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Terry slowly trailed his hand up the length of my thigh. He stopped at the meatiest point, just beneath my hip and
squeezed.
I wanted to bolt from the table. I wanted to elbow him in the ribs or kick at his shins.
All I could actually do was sit very still and try not to draw attention from the cameras or the guests, while
simultaneously trying to only get Julian to notice.
However, every time Julian glanced at me, his attention was immediately claimed again by Joyce sitting beside me.
It was strange to hear him talk so much, especially when the topics. seemed to be entirely superfluous.
“Did you watch that television show the other night?” Joyce asked.
“I don’t watch a lot of TV,” Julian replied.
“It was such a good episode.”
Julian nodded, and glanced back at me.
I widened my eyes.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Did you hear what happened to Aunt Ruby?” Joyce said.
Julian’s eyes went to Joyce again. “No, what?”
“She bought another dog.”
Julian huffed a laugh. “Don’t word it like that, then, Joyce. You made it sound like it was something serious.”
“A new dog is a serious commitment,” Joyce said.
“Yeah, but…”
Their argument progressed, Julian totally focused on proving Joyce wrong, that he did not look at me again for a
long moment. When he did, it was only for a second, before returning his gaze to Joyce, as he brought up yet
another point of contention.
Meanwhile Terry was rubbing his hand on my thigh, back and forth. His fingers were moving gradually toward the
inside.
I tried to shift away from him, but he simply moved his hand right along with me, keeping it affixed to my leg like he
had glued it there.
Before long, he had coaxed his hand between my thighs, undoubtedly wrinkling my dress. Though my dress was the
very last of my worries at the moment, because ever so slowly, he
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“Piper, this steak is to die for.” He speared a piece of the meat and held his fork out for me to
taste.
I froze. It eat something off of his fork felt overly intimate. It had even garnered the attention of several nearby
candidates and the cameras. The candidates gave me pitying looks. The cameramen moved in closer.
If I accepted, it was akin to accepting his advances. If I rejected, it would be like a slap in the face. I might as well
show myself out now for how much standing I would lose, being rude to
the host.
I clenched my stomach, ignoring the way disgust swirled within it, violent and angry.
I leaned forward, closed my eyes, and accepted the bite of meat from Terry’s fork.
“There’s a good girl,” Terry said, and I wanted to spit the food in his face.
Instead, a glass shattered.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmMy eyes shot opened.
Nicholas had clutched his water glass so tightly it shattered. Blood dripped down from his fist.
“Why, nephew. Don’t know your own strength perhaps?” Terry was absolutely delighted by the display and made no
attempts to hide it. “You should go clean yourself up before you stain the tablecloth.”
Nicholas frowned harder, but, after casting a glance at Julian, who nodded in return, Nicholas excused himself from
the table.
Servants immediately cleared away the glass shards and replaced the broken cup with a fresh
one.
Terry looked at me. He leaned in and whispered, “Now that we’re alone…”
He placed a hand on my upper knee.
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I tried pushing him away by his wrist, but that only made him grab me tighter. His fingers bit into my skin, likely
leaving bruises.
I felt trapped, a cornered animal with nowhere to go. No one was coming for the rescue.