Chapter 3

ENGAGED.

JOAN.

“We have guests.”

“And how does that concern me?” I spit at her.

“Joan!” I hear my father’s voice before he shows up beside her.

Logan Valon, at the age of fifty-three, can still be considered a handsome man. Lean and muscular with a silver train in his hair and beautiful green eyes, eyes that I took from him.

“How can you talk to your sister like that?!”

“She is not my sister,” I snarl at him. “She certainly doesn't behave like one.”

“You-”

“Logan, what is going on?” Vivian asks as he joins them.

“Oh, great, the whole gang is here!” I snark at them. “Well, I am not interested in whatever shit you have going on and your guests are of no concern to me.”

“You will come down this instant or I will make you regret it.”

Ohh, I want to see what he would do, I sorely do but at the end of it, I choose to obey.

We do have guests and I am not ready to debase myself because of them.

With an irritated sniff, I stomp down the stairs, past them, and head to the living room, the three of them right at my heels.

“Hello, I greet the other four people. I am Joan, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

There is an old couple, just like Logan and Vivian, a young handsome man, with surprisingly long hair and a younger lady sitting there. The former looks amused while the other is bored.

He had heard our conversation.

“I apologize,” Vivian filters as she hurries to my front. “Joan has had a long day and it's showing in her manners. Joan, these are the Kanes.”

“Hello,” I say in a deadpan tone.

“Hello, Joan. It is a pleasure to meet you,” the elderly woman says as she gets to her feet and pulls me into a hug.

Alarm bells ring out at her actions and I am instantly on guard.

What is going on here?

“Why not take a seat, Joan,” Vivian offers and I reluctantly obey

Throughout the conversation I feel the gaze of the younger man staring at me and I finally turn to stare at him in annoyance, daring him to continue staring.

He does.

The barbarian.

“It looks like you two are hitting it off well,” Mrs. Kane says and I am snapped out of the staring match.

“Excuse me?” I ask.

“It seems the engagement is on the right track.”

“Engagement? What engagement?” I ask in panic.

“Well, to Marcus of course.”

“To…”

I trail off as the name rings a bell.

Marcus.

Kane.

“Wait… aren't you supposed to be engaged to Mira?” I ask.

“Oh, Joan,” Vivian titters. “Have you forgotten? Mira is due for her surgery and we have no idea if she will survive. How could you forget?” she asks before ducking her head to hide a fake sob.

What is going on?

“There, there,” my father says as he oats her hands in comfort. “Everything is going to be alright.”

Are you kidding me right now?!

“What-”

“Hence, we have decided that you will fill in her place in the surgery,” my dad interrupts me.

“Excuse me?!” I screech as I get to my feet. “What the hell are you talking about?!”

“Oh dear, weren't you aware?” Mrs. Kane asks in confusion as she exchanges a glance with her husband.

“No, ma’am. I was not and I refused said engagement. I don't even know you people. How dare you decide my life like this?;”

“Joan!” my father roars, silencing everybody.

For a few seconds, all is silent, and then Mtmr. Kane gets to his feet.

“It seems there are some familial issues to discuss, we can pick this up another time,” he says as he gestures to the rest of his family.

“Harry,” My father calls after him but he is rebuffed.

“Handle your family first, Logan. And then we can talk.”

They all leave, with Marcus at the end who also gives me a wink before disappearing around the corner.

A few seconds later we hear the doors close and the rev of a car driving away.

THWACK!

“How dare you!” my father roars from above me as I collapse to the floor, holding my cheek.

He slapped me.

My father slapped me.

“How dare you embarrass me in front of my guests?”

“How dare you try to sell me off?!* I roar at him. “And if they are so important why not marry your precious daughter to them.”

“Don't be ridiculous, Joan,” Mira says as she stands aside with her mother. “There is no way I am going to marry that bankrupt family!”

Bankrupt?

Bankrupt?!

“Ah. Hahaha. So that is it,” I say with a sarcastic laugh as I get to my feet. “You finally found a use for me, after all,” I tell him. “Your precious daughter can't marry into that family but your illegitimate one can, you can't have your cake and eat it, Logan!”

THWACK!

“I am your father, you will treat me with respect!”

“I will treat you the way you deserve!” I scream back at him. “And stop claiming to be my father, you are just a sperm donor at best!”

He raises his hand to slap me again but is stopped by Vivian.

Huh?

“Don't hit her anymore. What if someone sees and thinks we are abusing her?”

“You are abusing me, you bitch. You and your whore of a daughter.”

“How dare you-”

“Well, then again I suppose it makes sense. She did come from you two.”

“That is it! Thomas!” my father roars and his burly assistant walks in.

“You called sir.”

“Take her to her room and make sure she stays there. She is only allowed one meal per day!”

“You are keeping me locked up?” I demand in shock. “There is no need,” I say. “I will leave by myself, there is no need for you to ever see me again.”

He scoffs at me before gesturing for Thomas to get me.

I try to evade him but he is not a bodyguard for nothing. In no time, he has my hands behind my back and begins leading me up the stairs.

“You will be allowed to leave once you have agreed to the marriage. Not a member before,” my father says before he was away.

As I am led to my prison, I see both mother and daughter, smiling evilly at me from below, happy at the fact that they seem to have won.

They don't want me gone.

They want me broken and with no hope.

Trapped.

But I refuse to be.

I will break free and when I do, they will all pay.

All too soon, we article at my doors and Thomas pushes me in. The moment my hands are few, I rush at him, trying to get around him but that proves futile.

“Don't make this harder than it has to be,” he says before he locks the door behind him, leaving me in silence.

A prisoner in my own home.

What a wonderful family this is.

Maybe Louisa was right.

Maybe it is time I take my revenge against them.

But how?