Mercilessly Bred: A Dark Beauty and the Beast Retelling by Natalie Knight

Author:Natalie Knight [Knight, Natalie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Sebastian

The flowers in my hand were my wife’s favorite. Blue orchids. I gripped them tightly as I stood in front of her grave, trying to get my emotions under control.

I didn’t come here often, and not just because it was in France. I had a private jet, and I could travel anywhere, anytime I wanted. Charlotte and I had often visited here because it was her favorite place. She loved France, and that was why I buried her here instead of in Switzerland.

I didn’t visit the grave often because it hurt too much. Being here made me think of the fire, the way she died. I hated it.

But I wanted to come here while Belle’s hair was being tended to. It felt like it was a good time to come pay respect to Charlotte. And maybe I needed the space to think about my newfound feelings.

I wondered what Charlotte would think of Belle. She’d probably like the girl, want to take care of her. My wife was a sweet and kind woman.

I knew she wouldn’t want me to retreat into the castle like a beastly recluse. If Charlotte knew how I had changed into a callous person, the way I mistreated those around me, especially Belle, she would be disappointed.

But I’d made a promise to myself when I lost Charlotte. I promised I’d never love again. Ever. And I was notorious for keeping my promises.

I placed the flowers down, their colors bright against the dark soil, and released a deep sigh before turning away.

As I trudged back to my SUV, my cell phone rang, its sound echoing off the trees. It was Maxwell, the only person who knew where I was right now.

“What?” I deadpanned.

“Hi, sir, I wanted to know if you had any plans to stop by the flagship store while you’re in France.”

I ground my teeth together. I didn’t visit the stores anymore, and Maxwell knew that. The last time I did was before Charlotte died.

“No, I don’t. Why would I do that?”

“The board hasn’t had any time to visit the stores this year.”

“When was the last visit?” I asked, irritated and suspicious. I couldn’t understand why he hadn’t mentioned this to me earlier.

“Nine months ago.”

“What? I hired people for this specific job. Why have they overlooked it for so long?”

“Because you fired them for incompetence a few months after hiring them.”

I cursed under my breath. “Fine,” I snapped as I reached my vehicle. “I’ll go.”

I drove in the opposite direction I had planned, heading into downtown Paris. I hated crowds—and most people—and this place had way too many of them. I was regretting my agreement to come here, but I knew it was probably a good idea. It had been so long that I was positive none of the workers would know who I was. That would give me an opportunity to check things out from a customer’s perspective.

The building, almost entirely made of glass, was our largest store, spanning three stories, and offering some of the world’s finest chocolate and candy.

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