Chapter 87: Caught In A Web "N-Nico..." I stuttered. "Put the gun—guns down." "Nico..." Isaac drawled. "That’s pointless." "Says the person standing at the other end of my fucking pistol. Wanna give it a try to see if it is?" "Nico!" I hissed, but he didn’t blink or answer me. This is getting out of hand. I don’t know what to do, I mean, how do you calm a guy who has guns in his hand and won’t listen to you? And he’s fucking high! Isaac, on the other hand, didn’t feel threatened in any way; he was more amused by this situation. "Let’s see who pulls the trigger first," he declared. The three men reached for their guns. OH MY GOD! "Isaac!" A voice came behind, and we all turned our heads. "Violence is not welcomed in this house," Henry said coolly, as he came closer with hands behind his back. "Put down your weapons." The men did as he said, but Nico remained still, not until Henry’s burning look made him lower his hands. "He started it," he pointed out, strapping his guns back in his holster. "And he disrespects the lady." "He was getting in the way of me carrying orders..." Isaac resorted. "No shit—" "Let’s not throw words," Henry interrupted. "You’re acting like squeaking mice, louder than the ones we have." "I’m not leaving here without her. Those are my exact orders," Isaac stated, like his words were final. "Then you’d have approached her more civilly. Her father-in-law wants to see her, but that doesn’t mean you’ll drag her there. It has to be her choice." Henry neared me and gave me his arm. "Apologies for this misunderstanding. Isaac wasn’t clear. Of course, if you don’t want to see the Master of the House, then I shall tell him that." I hesitated for a bit, but I had a feeling this won’t be the end of this. I grabbed Henry’s arm, and he led us away. "Forgive them. Our utmost priority is respecting the ladies of this house. They are uncivilized," Henry said along the way. "Thank you for the save there. I’m not sure what could have happened if you didn’t. Why does he want to see me? The last I remember, we already did the intro." "His orders were clear. Bring her to me." He locked gaze with me. "I was only meant to step in if Isaac goes off script." My stomach clenched. "You..." I trailed, the rest of the words hanging. "Don’t look so shocked, Miss. I’m a butler, and it’s clear who I serve." I’m such an idiot. I thought Henry had just randomly stepped in. "Is this some kind of game?" I asked, keeping my eyes forward as my chest burned. "You wouldn’t have agreed to follow Isaac, nor would the one in the red shirt allow you, but of course, without your decision." "So you waited, knowing it would get heated, and you stepped in to intervene... just to convince me." "See? Much better than violence." I took my hand off his arm, feeling a heavy feeling swell in me. I discreetly swiped through my phone and texted Ares. HELP!!! But the bars were low, and there was no service, so the message hung. Fuck! Henry opened the door, and I put my phone down, freezing in place. Face it with courage. I said my mantra, but it didn’t work to ease me. Damning it all to hell, I stepped into the room, and the door closed. I looked behind, but Nico hadn’t come in, only Isaac. He walked past me, and my eyes followed until I saw Elias sitting. "Catherine, was it?" he asked. "Mr. King." "Elias is fine... a few people get to call me that. Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Sit." Slowly, I walked to the opposite side, and sat down on the sofa. "You wanted to see me," I began, acting as composed as I could be. "Yes, I did." "Why?" Elias observed me closely. "I have been meaning to see you personally. This isn’t the first time." "You mean when you tried to kidnap me?" "Kidnap you?" "You sent your men to pursue and bring me against my will. That pretty much sums it up." "Are you here against your will, then?" I chewed the inside of my mouth. "If only I didn’t listen to your loyal butler." A brief smile flashed on his lips as he reached for the decanter, fingers brushing the crystal. With a soft twist, he lifted the stopper before he tilted it and poured the drink into his glass, and proceeded with another in front of me. "It’s been years since I had a taste of liquor," he began, watching it fill my glass. "Now all I can do is enjoy the scent." He dropped the decanter and twisted the cover back in, grabbed his glass, and brought it to his nose, eyes closing as he took a whiff. I gulped as he set it back down on the coffee table, leaning back on his chesterfield chair and arms spread on the armrest. I grew uneasy under his sharp observing eyes, his icy blues feeling as if they were turning my insides to ice. "You claimed you love my son, which is why you married him." "I did not claim. I do love him." Maybe I should become a professional liar, because I had no idea how I could say that with a straight face. "We fell in love, and we decided to tie the knot in secret. Away from the media, but we couldn’t keep it under wraps anymore." "Do you realize Ares’ actions of marrying you broke an oath? A King never breaks an oath." "A-An oath?" "Yes. He was meant to marry the woman of my choosing, socially acceptable, from a suitable family, capable of carrying the King’s name and ensuring my legacy lives on." I blinked, more amused than stunned. "You engaged him. A full-grown man." "Isn’t that a father’s duty to ensure his son marries a worthy partner? What are you, Catherine Lane? You’re nothing. Just a woman in his bed to satisfy his lusts. He may have put a ring on that finger." He pointed to the diamond. "But he did that because of the condition I gave regarding my will."