apter 75
Chapter 75
Briony couldn’t be bothered to argue with them any longer. She’d come here fully prepared for whatever might happen.
As for Stewart… If she was still harboring even a shred of hope for him at this point, that would be truly pathetic.
With that in mind, Briony spoke, her voice icy: “I’ll pay for Mack’s bone marrow. Name your price.”
“Name a price?” Madeline scoffed, her lips curling in disdain. “The Kensington family hardly needs your money, Briony! If you want to save that wretched woman, fine–but first, you’ll get on your knees and beg my son for forgiveness!”
At her words, Mack stepped forward, clutching Malcolm’s framed portrait in his arms. He stood on the steps, looming over Briony, looking down with a smug authority.
“Briony, you want my help?” Mack sneered. “Get down on your knees and bow to my father’s picture. One hundred times. And for each one, you say, ‘I’m sorry, I was wrong? Do that, and I’ll donate my bone marrow to your criminal of a mother.”
Briony’s eyes flicked to Malcolm’s portrait, her brow furrowing. She turned back to Mack. “You swear you’ll keep your word?”
“Of course!” Mack’s eyes gleamed with the thrill of tormenting her. “Well? What are you waiting for, Briony? Get down and start begging!”
But Briony stood her ground, unmoved.
Mack’s expression twisted with frustration. He thrust the portrait toward her. “What’s wrong, Briony? Not willing? Look! Who’s this? It’s your father–your own flesh and blood! Now, in front of him, you’re begging me to save the woman who killed him. And that’s your attitude? Don’t you think you should show a little sincerity?”
Briony stared at the portrait, and for one chilling moment, Mack’s face seemed to blend with Malcolm’s. The cruelty–it really did run in their blood.
Her heart was numb, emptied of any feeling for Malcolm, for Mack, for Madeline, or for anything the Kensingtons had ever done. Disgust had hollowed her out long ago.
When facing them, she realized, there was no point thinking of them as people. It was better to treat them as rabid animals, ready to bite at any moment.
“Mack.” She lifted her gaze and looked at him as if he were nothing more than a piece of furniture. “I’ll kneel. I’ll apologize. But do you dare swear, here and now, in front of Malcolm’s portrait, that if you break your word, you’ll suffer for it?”
Mack faltered, caught off guard.
Swear an oath like that?
Before Mack could answer, Madeline exploded. “You venomous little wretch! Mack is the only heir our family has left–how dare you-”
“Fine!” Mack cut her off, eager to keep the upper hand. “I swear before my father: if you kneel a hundred times, I’ll keep my word!”
“Mack!” Madeline pounded her cane against the floor, her voice rising in panic. “How could you say thing?”
ch a
“Grandma,” Mack turned to reassure her, “don’t worry. A hundred times? There’s no way she’ll go through with it.”
Outside, the bitter cold seeped into their bones. Mack was sure Briony didn’t have the strength–or the pride–to endure this humiliation.
14:22
Chapter 75
And even if she did, so what? Mack had never believed in superstitions. The dead were dead, Swearing in front of some picture meant nothing. What could possibly happen–divine retribution?
He looked back at Briony. “Listen, Briony. One hundred bows, one hundred apologies. Miss even one, and the
deal’s off.”
Briony stared at him, her eyes cold and unblinking.
Deep down, she knew Mack had no intention of donating his bone marrow. She wasn’t betting on his honesty She was betting on Madeline’s deep–seated superstition. If Mack swore an oath in front of Malcolm’s portrait, and Briony did her part, Madeline’s fear of retribution would force Mack to follow through–no matter what he wanted.
If it meant her mother might live, Briony could endure kneeling. She could endure anything.
She took a step back, expression blank, then dropped to her knees.
The moment she did, Mack burst into raucous laughter.
“Well, well! Look at you now, Briony! Five years ago, you thought you were something special, didn’t you? Sleeping with Stewart–big deal! Now you’re on your knees before me like a dog! Ha! I shouldn’t have asked you to beg for forgiveness. I should have made you crawl and bark! Hahaha!”
