Scandalous Love

46. | James

Party gatherings like this had never really been my scenery. 

I dressed myself up in the same suit Riley had made me wear multiple times now. I knew not to enter through the front doors where the guards were stood. I didn't want to stir things up even more so I climbed through Riley's bedroom window and made my way downstairs from there. 

She wasn't in her room meaning she was elsewhere, most likely already down in the hall along with everyone else. 

I make my way down there to find myself pulled into a sea of people. I couldn't spot Riley anywhere amongst them all. It was just like the first night I had been here, swarmed within a bucket full of people I had never seen before. 

They were all dressed in formal wear, just like I was, but I couldn't have felt more out of place than I did. 

I continue walking through the crowd until a pair of feet step on mine as she falls backwards, causing me to catch her in my waist. "Whoa. You okay?" I say to her, standing her back up onto her feet properly. 

She turns around and takes one look at me before smirking, biting her lip, and I do the same as I look down at her. It was exactly like that first night we had met when she had bumped into me out of shock. 

"Sorry, I'm such a clutz," she repeats her line, making me smile at her, my arms staying put on her waist. 

She was dressed in a mini silk dress where the hem rested above her knees and her hair was let out loosely with curls dangling above her shoulders. 

She takes hold of my hand and nods towards where everyone was headed towards the garden outside. "Come on, let's go," she whispers to me. 

I give her hand a light squeeze and follow along with her until we get outside where her father was stood on the squared stage in the centre. He had a microphone with him and his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear him. 

I didn't have a clue what he was planning on saying and whether this would be good or bad. Based on everything Riley had told me, I could only hope what she had said to him earlier would be enough to shift his brain to the right headspace but knowing him, I really had no idea. 

"After a comprehensive conversation with my daughters this morning, I have come to the decision to no longer move forward with the change of positions between myself and my daughter, Emily." 

Riley looks up at me confusedly, furrowing her brows while I did the same. What was he talking about? 

I keep my hands on each side of Riley's hips from behind, holding her close to me against my chest. 

"I will keep my place in charge of both towns and I have also had the brisk decision to knock down all the irrelevant buildings on the South Side. We shall extend North Side and change the name of this county to Aniston Gardens, after my surname. Any residents who can not afford to live in their homes currently shall be forced to move out and away from our town. It is by gentrification that we will be able to make enough profit money to pay for all the damage that has been made in the last week or so."

"Dad!" Riley yells out, clutching onto my hand tightly. "What do you think you're doing?" 

Her voice was tight and stern. She couldn't have disagreed with this any more than she did now and I couldn't blame her. 

There was an open space between both towns now and since we had made our presence outside, a group of people from my side of town begin to make their way over in a huddle. 

They weren't dressed in formal wear. They weren't invited here. They had overheard what Richard had said and they were mad. I was too. 

"You fucking idiot!" Hunter yells.