GoodNovelChapter 85 Chapter 85 Brooklyn Hudson shakes his head and leaves without another word, not even looking at me.
I watch him go and then turn back to Aden.
"You're on dangerous ground, Brooklyn," Aden says, his voice low.
"Why? Because I still can't see anything that I've done wrong. I went to a party and talked to my father's guests." I raise my chin in the air. "If you didn't wantto do that, then you shouldn't have letgo to the party." Aden slowly shakes his head.
"No," he says evenly. "You misunderstand. You're not on dangerous ground with me. You're on dangerous ground in this world." I frown, confused.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"You see," Aden says, unfolding his arms and looking down at his desk, "your father changed the gtonight, and you let him do it." He takes a handful of change from his pocket and scatters it on the desk.
I look between him and the money, confused.
Then he slides one penny forward out of the mix.
"The only thing that was protecting you in this world," Aden continues, "was your engagement to Hudson. You had my protection." He takes two quarters, placing them next to the penny, blocking the penny off from the rest of the change. "But," he continues, "tonight your father opened the opportunity for you to show the world where your allegiance lies. And, in leaving Hudson behind" he moves the penny around the quarters so that it mingles again with the rest of the cash on the table, "-you've left yourself open. For anyone else to claim, should they wish it." I stare at the cash on the table, realizing the seriousness of what happened tonight.
"You see, Brooklyn," Aden continues, picking up a little dand holding it towards my face. "Your dad? In this world? He's not a penny like you, but he's small. And he's getting weaker. I want him on my side because he has resources I'd like to use." Aden puts the dback on the table, mixing it with the rest of coins.
"But," Aden continues, "Remington's trading you." He slides the penny to sit next to the dime. "He's trading you to the highest bidder. For his allegiance. Seeing if he can get a bigger fish thanto bite." I look up into Aden's eyes, understanding.
"Colsen is that fish," I say quietly.
Aden nods, and I look back down at the desk, the money scattered there.
"I'll let you think on it," Aden says quietly. "About where your allegiances lie. About where it is that Ovo you want to be in this w I don't look at him then, but I hear his footsteps cross the room. Hear him open the door, hear it close behind him.
I stare, instead, at the coins on the desk. I reach forward to touch the penny, thinking deeply about where it is that I do want to be.
Again, I've greatly misunderstood and miscalculated the complicated politics of this world. A party is ever just a party, and I've again fallen into that trap.
One thing in Aden's little metaphor doesn't quite add up.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
I reach out, picking up the little shiny penny that represents me, my eyes glancing at my million-dollar Ene engagement ring as I do. If all of these men are going through all of this effort to figure out where I land, then I'm certainly not a one-cent piece.
I'm certainly not the least valuable coin on the table.
And everyone-Aden, my father, Colsen, Hudson even-they all wantto think that I am, that I am spenny or spawn.
But what I'm starting to realize, through all of this, is that I'm worth much more to them, and to myself, then they'd liketo believe. After all, if a pawn crosses the entire chess board...she becomes a queen.
I smirk, slipping my penny into the pocket and quietly leaving the room. I head upstairs to bed, not bothering to En say goodnight to anyone.
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