room, shutting the door with a bang.

Angela sat in the middle of the bed with crossed legs and arms like a punished kid. And she was fuming.

Damn him. Yet again, her father had managed to get on her nerves and steal any fragment of a good mood. How dare he treat her like that? If she hadn't knew better, she would have thought that smile he wore was genuine. But her father didn't reach as high as he did in business without learning how to fake a smile.

Her father had went there at that time of day intentionally. He had brought that man to show him that she was back in town and with Steven. And he did pass by at an excellent time. Both she and Steven were still in the clothes they slept in. And the outfit she wore suggested they did more than sleep. And that could only indicate that they were still a husband and wife.

Angela realized that she had been brought back there by her father and Steven to put up a show of the perfect, united family. To show everyone that Marshall and Morris - the two most powerful names of the whole town - got twice as strong together. She was a Marshall and a Morris as far as everyone knew. She was the face of both names.

She had spent the next hour staring at the thin air, wondering how she could escape the modern prison she found herself in. She couldn't. Or better say, she shouldn't. She had to stay there to keep the family they took her from safe. She had to fake smile back to her father.

The door opened slightly. "Angela." It was Steven. He cautiously opened the door further. Took small steps towards her bed. Since earlier, he had put on a shirt and suit pants.

Steven expected Angela to jump off the bed and throw the first thing she found in her reach at him. He expected her to be maddeningly furious. But she was the complete opposite. She remained quiet, like frozen.

After a silent minute, Angela looked up at Steven. "I need to go back home."

"No." Steven affirmed quickly.

Angela's face was all gloomy. "I don't mean go back to live there. I mean just to bring some of my things here. It's not like after this morning I could leave here again. My father just made sure to spread the word."

"I had no idea he would come here. But you are right. He did spread the word. Jones is a big investor in your father's company and before this morning he had doubts about your father's company merging with my company. He said he didn't feel like our families were ready to merge. He changed his mind. Said that the merger was the only thing left to complete our two families as one. Your father and I were right that you had to come back."

Angela's face fell. She felt utterly defeated. "Great." She mumbled to herself. "Will you let me go after the merger is complete?"

"Probably not." Steven shrugged with no visible emotion.

"Then I really need to bring some of my stuff from back home."

"You don't need your old stuff. You can buy anything you want now."

Steven sighed a big one. "Alright, I'll take you."

An hour later, Steven's car was parked in front of Angela's old place. The lustrous black car was a striking image among the shabby, old buildings.

Steven unfastened his seat belt and made to open the door till her voice stopped him.

"Wait." Angela nervously toyed with her fingers. "Will you stay in the car, please?"

Steven's eyebrow rose. "Is Tony in there?" Angela slanted her head in warning. "Right, I forgot. You don't want to hear his name."

"Just promise me you'll stay here."

"Why?" Steven was curious.

Angela took a deep breathe. Thought fast for a reason to give him. "Because I don't want you to see where I lived again."