The Blackmail Bride

Chapter 55 Part 2

Happy New Year! <3

Déjà vu

"What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what? We're taking you home! This deal is over!"

I was still processing my father's words when two other people stepped to the porch. The man held a dripping black umbrella overhead while the woman beside her clung to him arm.

"My son didn't kidnap your daughter," Rosalie Black's whole demeanor was stone cold as she glared daggers at my father, "Look at this turn around. A few months ago, you were ever so eager to marry them. Have you forgotten?"

My father whipped around facing Rosalie Black at her words. When he moved as if to get in her face, the Michael and Jace Black automatically moved to block George Richard Porter's approach.

My dad, for his part, got in Michael Black's face instead, their chests less than an inch apart.

His nostrils flared as he pushed a finger into the other man's collarbone, "You scammed us!"

"Richard!"

It was my mother's voice. I was standing inside the hallway dumbly, watching another pair of people coming in from the rain.

My mother was holding another umbrella over her and my grandmother. Two sets of blue eyes glinting in the graying background caused by the harsh weather.

But it was at my grandmother's presence that everyone stopped. Her slow casual steps, even as the freezing rain splashed at the hem of her red dress and designer ballet flats and that amused almost-smile she wore as she watched the whole scene we were making.

"You should at least let the little couple invite you into the house," were her first words and those identical blue eyes flicked in my direction.

All I did was mutely stare at her back. She seemed to be taking me in from head to toe before turning her eyes to Jace—who I didn't even realize was already standing beside me. Even he tensed at my grandmother's scrutiny.

"Well, my grandchildren—" her lips spread into a Cheshire-cat smile, "—you should at least invite us into your living room, don't you agree?"

And as if in a trance, everyone went inside the house, and we led them to the living area.

The furniture was arranged in a haphazard U in front of the mounted TV over the faux-fire place.

Jace and I automatically sat in the middle settee. My parents and grandma sat to our left on the long padded bench, while my in-laws sat in the two single-seater couches to our right. I also sat to the left near my parents side, while Jace sat in the middle of the sofa with our wedding picture occupying the remaining space where we left it earlier.

"Now, isn't this much better?" Grandma was glancing around the room, pretending to admire the interior of the villa.

No one answered.

And at that, the Porter matriarch's tone lilted to a sharper one, "You were all very ready to kill each other in the hallway. What's with this sudden silence?"

All the parents in the room fumbled in their chosen seats.

"I'm taking my daughter back," It was my dad speaking.

I hadn't even noticed my father being in his pinstriped suit until he tugged his necktie loose.

"How do you plan to do that? Are you going to blackmail us a second time?" Michael Black was in a shirt, and slacks, looking like he'd tossed the jacket away at some point during their trip to this place.