That did not make the bodyguard waver. He clicked his tongue. “No, you’re mad. I’ve been working for the Leafenstein for ten years, and Mr. Zacharias is the second-in-line I know. How dare you impersonate him!”
Zacharias came out from behind and looked at me coldly. I had the feeling he saw me as nothing but meat he could carve up. He turned to Annabelle. “What now, Annabelle? All I wanted was to drink with my friends, but your boyfriend told everyone I’m a fake heir.
“My family has always lived a low-profile life, so I’ve been tolerating his behavior. I even called my chauffeur and tried to send him away, but he accused me of hitting him with my car. He’s ruining my family’s reputation. I must do something about that.”
He was twisting the truth. It was absurd, but Annabelle went white. She grabbed my collar and pulled me off my wheelchair. Then she kicked my knees and made me kneel. She told someone to push my head down to the ground.
“I can’t believe you’d do that, Horatio! Apologize to Zacharias! Grovel until he forgives you!”
I was trembling with rage and tried to get back up. Gregory told me that men should never kneel unless it was for the people they loved. All my life, I had knelt to no one but my parents. This was humiliation.
Annabelle sneered and haughtily demanded, “You do not get to give me attitude! Want to know a secret? The Leafensteins are going to marry someone from my family, and that’s me! People like us will never give peasants like you a chance. You’d best give up and apologize to Zacharias. Maybe I’ll spare you, for old times’ sake.”
