chapter 22

"May I have this dance sir?"

My body went stiff, my eyes wide as a saucer.

My father craned his neck to look at the person behind him.

My feet almost ran on its own if it wasn't for the grip my father had on me.

It was pure horror for me when my father smiled at him.

Coward.

Danike stepped closer to take my father's position.

My father looked relieved as he placed my suddenly stiff hands on Danike's hands.

He was in front of me and had a devilish smirk on his face.

The man I called father even gave this man an intimate pat on the back before leaving.

And I was left with this animal.

With hundred of eyes on us.

My smile had remained in place despite the chaos in my head.

I followed my father's back with my eyes hoping he would get the hint but I guess he is dense.

And when I could no longer see him I focused my eyes on Danike.

His black hair was a mess, but I didn't want to focus on that but the look on his face wasn't any better.

"You are just in time" I said amiably.

The orchestra were shifting strings and starting a new song.

Even they, knew how to adjust to an impromptu situation.

Fuck my life.

"Just in time?" His icy tone sent shivers down my spine.

I almost dropped his eyes.

There was storm in those black eyes and he looked no where near calm.

He would have done something to me if we weren't in front of a crowd.

The smile I have being maintaining fell in automatic response "I- is something wrong"

I asked forging fake ignorance.

He glared at me as his free hands went around my waist.

He was assessing my facial expression and I kept still.

"Let's finish this dance, shall we?"

Hr tugged me closer and began the steps.

My tensed body automatically followed and a hand going to his stiff shoulders.

I could narrate how we swayed to the song, but i lost all sense of the present.

My mind whirled continuously at the events that led up to this moment .

It replayed all the events of my head in fast-forward .

Memories flashed before the time Rivers left, during the dinner that brought about our engagement, of is friend and the family that I thought had my back but were ready to throw me to the wolves if need be.

Conversation after confusion conversation played in my head lune a broken record.

My mother said the secret to the waltz was trusting your partner. Liar.

It wasn't need at all .

The dance went in without a hitch.

When I curtsied at the end of the dance, we were given a louder applause than the one that was given to my father and I, but my eyes caught my grandma in the crowd .

She didn't join the crowd to clap she just sat there and watched.

Before I could escape the scene I was being dragged away by an iron grip.

His strides were long and wide so I had to run in other to be able to match his pace.

He was in the darkest mood I had ever seen.

When I almost tripped on my heels, I pulled my arm back and he still didn't let go.

"Danike" i protested un a harsh whisper.

He turned the corner of the hall while tightening the grip on my hands.

I opened my mouth to protest only to choke on my words at the look he was giving me.

Why did he look so angry at me ?

Hold up.

In what dimensions did he suddenly have the right to be angry by me?

I hid my thoughts and continued with my fake ignorance of what he had done.

My blue eyes stared at the face of such anger and lied.

"Am sorry we had to start the program without you, I asked my dad to get you" I said with a smile on my face.

He looked at me blankly "how stupid do you think I am?"

I blinked. Once. Twice.

My heart beat sped like crazy.

"How did you know about Penelope and what else do you know about?" He spat at me.

My naïve mask still in place.

"I don't know what you are talking about?"

That reply flared him you" so you decided deliberately acting dense?"

Maybe I should have taken acting classes, t was extremely useful as an heiress.

Do I continue to act dumb? Or I play this game?

Because I could make a decision me mind went into auto pilot.

The smile disappeared from my face, my eyes matched his glare. And I asked flatly.

" Do you really want to have this conversation here?"

My hands we t to pull off his grip but that only tightened hos hold further.

A muscle jumped on his cheek "goddammit answer me, what exactly do you know about her and what exactly do you know?"

I'm that moment, I wondered if people wanted to know the truth regardless of the consequences .

The fragile image I had in front of this person was cracking, if I don't throw it away now he was going to cut it open himself and I didn't want that.

"Do you think you are the only one that came dig up information, Mr Blackwell?"

Was i digging my own grave for asking that question?

Well we are about to find out.

In the time he took to compose his next statement, I had already thought of my next move.

"Do you really want to play this game, miss porter "

"No, of course not. Am not one to play dirty games, but am not one to have bastards running around me in secret " I said with a daring look on my face an a serene smile on my lip.

I took the bull by the horns.

His eye popped open but he quickly replaced his shock with anger.

"What did you say ?" He growled at me.

"No , no. You don't get to be angry or speak to me in that tone or do you want the media to know of your deeds with proof that could destroy you?"

"You will be shocked by the amount of skeleton you family has hiding in their wardrobe" his tone threatening.

His words rang in my head like a warning alarm.

He is bluffing my head screamed.

But I still have to be cautious and pick my words wisely.

"You think that will scare me, if you want to go up against the porter household then it's your funeral." I said with a plain face.

"You better choose you next few words wisely, how did you know about her."

"The same way you found out information about me . By snooping around."

I have never gambled in my whole life .

But if I opened all my cards too early in the game even my aces would turn against me.

Nonetheless, I had to act realistically.

Otherwise I was done for even without revealing what I already knew.

All this play acting was taking a toll on me.

What I needed was to get a good grasp of reality and finally just accept it.

Then I would move on and plot my next course action.

From my periphery, I could see someone approaching us, and Danike seemed to have noticed me staring and turned just in time.

It was my father.

"Mr porter " Danike said

Despite what I told him earlier my father still smiled at him.

My dad grinned as if this man didn't meet with another woman despite being pledged to his daughter.

"No need to be formal we are all family here" my father said in a cheerful tome that made me cringe.

I would have laughed is I wasn't sure I would be crying at the same time.

How pathetic was this interaction.

I remained stoic so did Danike only inclining his head to acknowledge my father's statement.

The smile dimmed on my father's face as if realizing the atmosphere he was in.

My father cleared his throat "can I borrow my daughter for a minute ? We have something private to discuss"

I didn't know what the discussion was going to be about but I turned to see what he has to say.

He thought a little about it before agreeing to leave.

He strode off without turning back.

As soon as he was out of hearing range my father mask fell. He looked down at me anxiously.

"Does he know you know?" My dad demanded

I raised a brow at the question, do this was what he wanted to discuss so urgently.

I leveled a look at him "what if he does?"

"You seem to have forgotten how to respect your elders Irene. I asked a simple question, does he know what that you know?"

"No" I replied flatly

"Good are not going to mention this to your mother and especially not to you grandmother "

I dared ask "why not"

"You are too young to understand now, but for men of Danike Blackwell Caliber, women will always be draw to him"

I didn't like where this was going .

"And what are you trying to say?"

"That he would sooner or later get tired all of all this women. Think of it as a passing fling "

My father was a disgusting man, no wonder he could Smile so easily at Danike despite what he knows about him.

My insides wanted to turn inside out .

But I wondered how long I could keep it in.

When this reality wasn't acceptable to me.