The Forbidden Throb (Emma and Daniel) novel Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Nicholas’s POV:

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Emma’s words hung in the air between us, stunning me into momentary silence.

Had she just… broken up with me?

I felt a fleeting flutter of panic in my chest. But my pride quickly suppressed it.

This wasn’t how things worked. I was Nicholas Prescott. Women didn’t break up with me – especially not women like Emma Johnson, whose family had lost whatever social standing they once had generations ago.

“You’re breaking up with me?” I managed, my voice caught between disbelief and amusement. “Are you sure you’ve thought this through?”

Emma stood her ground, something unfamiliar hardening in her eyes. “Perfectly.”

I felt dozens of eyes on us now, the dining hall’s ambient chatter diminishing as students noticed our confrontation.

The pristine white tablecloths and polished silverware suddenly seemed like stage props for my public humiliation.

Emma Johnson – a nobody from Portland with no family connections worth mentioning – was publicly dumping me.

“Let’s be realistic here,” I said, lowering my voice and regaining my composure. “We both know who needed this relationship more, and it

wasn’t me. The Prescott name opened doors for you that would have remained firmly closed otherwise.”

I straightened my shoulders, adjusting the collar of my custom-tailored shirt.

“If you want out, fine. You’re doing me a favor, actually. This arrangement was becoming tedious anyway.”

Emma’s friend Olivia stepped closer to her, glaring at me like I was something she’d scraped off her shoe.

“Let’s go, Em,” she muttered, tugging at Emma’s sleeve.

“Just remember,” I added as they turned to leave, “there’s a line of girls wating to take your place. Girls with actual connections and

backgrounds that wouldn’t embarrass my family at gatherings.”

Emma paused for just a moment, and I thought I might have gotten through to her. Instead, she simply gave me one last look – not angry or hurt, but something worse; pitying.

“Goodbye, Nicholas,” she said quietly, and walked away,

I stood frozen for several seconds, acutely aware of the stares and whisper around me.

Then I turned sharply and headed for the exit, maintaining perfect posture despite the rage boiling inside me.

Outside, I gulped in the crisp autumn air, trying to process what had just appened. Emma had dumped me. In public,

“Nick! Wait up! Tom jogged to catch up with me. “You okay, man? That looked intense.”

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Chapter 11

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” I snapped, continuing to walk at a brisk pace across the manicured campus lawr.

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Tom matched my stride. “I don’t know, maybe because you look like you’re about to punch something and your face is turning the color of

Merlot.

I stopped abruptly, running a hand through my hair.

“She broke up with me. Emma fucking Johnson broke up with me. Can you believe that?”

“Wait, I thought you didn’t even like her that much,” Tom said, confusion evident in his voice. “Shouldn’t you be relieved or something?”

I let out a harsh laugh, glaring at him.

“It’s not about liking her. It’s about who gets to end things. It should have been me doing the breaking up, not her. If it wasn’t for my grandfather being so damn fixated on honoring this ridiculous marriage arrangement, I wouldn’t have given her a second thought.”

“If you’re so miserable about this whole arrangement, why didn’t you just push back against it?” Tom asked, eyebrows raised. “Your grandfather’s marriage plan never specified which Prescott son, did it?”

I froze, a cold feeling washing over me. “What are you implying?”

Tom shrugged. “Nothing really. Just that if you’re not interested, there’s always your brother.”

I scoffed. “Daniel wouldn’t look twice at her,” I said with more certainty than I felt.

“She’s not his type at all. The golden boy of Harvard Medical gets someone with actual accomplishments, not some nobody journalism student

from Portland.”

“Is that so?” Tom asked. “Funny you should say that, Cynthia from my econ class mentioned seeing Daniel dropping Emma off at her dorm the

other night. After Megan’s party.”

I felt something dark and unpleasant twist in my stomach.

“Well, who cares anyway?” Tom continued with a dismissive wave. “You’re one with her, and now you can officially pursue Megan without any complications. That’s what matters, right?”

I didn’t respond. My thoughts drifted unbidden to Daniel and Emma.

None of it made sense. Daniel never showed interest in relationships. He was always too absorbed in his precious medical career to care about

his personal life.

“Seriously, man,” Tom continued, oblivious to my internal turmoil, “this is actually perfect timing. Megan’s been asking about you non-stop.

You should text her.

“Fine,” I snapped, running a hand through my hair in frustration,

“Tell Megan to meet us at Noir tonight at eight. We’ll have drinks, I could se something strong right now anyway,”

The bass-heavy music pulsed through Noir’s dimly lit interior.

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Chapter 11

星完43%日

Our usual corner booth was crowded with familiar faces from the business school, but I barely registered their conversations. I was already three whiskeys in, the expensive liquor failing to dull the edge of my irritation.

Megan pressed herself against my side, her perfume overwhelming in the lose quarters.

“We should celebrate.” She whispered, her lips brushing my ear.

I took another long swig of whiskey, the ice cubes clinking against the crystal tumbler.

“To Nicholas,” Megan announced to the table, raising her martini glass. “Finally escaping from a relationship that was clearly dragging him down.”

The group cheered, glasses raised, but something about her words grated gainst my nerves like sandpaper.

“She wasn’t dragging me down,” I muttered, though no one seemed to heal me over the music.

Megan’s fingers trailed up my arm. “You don’t have to pretend anymore,” she purred. “Everyone knows you were only with her because of your family’s expectations. Now we can be together properly.

Something snapped inside me. I abruptly shoved her hand away and stood up, causing her to nearly spill her drink.

“I need another,” I said flatly, ignoring her startled expression as I pushed my way toward the bar.

I ordered a double and downed half of it in one swallow, welcoming the burn.

Why was I so angry? This was exactly what I’d wanted.

So why did I keep seeing Emma’s face when she said we were done?

I finished my drink and signaled for another.

Tonight, I was determined to drink until I couldn’t remember her name.

HIM

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