Charlotte, a failed artist, finds herself stuck between the man she loves and her fiance who loves the power and control he has over her.
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Charlotte knew she had met the love of her life, Chase Sinclair, when she was only 20. Their relationship...
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Chapter 12
When Charlotte got home, she had a few hours to herself until Landon arrived, so she had a shower and changed into casual clothes and had a quick smoke before coming inside.
She grabbed a book from her room and sat on the large grey couch in the living room while she waited. She set her glass of red wine on the coffee table and opened her book as her eyes started to devour the words on the page. She had just finished chapter 1 when her body tensed as the front door opened and heavy footsteps walked along the wooden floors.
She picked up her glass of wine and took a big sip hoping to calm her nerves. Rose had been over and had cooked dinner which was sitting in the oven.
"Hey, sweetheart." She gently closed her book and rested one arm on the back of the couch and turned her body to see Landon opening the oven and seeing what was inside. He was dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt and while he looked casual, he dominated the room with power.
"How was your trip?" She asked in politeness grabbing her glass hoping he didn't notice her shaky hand from where he was standing. Charlotte watched as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured his own glass.
"Tedious. I had to fire and re-fire some staff and sort out the mess they had left behind." His deep voice floated through the room and she watched as he walked over to where she was sitting. She gave him a pleasant fake smile as he leant down and kissed her head when he reached her. She moved her legs that were resting on the couch so he could sit next to her.
She went to sit up however Landon grabbed her legs and put them in his lap. He had his wine in one hand and his other was resting on the back of the couch.
"What are you reading?" He nodded towards her book which she picked up and showed him the front cover. It was a romance novel and she would be lying if she said she hadn't read it before.
"Gabriel's Inferno. Even though I have read it before I still fall in love every time, I read it." She shrugged her shoulders and tried not to show she was nervous. When Landon showed interest in what she was doing, she found it scarier than when he raised a hand.
He would be kind, show his affection and made her believe that he loved her, however that kindness would turn into sly comments, nasty words and eventually a raised hand.
"Do you ever get lonely at home all by yourself?" He asked out of the blue and she frowned trying to work out where this conversation was going. Landon looked thoughtful as he sipped his wine and gave her that smile she fell in love with when he looked over at her.
"Sometimes. It is a big house, if I had a job I wouldn't be as lonely because I would have something to do." She said carefully knowing that Landon didn't want her to work. She knew it was another way to control her, to make her solely dependent on him, but she needed something to do.
