LUSTING TO HAVE HER WAY

A BATTLE OF HER OWN

CHAPTER 7

Angela paced around the sitting room, her eyes flashing with frustration.

Donald sat on the couch, watching her with a mixture of caution and concern.

"Donald, I need you to do something about Bismarck," Angela said, her voice low and urgent. "He's a threat to everything I have worked for.

Donald leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Angela, I'm treading carefully."

"What do you mean?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"You're not taking this seriously enough."

"I am. But you need to understand the implications of getting fully involved."

He paused.

"Bismarck is James' personal assistant. If he tells James that I'm helping to cover up the infidelity of the woman he is about to marry, this immediately becomes a family matter. And once it does, I'll be in serious trouble."

Donald's words made Angela pause.

Angela seemed to understand his fear.

But she had already reached a point where the consequences of doing nothing seemed far worse to her.

The wedding was approaching.

James trusted her.

And Bismarck was the one person who could connect her to the events at Black Corks Hotel.

For a fleeting moment, Donald thought she understood.

Then she looked up again.

"So that's it?"

Her voice turned cold.

"You're refusing to help me because you're trying to protect your precious family reputation?"

"I will help you. I didn't say I will not"

"You keep saying you want to help me," she said quietly. "But every time things become difficult, you remind me of the risks to yourself."

"I want you to make sure Bismarck never gets the opportunity to destroy me."

Donald stared at her.

"I need to be careful in doing that. If we make one wrong move we'll be in trouble."

"Then make one right move instead of standing by and watching me deal with this alone?"

Donald rose to his feet.

"I'll do whatever I reasonably can. But you also need to understand my position."

Angela turned away from him.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then she glanced back over her shoulder.

"Fine."

Donald waited.

She gave him a faint smile.

"I understand your position."

But there was something in her expression that made Donald uneasy.

He could not tell whether she had accepted his reason or simply decided to stop arguing.

Angela stared at him for several seconds.

"I'll remember this, Donald."

Donald said nothing.

He simply watched her.

Something about the way she said those words made him uncomfortable.

He had known Angela long enough to recognize when an argument was truly over.

This did not feel like one.

Angela stepped back, allowing the moment to disappear as quickly as it had come.

"I suppose I'll have to find another way."

She walked towards the window and looked outside.

Bismarck was somewhere inside the house, unaware that the conversation taking place in the sitting room concerned his future.

Angela's eyes hardened.

If Donald would not handle the problem for her, she would handle it herself, but she could never image how far that resolve would take her.