Forbidden Temptation My Mafia Fiance's Alpha Father (Brooklyn and Aden) novel Chapter 85

Chapter 85
Brooklyn

Hudson shakes his head and leaves without another word, not even looking at me.

I watch him go and then turn back to Aden.

“You’re on dangerous ground, Brooklyn,” Aden says, his voice low.

“Why? Because I still can’t see anything that I’ve done wrong. I went to a party and talked to my father’s guests.” I raise my chin in the air. “If you didn’t want me to do that, then you shouldn’t have let me go to the party.”

Aden slowly shakes his head.

“No,” he says evenly. “You misunderstand. You’re not on dangerous ground with me. You’re on dangerous ground in this world.”

I frown, confused.

“You see,” Aden says, unfolding his arms and looking down at his desk, “your father changed the game tonight, and you let him do it.”

He takes a handful of change from his pocket and scatters it on the desk.

I look between him and the money, confused.

Then he slides one penny forward out of the mix.

“The only thing that was protecting you in this world,” Aden continues, “was your engagement to Hudson. You had my protection.”

He takes two quarters, placing them next to the penny, blocking the penny off from the rest of the change.

“But,” he continues, “tonight your father opened the opportunity for you to show the world where your allegiance lies. And, in leaving Hudson behind—” he moves the penny around the quarters so that it mingles again with the rest of the cash on the table, “—you’ve left yourself open. For anyone else to claim, should they wish it.”

I stare at the cash on the table, realizing the seriousness of what happened tonight.

“You see, Brooklyn,” Aden continues, picking up a little dime and holding it towards my face. “Your dad? In this world? He’s not a penny like you, but he’s small. And he’s getting weaker. I want him on my side because he has resources I’d like to use.”

One thing in Aden’s little metaphor doesn’t quite add up.

I reach out, picking up the little shiny penny that represents me, my eyes glancing at my million-dollar engagement ring as I do.

If all of these men are going through all of this effort to figure out where I land, then I’m certainly not a one-cent piece.

I’m certainly not the least valuable coin on the table.

And everyone—Aden, my father, Colsen, Hudson even—they all want me to think that I am, that I am some penny or some pawn.

But what I’m starting to realize, through all of this, is that I’m worth much more to them, and to myself, then they’d like me to believe.

After all, if a pawn crosses the entire chess board…she becomes a queen.

I smirk, slipping my penny into the pocket and quietly leaving the room. I head upstairs to bed, not bothering to say goodnight to anyone.