A Criminal Kiss [Max Verstappen]

chapter seventeen

The day had started like any other, with the sun creeping through the tall windows and the usual bustle of the household filling the air. I had been preparing for another day in the garden when my father's voice called out to me, summoning me to his study.

I found him standing behind his large, oak desk, papers neatly stacked in front of him. The air was thick with the familiar scent of ink and parchment, and the heavy silence between us felt oppressive. As usual, his face was unreadable, but there was something in his stance that told me I wasn't about to receive a casual chat.

"Annalise," he began, his voice cool but laced with authority, "We need to discuss your recent behavior."

I swallowed, trying to steady my nerves. I knew where this conversation was going.

The sneaking out.

"I haven't done anything wrong," I said, my voice carefully controlled, though I could feel the slight tremor in my hands as I folded them in front of me.

"Don't play coy with me," he said sharply, his gaze narrowing. "You've been sneaking off into town more often than is appropriate. I told you that you were not to leave this house, and you're going off in the night?" His voice raises.

"You've been seen with common folk, walking the streets, visiting shops. Annalise, you cannot afford to be so careless. I don't know why, or frankly with whom, but it needs to stop."

I held my breath he spoke to me. The scolding tone, the disappointed edge in his voice—it wasn't new, but it still felt suffocating. My gaze dropped to my hands, my fingers twining together in a nervous knot. I wanted to argue, to tell him how suffocating it all was—how I longed to be free of these constraints, to just be... me. But I knew that would get me nowhere. Instead, I simply stood there, waiting for him to continue.

He exhaled sharply, pushing the papers aside as he stood, his chair scraping across the wooden floor. "You are a duchess, Annalise. Your actions reflect upon this family. You must maintain your reputation, your status. Those are not things to be taken lightly." He took a step toward me, his gaze hardening. "I expect better from you."

I felt a knot tighten in my throat. "I understand," I whispered, even though I didn't.

My father's eyes softened slightly, but only for a moment, before he turned away, pacing toward the window. The dim light of the afternoon cast long shadows over the room, but it did nothing to soften the tension that lingered in the air.

"Your mother would not have stood for this," he murmured, more to himself than to me. The mention of my mother was like a fresh wound, the scar still tender despite the years that had passed since her death. I could feel the weight of his expectations growing heavier, the pressure to live up to a ghost I could never quite match.

"I haven't done anything to dishonor the family," I said quietly, though the words sounded hollow even to my own ears.

He turned back to face me, his expression unreadable. "But you have risked too much already. It must stop, Annalise. You have responsibilities now. Your duty is to this family, to the title you carry, not to some fleeting whim."

His voice was cold now, and I felt the last of my defiance slip away, replaced by the heavy weight of obligation that always seemed to follow me.

"I won't have you embarrassing us further," he continued, his eyes hardening. "There is too much at stake. Understand?"

I nodded, though my heart felt like it was sinking into my stomach. "Yes, Father. I understand."

He seemed satisfied with that response, for he turned back to the desk and began to sort through the papers again, as if the conversation were over. But I lingered in the doorway, unable to move. My life was not my own. It never had been.

"Is there anything else?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He didn't look up. "Just remember, Annalise. Your reputation is your future."

"Father—"

"I don't care for your excuses, Annalise," he said, his voice hardening. "You will attend the upcoming gathering at the Lockhart estate, and you will behave as you should. You cannot afford to allow your reputation to slip, especially now when we are considering potential suitors for you. I have already made arrangements for you to meet some of the most eligible young men in town."

The mention of suitors made my stomach twist in a way I couldn't explain. I hadn't yet gotten used to the idea of my life being parceled out for the sake of convenience or alliances. I had known that this moment would come, that I would be paraded before eligible bachelors like a prized horse at market, but the thought of it still made my heart sink.

"I don't need to meet anyone new, Father," I said, my voice shaking just slightly despite my best efforts to stay composed. "I have enough to manage with the estate and your expectations. You know that."

"You do need to meet them, Annalise," he snapped, his patience running thin. "You may not want to marry, but that doesn't mean I don't have a responsibility to secure your future. You are not a child anymore."

I swallowed hard, my fingers clenched tightly at my sides. The idea of marrying someone I didn't love, someone who was more interested in my family's wealth and title than in me as a person, was enough to make me feel suffocated. Yet, this was my reality. I had no real say in the matter.

"I understand," I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady. "I will attend the gathering."

He studied me for a long moment, his eyes sharp and calculating. "I don't care how you feel about it, Annalise. You will be there, and you will do what is expected of you. This is not a request."

"I'll be there, Father," I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Good." His tone softened, but only slightly, as if his anger had been replaced by the distant satisfaction of getting his way. "And remember this: you are not free to wander off as you please. You will maintain your reputation, or I will make sure the consequences are made clear to you. You have been seen too many times in town, and people are beginning to talk."

I nodded, my throat tight. "I'll be more careful."

"See that you are," he said sharply. "The Lockharts are important, and this gathering is a chance for you to prove your worth, to show your value. I expect nothing less than perfection."

With that, he turned back to his papers, dismissing me without another word.

And with that, the conversation ended, leaving me standing in the silence of his study, staring at the back of the man who could never seem to see me for who I truly was.

I turned slowly and walked out of the room, feeling the weight of my father's words pressing down on me as I made my way back to my room. The hallway felt long, as if I were walking through a tunnel, the walls closing in on me with every step.

I needed to get away. But there was nowhere to go, and for the first time in a long time, I felt utterly trapped.

I had no choice but to comply, but it didn't make it any easier. What would happen if I kept sneaking off, if I kept slipping away to breathe, to live for just a little while?

Would he find out?

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