Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

H anna stepped back into the parlor, her heart beating rapidly but her resolve unwavering. Her father had sat down, the bottle poorly concealed behind his leg. She steadied herself, meeting his gaze without fear.

“I will not do it,” she declared, her voice firm. “I will not spy on my husband, and you will not threaten me any longer.”

Her father’s face darkened, the sudden flare of rage twisting his features. In a swift motion, he rose from his seat, seizing her wrist in a grip so tight it sent a jolt of pain through her arm.

“I’ve had enough of you, girl,” he snarled, his voice dripping with venom as though years of frustration were finally bursting free.

Hanna winced but stood her ground, refusing to cower as she might have once. “And you will not frighten me with your threats about marrying Emma off to Lord Sandringham,” she continued, her voice low but filled with quiet determination. “You may have boasted that she has two dukes for brothers-in-law, but do you truly think they will allow it? They will not stand by while you ruin her life as you tried with mine.”

Her father’s face contorted further with rage, his fingers digging painfully into her flesh. “Ungrateful wretch,” he spat. “You think a title can shield you? That being a duchess makes you untouchable? You’ll always be my daughter. I made you. You belong to me .”

Hanna met his furious gaze, her heart racing, but something had shifted inside her. The fear that had once consumed her, that had held her captive for so long, was gone.

“No,” she countered, her voice calm but edged with steel. “I belong to no one but myself.” She lifted her chin slightly, holding his gaze. “I will not be your pawn any longer.”

His grip tightened even more, the fury in his eyes burning hotter as he sneered. “You think you can just walk away? You’ll come crawling back when that husband of yours casts you aside. When you have nowhere else to turn, you’ll beg for my favor.”

Before Hanna could respond, a voice as cold and commanding as a winter wind cut through the room. “That is enough.”

Both Hanna and her father turned toward the doorway. Edwin stood there, his eyes dark and filled with an icy fury Hanna had never seen before. He stepped into the room, his presence filling it with an undeniable authority. In a heartbeat, he was beside her, freeing her from her father’s grip, his touch firm but gentle.

Lord Worcester stumbled back, momentarily shocked by Edwin’s sudden intervention.

Edwin positioned himself between them, his tall frame shielding Hanna from her father’s menacing figure. His voice, though quiet, held a sharp, unyielding edge. “You will not speak to my wife in such a manner. Ever again.”

The air in the room seemed to thicken with tension. The Earl, his pride wounded, glared at Edwin, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes now. He had not anticipated this—that much was clear from the puzzled expression on his visage.

“This is a private matter,” he spat, his voice shaking with the effort to reclaim his dominance. “You have no right to interfere.”

Edwin’s gaze did not waver, nor did his voice rise. “I am your son-in-law—that makes me family. And she is my wife. Therefore, this concerns me very much. In the eyes of the law, she is mine, not yours. As such, it became my concern the moment you laid a hand on her.” His words were laced with such steel that the Earl, for all his bluster, faltered. “I will not allow it.”

For a moment, Lord Worcester stood frozen, his expression twisting between fury and desperation. He opened his mouth as if to protest, but no words came. The realization was sinking in—he had lost control. His attempts to assert dominance over Hanna had failed, and now Edwin, this man of power and influence, stood before him as an immovable wall.

“You think you can protect her forever?” he hissed, grasping at the last vestiges of his pride.

“I already have,” Edwin pointed out, his voice calm, resolute. “And I shall continue to do so. I have no interest in making things difficult. We are family and business partners. But I will not let my wife be disrespected by anyone. Not even you.”

Defeated, the Earl clenched his fists, his chest heaving with barely suppressed rage. He could find no retort that would restore his authority at that moment. With one final, seething glare, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, the heavy slam of the door echoing in the stillness.

Hanna let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, the tension slowly leaving her body. Her wrist throbbed from her father’s tight grip, but the pain felt distant compared to the weight of what had just transpired.

Edwin turned to her, his expression softening as he gently reached for her wrist, his fingers brushing over the red marks left by her father’s cruelty.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked, his voice low, filled with concern.

Hanna shook her head, though the answer was not entirely honest. The physical pain was fleeting, but the deeper wounds, the ones etched into her through years of her father’s manipulation, lingered. But something within her had changed—something that could no longer be undone.

“I’m fine,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “Thank you.”

She met his eyes, and at that moment, something passed between them—an understanding, a shared sense of victory. Edwin had defended her not out of duty, but because he cared.

His gaze lingered on her, as if he was searching for any sign of lingering fear. Then, with a quiet sincerity, he spoke, “He will never hurt you again. Not while I am here.”

Hanna nodded, her heart swelling with an unfamiliar sense of security. For the first time, she felt truly free from her father’s control. And though the path ahead was uncertain, one thing had become clear: she was no longer alone.