Loved

Chapter 48

They all stood around Emerson and sang happy birthday while she blowed the candle and cut the cake.

Rose fed her the first bite, then Henry , Eliza, Nathan and at last, Adrien and wished her happy birthday.

Emerson cut the cake in pieces for them to eat.

Eliza opened the boxes of Chinese food and every one settled in the dinning room room to eat it.

It was a comfortable silence Eliza broke it.

"Who was the man whom you beat Adrien? And what did he say?"

Em and Adrien froze.
Adrien remembered what he said.

'On our wedding day.'

He wondered if Emerson was married or just engaged.

"Michael Fort, he introduced himself. But I think the rest should be Emerson's choice to tell or not." He said seriously.

Rose gave Emerson a worried glance.
"How in the name of God he came to London? That piece of ---" Henry cut her off by a cough.

Emerson sighed.
"I don't know, he said he was for business here. Heather said something in the office about our old time. Then at the club he just exposed something I never wanted to come out, at least not from his mouth. The thing is I never told him those secrets. He also told me ---" Emerson cut herself and froze in between like realising something.

She looked at Henry and gulped.
"He said my parents literally sold me, they were going to get some shares in Fort's company. Why did they agree to  your wish of me marrying Adrien? " She asked, but feared the answer.

Every one on the table froze.

When Henry didn't answer, she asked again.
"Why? "

Her eyes shined with tears. Henry averted his gaze. Even Adrien was shocked .

"You bought me like an object , didn't you? " She asked again, her knuckles turning white.

"You did what? " Adrien shouted.

He never raised his voice on Henry, infact no one did.

Henry sighed and glanced at Rose who was looking at him with blank face but she was gripping her fork tightly.
"Peter asked me to take your care. You are a piece of his heart Emerson. I thought you married that Fort but when I got to know your marriage was called off , I thought of making you Adrien's bride because then I could easily take you out of that Leone household. It wasn't my intention to make you feel like an object. I am sorry for that, really."

Emerson averted her gaze and a traitorous tear escaped her eye. Adrien placed his hand on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze of support.

Emerson bit her lip and glanced at Henry.
"It's ok. It was on my parents to accept it and sell me like an object. You don't have to be apologetic." She said softly.

Henry sighed in relief. Even if he knew he gave no choice to her parents.

But it was short lived because Rose slammed her hand on the table, breathing heavily, her face red with anger.
"You did what Henry? " She asked rhetorically, but her tone was lethal.

Everyone on the table jumped at that.

Henry gulped visibly.
"See Rose, it was to protect her, her parents---"

Rose cut him off.
"Stop! Peter never wanted you to bind her in a loveless marriage, or even buy her like an object! You knew how much he hated Michael because he knew he won't be the one for her! He wanted her to find love, like we did with us, but you ruined her chances of that, for a promise Peter gave you which you fulfilled with a sacrifice of her happiness. You could have sued ger parents, taken legal actions, anything to protect her, AND YOU KNOW COULD HAVE EASILY DONE THAT! BUT NO YOU SELFISH BASTARDO YOU BOUGHT HER LIKE A FUCKING OBJECT! " 
She screamed on the top of her lungs, her chest heaving.