Chapter 5 5

The next morning, Holly woke up in the guest bedroom. Her face was pale, but the stomach cramps had dulled to a heavy ache.

The door was shoved open. Eleanor walked in wearing a pristine tailored suit. She looked down at Holly.

Eleanor threw a conservative Chanel suit onto the bed. She ordered Holly to put it on and get ready to leave.

Holly sat up, her guard instantly up. She asked where they were going. Eleanor replied coldly that they were going to see the crippled woman who was shaming the Morris family.

Holly clenched her fists. She refused. She stated she wanted no part in their sick love triangle.

Eleanor took a step closer. She threatened that if Holly did not go and claim her territory as the legal wife, she would unleash the family lawyers to bury Holly in debt and leave her with nothing.

Crushed by the absolute power of their wealth, Holly gritted her teeth and put on the suffocating clothes.

She walked out to the front of the estate. A black stretch Lincoln limo was idling by the fountain.

Crawford stood by the open door. His face was dark and dangerous. It was obvious his mother had forced him into this too.

He looked at Holly's outfit. Annoyance flashed in his eyes. He roughly pushed her into the back seat.

The door slammed shut. The limo rolled away from the estate. Eleanor did not get in. She sent her trusted bodyguards in a trailing car instead.

The cabin was massive, but they sat on opposite ends. The air felt like concrete.

Crawford suddenly hit a button. The soundproof glass partition rolled up, sealing the back seat off from the driver.

The second the glass clicked shut, Crawford yanked his tie loose. He viciously attacked Holly for talking garbage at the dinner table last night.

Holly leaned back into the leather seat. She let out a cold laugh. She asked him what exactly he was so terrified his mother would find out.

Crawford's eyes shifted. He forced the topic away. He warned her to keep her mouth shut when they got to Delphine.

He stressed that Delphine suffered from severe depression and could not handle any stress.

Holly found it absolutely ridiculous. She fired back, asking if he expected her to pour tea for his precious true love.

Crawford lunged forward. He grabbed Holly's jaw. His eyes burned with a sick obsession.

He ground his teeth, his voice a low, dangerous hiss. "Delphine sacrificed everything for this family," he growled. "You have absolutely no right to judge a situation you know nothing about."

Holly froze. The sheer weight of his blind defense felt like a physical blow to her chest.

But the shock did not kill her anger. She slapped his hand away hard, her skin stinging from the impact. "You're just using our marriage as a convenient shield to hide your messy, pathetic past," she accused sharply.

Her sharp words pushed Crawford over the edge. He shoved her hard against the car window.

The scenery blurred past outside. Holly's back hit the cold glass. A muffled groan escaped her lips.

He leaned into her ear. His voice was heavy with control. He told her that as long as he said no, she would never strip off the title of Mrs. Morris.

Holly stared right back into his eyes. Her gaze was filled with pure disgust. She called him a pathetic coward.

Just as Crawford raised his hand again, the limo slammed on the brakes. The car jerked to a stop in front of the luxury rehab center.

The momentum threw them apart. Crawford quickly adjusted his suit. He smoothed his hair, turning back into the perfect billionaire.

The bodyguard opened the door. Blinding sunlight flooded the cabin. Crawford put on a fake, gentle mask.

He held his hand out to Holly. He ordered her to get out of the car in a whisper only she could hear. The show was starting.