Not Their Daughter, Just the Mistress Chapter 06

Not Their Daughter, Just the Mistress Chapter 06

“I’m a ductor here. Winona was just catching up.”

Nolan stepped in front of me, between me and the look on Everett’s face that could’ve killed us both.

But nothing could stop the murderous intent rolling off Everett in waves.

“Winona. Come here.”

Everett pulled off his gloves. His hand was already drifting toward his waistband when I shoved Nolan aside

and walked to him.

He almost never used my real name.

Even at my absolute worst, the tantrums, the demands, the spending, Everett had never once gotten angry.

Right now, he was furious.

“Nolan, stop. I have to go.”

He dragged me into the car. Before I could say a word, he kissed me, hard enough to draw blood, and laughed against my mouth, the kind of laugh that had nothing to do with funny.

“Stop? You just told another man you want to leave me, and you think I’m going to stop?!”

Blood filled my mouth. My whole body started shaking, and I thought I was going to be sick.

…Babe, are you scared of me?”

Something shifted in Everett’s face. His hands had already been reaching for my clothes, and they stopped.

I bit down on my lip and shook my head.

Even after I found out who he really was, even after I’d seen what he did to his enemies, I was never afraid.

Because I knew, I was sure, he’d never turn that side on me.

But the comments hadn’t been wrong about a single thing. Not once.

How could I not be afraid? The terror and the unfairness of it all hit me at the same time, and I broke down

crying.

My sobbing cut through his rage like a switch flipping off.

He dropped the Nolan thing entirely. Pulled me into his arms like he didn’t know what else to do, murmuring apologies the whole ride home.

[Cry, cry, cry. That’s literally all this drama queen is good for. Pathetic.]

(Everett only babies you because he hasn’t figured out the truth yet. After tonight, you could cry till you pass out and nobody’s coming…]

By the time we got home, I’d almost stopped crying.

Then the comments appeared, and the tears came flooding back.

Everett held me all afternoon. He didn’t ask questions. He just stayed.

That evening, my adoptive parents called.

Just like the comments predicted: they’d found their biological daughter. And they wanted me to bring

Everett to the welcome–home gala next month.

The second they found out who I was dating, they’d been using me as their ticket to Everett.

I didn’t want to go. But I’d left things at their house that I needed back, so I said yes.

A few minutes later, Everett’s phone rang. Sloane.

He took it on speaker, and her voice filled the room, soft, almost sweet.

“Boss, I found my biological parents. They’re actually Winona’s adoptive parents!”

“They want to thank you in person for taking me in. Can you come over tonight… have dinner with us?”

Everett knew exactly what kind of people my adoptive parents were. I watched something flicker across his

face.

He set down his chopsticks mid–bite, stood, and stepped out onto the balcony.

My chest tightened so fast I couldn’t breathe.

[The drama queen’s scared, huh? Haha, tonight’s gonna be fun.]

[Her adoptive parents have hated her since she was a kid because they thought she was dumb. The second Everett shows up, they’re gonna trash–talk her to his face.]

[Am I the only one who feels bad for the drama queen? Her adoptive parents cut her allowance whenever they were in a bad mood. They bought her brother a brand–new Porsche and gave her twenty bucks. They literally tried to marry her off to some seventy–year–old investor… If the MMC hadn’t come along, she’d have been destroyed.]

[She only acted out because she was desperate to know if he actually loved her. She’s literally love–starved. Why does everyone hate her so much?]

[Are you two out of your minds? Feeling sorry for a doomed sidepiece? Every victim is a villain in someone else’s story. She put Everett through hell and made the FMC suffer. She deserves what’s coming!]

[A this.1

The balcony door clicked open.

Everett sat back down, picked up the bowl of soup, and went right back to feeding me.

I kept opening my mouth to ask him to stay.

Every time, the words died before I could get them out.

When the bowl was empty, Everett stood. He tucked the blanket around me and brushed the hair off my

forehead.

“Babe, I’m heading out for a bit. Get some sleep if you’re tired.