Chapter 270


    Terry slowly trailed his hand up the length of my thigh. He stopped at the meatiest point, just beneath


    my hip and squeezed.


    I wanted to bolt from the table. I wanted to elbow him in the ribs or kick at his shins.


    All I could actually do was sit very still and try not to draw attention from the cameras or the guests,


    while simultaneously trying to only get Julian to notice.


    However, every time Julian nced at me, his attention was immediately imed again by Joyce sitting


    beside me. It was strange to hear him talk so much, especially when the topics. seemed to be entirely


    superfluous.


    “Did you watch that television show the other night?” Joyce asked.


    “I don’t watch a lot of TV,” Julian replied.


    “It was such a good episode.”


    Julian nodded, and nced back at me.


    I widened my eyes.


    “Did you hear what happened to Aunt Ruby?” Joyce said.


    Julian’s eyes went to Joyce again. “No, what?”


    “She bought another dog.”


    Julian huffed augh. “Don’t word it like that, then, Joyce. You made it sound like it was something


    serious.”


    “A new dog is a seriousmitment,” Joyce said.


    “Yeah, but…”


    Their argument progressed, Julian totally focused on proving Joyce wrong, that he did not look at me


    again for a long moment. When he did, it was only for a second, before returning his gaze to Joyce, as


    he brought up yet another point of contention.


    Meanwhile Terry was rubbing his hand on my thigh, back and forth. His fingers were moving gradually


    toward the inside.


    I tried to shift away from him, but he simply moved his hand right along with me, keeping it affixed to


    my leg like he had glued it there.


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    Before long, he had coaxed his hand between my thighs, undoubtedly wrinkling my dress. Though my


    dress was the veryst of my worries at the moment, because ever so slowly, he


    “Piper, this steak is to die for.” He speared a piece of the meat and held his fork out for me to taste.


    I froze. It eat something off of his fork felt overly intimate. It had even garnered the attention of several


    nearby candidates and the cameras. The candidates gave me pitying looks. The cameramen moved in


    closer.


    If I epted, it was akin to epting his advances. If I rejected, it would be like a p in the face. I


    might as well show myself out now for how much standing I would lose, being rude to the host.


    I clenched my stomach, ignoring the way disgust swirled within it, violent and angry.


    I leaned forward, closed my eyes, and epted the bite of meat from Terry’s fork.


    “There’s a good girl,” Terry said, and I wanted to spit the food in his face.


    Instead, a ss shattered.


    My eyes shot opened.


    Nichs had clutched his water ss so tightly it shattered. Blood dripped down from his fist.


    “Why, nephew. Don’t know your own strength perhaps?” Terry was absolutely delighted by the disy


    and made no attempts to hide it. “You should go clean yourself up before you stain the tablecloth.”


    Nichs frowned harder, but, after casting a nce at Julian, who nodded in return, Nichs excused


    himself from the table.


    Servants immediately cleared away the ss shards and reced the broken cup with a fresh one.


    Terry looked at me. He leaned in and whispered, “Now that we’re alone…”


    He ced a hand on my upper knee.


    I tried pushing him away by his wrist, but that only made him grab me tighter. His fingers bit into my


    skin, likely leaving bruises.


    I felt trapped, a cornered animal with nowhere to go. No one wasing for the rescue.


    Julian continued to argue with Joyce. Nichs hadn’t returned from the bathroom. The other


    candidates asionally gave me pitying nces, like they knew what was happening under the table,


    but none made a move against it.


    I didn’t me them. Terry held all the power here. To speak against him would very well cost them their


    spots in thepetition. Just like if I spoke up, I too might lose my spot.


    I turned toward him. “Please stop,” I whispered so no one but Terry could hear me.


    “Request denied,” he replied, smirking.


    I wanted to scream.


    When his bold pinky finger pressed against my core, I jumped from the chair as if it had been lit on fire.


    His hand subtly fell away. He looked up at me with fake innocence and surprise.


    “Is something the matter, Piper?” he asked. He knew very well what he had done and that I hadn’t liked


    it. And that didn’t seem to matter to him in the slightest.


    I wanted to throw my drink in his face, or to cuss him out like he deserved. Everyone should


    know what a cad he is.


    But then I thought of Elva, of her sickness, of what being cast into the street would mean for her.


    I huffed a breath, trying to control my anger and fear.


    “Someone should check on Nichs. He’s been gone a while,” I said.


    “The servants can,” Terry said.


    “I’m worried about him,” I admitted. I didn’t think there was any harm in it.


    The cameras moved closer, catching this moment on film.


    Julian finally came to my rescue. “Better to let her check, uncle. It won’t do any harm, but if you keep


    her here, worried, she might not eat at all.”