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“He is hell-bent on marrying Alessandra and she has agreed. I have no choice but to entertain it,” Desmond took up a napkin from the table to clean the sweat dripping from his forehead. “He threatened me.”

“Still, we have to think about Kate here. Do you know how embarrassing it will be for her to lose Edgar to Alessandra? For heaven’s sake, the girl wears a mask. Has the Duke seen her face? Something isn’t right?” Katrina couldn’t make sense of what was happening.

“Did you find out what was said between the two of them the night of the party? Alessandra had to be lying. She must be threatening the Duke,” Kate concluded. It was the only thing making sense to her.

“Kate, how on earth would Alessandra be able to threaten a man like Edgar when she is always here?” Desmond was trying to make sense of the situation but the theory Kate came up with was ridiculous. “I have said many times that man is unpredictable. We will never understand why he picked Alessandra.”

“Father, you can’t allow him to marry her. I have worked too hard for a moment like this for it to go to Alessandra. She is only agreeing to this to irk me. I will speak with the Duke,” Kate’s chair screeched as she stood up. There was no way she would lose to Alessandra again.

“Speak with me about what?” Edgar asked as he entered the dining room but he was not alone. Alessandra was right beside him holding his hand as she walked. “I’m sure the baron has told you the good news that Alessandra and I shall wed soon. Alfred, the gifts.”

.....

“Yes young master,” Alfred moved as quickly as he could to place each of the gifts in front of the three family members.

“There will be more gifts to be delivered here but this is just a small taste of what is to come. I hope it is to your liking. Do you wish to sit Alessandra?” Edgar pulled out a chair for her.

“Thank you,” Alessandra replied and took a seat in the chair. The first person her eyes went to was Kate since her sister was the one watching her the most. “You have not opened the gift Kate.”

“You...” Kate started but stopped herself when she met the Duke’s eyes. They were daring her to say something he wouldn’t like. ‘Why is he acting like this now?’ She thought.

“Alessandra, please enlighten us about what is happening. Why did you say yes to the Duke? You are not one to want to get married,” said Katrina.

“No one has ever asked me, mother. I am thrilled to marry a man like the Duke. I’ve heard many good things about him thanks to Kate. Isn’t he a good man Kate?” Alessandra glanced at her fuming sister.

“He was mine,” Kate replied, ignoring her father signaling for her to shut up. She sat back down unable to stand and watch the Duke be protective of Alessandra.

“I don’t remember ever giving you that idea, Kate. I thought we had gotten rid of the drug which causes one to see things that are not real. Are they still around, baron?” Edgar said as he stood over where Alessandra sat.

“Of course not. It has been gotten rid of a long time ago-”

“As I recall, you took quite a few of them. I would hate to know your younger daughter has gotten her hands on them. If that is the case I shall pity her desperate attempts to gain my affection when I stated I would never have any romantic feelings for her. I can take you to get treated,” Edgar offered Kate.

Her delusion in thinking they were something more than strangers irked his soul.

“I would have been able to take you at the same time I would have taken Alessandra’s kitten to be healed but it has unfortunately passed away. To be thrown against something is quite painful. Isn’t that right, baron?” Edgar subtly recalled his earlier conversation with the baron.

“Yes,” Desmond could still feel the pain from being thrown against Alessandra’s door by Edgar.

“No offense Duke Edgar but you cannot waltz into our home and get involved with our family issues. You are not married to Alessandra as yet. Whatever happened to the kitten is none of your concern. Alessandra knows there are no pets allowed,” Katrina did not want the issue with the kitten discussed since Kate’s name would be mentioned.

“Forgive me, Alessandra is now my fiance, and anything that makes her upset concerns me. I care for her so much I could kill anyone who upsets her,” Edgar glared at Kate. He had a feeling out of the three, Kate was the one harming Alessandra the most.

He had one thing in common with Alessandra so far. A dislike for Kate.

Kate fidgeted in her seat as she picked up on the warning Edgar was sending her. She clenched her fists out of anger under the table to the point her nails were painfully digging into her skin but she didn’t feel anything.

Edgar placed his hand on Alessandra’s shoulder for her to start speaking up.

“I have not eaten yet. Please set the table for me mother,” Alessandra said to Katrina.

Katrina scoffed, disgusted by Alessandra calling her mother and ordering her to set the table for her. ‘She’s finally showing how crazy she is,’ Katrina bit her tongue to refrain from arguing with Alessandra.

The Duke was standing behind Alessandra defensively like an animal waiting to attack anyone who offended its master. Katrina had many things to say to Alessandra but she would wait for when the Duke left.

“Katrina, do it now.” Desmond felt like he was the only one seeing the gravity of the situation they were in. The Duke for some reason was smitten by Alessandra which meant they could not trouble his daughter or Edgar might truly kill them

Desmond knew the true face of Edgar Collins, unlike his wife and daughter. The man was merely toying with them right now but once he got bored, his true personality would show up.

“Thanks to the punishment, I have not eaten since yesterday morning. You have to hurry before the food becomes cold, mother.” Alessandra made sure to add emphasis to the word mother to get under Katrina’s skin.

She planned to make this house uncomfortable for the three of them just as it was for her.

“I will be back,” Katrina suddenly didn’t mind leaving since she needed to grab hold of something to break.

“Why aren’t there maids stationed in the dining room to fetch whatever you need?” Asked Edgar. He knew the baron was running low on funds but he did not know it was this bad.

Why did the idiot just throw a party when he could have used that money to hire more workers or to invest in something?

Desmond’s forehead continued to sweat as he felt embarrassed. “If you had given me a notice you would be arriving, I would have placed the maids in here to serve you and Alessandra well.”

“You’re saying I should have given you a heads up so you could place an illusion as if you have many workers?” Edgar saw right through Desmond’s bullshit.

Alessandra smiled, enjoying her father being called out and the sight of him unable to talk back to the Duke. She realized now that her father could only pick on those he viewed as beneath him. Alessandra finally saw how pathetic he truly was.

While Alessandra was enjoying her father breaking down, the sight of her smiling angered Kate even more.

“Are you enjoying this Alessandra? Ha, this is ridiculous,” Kate scoffed. “Don’t think this will last long.”

“You should work on getting over your jealousy Kate. Green is not a good look for you,” Alessandra replied.

Edgar snickered due to the fact Kate was wearing a green dress so Alessandra’s words had a double meaning. He wanted to applaud her for slowly coming out of her shell.

“You!” Kate smacked the table and abruptly stood up. “Do you think his interest in you will last long after he sees what is under that mask? Edgar, before you confirm this marriage, shouldn’t you take a look at her face? Aren’t you curious about what she is hiding? She’s truly repulsive once you see it. Shall we show him, Alessandra?”

Alessandra could not respond to Kate’s words as she could not show Edgar her face yet as she was not that confident.

“There is no need for me to do that,” Edgar answered in place of Alessandra. “I have seen her face without the mask before. How dare you stand here and lie about her face to me?”

Alessandra’s eyes went wide hearing his confession. She could not place where the Duke would have ever been able to see her face without the mask. She only took it off in her bedroom. Unless he saw her when she was younger before the accident happened and she chose to wear a mask.