He blinked, instantly spellbound by this new and unbelievable reality.

It was her!

Lady Charlotte Winstead, his father's widow.

And .....she was Tempest's mother.

He stared down at her. His sharp gaze focused intently on her, his expression unreadable. He watched as she paled and stumbled back; her champagne glass fell from her fingertips to shatter on the floor at their feet into millions of pieces.

Concerned, Tempest reached for a glass of water and brought it to her mother. Footmen jerked into motion cleaning up the glass around them.

She couldn't take her gaze from his face as he remained silent for several seconds. His mind raced as he attempted to understand all of this.

The certainty gnawed and clawed deep inside his gut as his fears from before leaving the Floating Vengeance; of something going terribly wrong, now stood before him. He was suddenly faced with a terrifying notion and fact: Tempest, the woman he loved, was the daughter of the woman he hated who was the cause of his own mother's death and who he vowed to ruin.

The air seemed to crackle around them, charged by memories he held deeply within of the times she had made his life a living hell.

His purpose for the last Seventeen years had been about seeking revenge and overcoming the bitterness of the life he lived. The hopes of retribution never dwindled as the years passed. But something changed a few months ago when he met Tempest.

With the help of his solicitor, he gained the formidable title of his maternal grandfather, all of his wealth and lands.

Now, he had the ability and means to reshape his destiny. But sadly none of that mattered now as he felt a twinge of dismay when he finally stood before her. The cold heartless widow had transformed herself magnificently. She had disappeared soon after his father's death, leaving town to escape any suspicions of her evil deeds and sending him away or by trying to have him killed. She reinvented herself marrying above her station, living a life of ease while he suffered a nightmarish youth in the hands of her lover, Cuthbert.

His chest tightened at the thought of how Tempest would take this news.

Abruptly, Tempest spoke and he turned to face her. Warily, she asked.

"Are you alright Mother, you look faint."

" No I'm-- I'm fine," her mother's voice sounded weak. Hollow.

Interrupting the slight disorientation and eerie silence, Justin stepped closer.

"Perhaps a little fresh air would do your mother some good. I would be glad to accompany you to the terrace, my lady," he offered; extending his arm.

He stared down at her. His sharp gaze focused intently on her face, his expression etched like stone.

"Mayhap it would give us an opportunity to know each other better," he added.

She had no idea what to say and dared not decline. Tempest smiled with delight and stepped to the side. "That would be wonderful." she beamed happily.

"Shall we, m'lady?" he stepped closer.

Her mother swallowed. She raised her chin to capture his gaze immediately sensing her demise in the glittering depths of his eyes.

A strained moment skipped by before she slowly raised her fingers and placed them on his arm. They turned and exited the crowded ballroom towards the terrace. He felt her shiver stepping out into the cool night air but he remained quiet as he led her towards the edge of the terrace at a distance from the soft laughter and music coming from the ballroom.

At last, completely alone, he pulled his arm away as if being burned then turned away to brace himself against the steel railing of the terrace.

Silence lingered for several unbearable seconds and then he spoke.

"I have replayed countless times in my mind, exactly what I was going to do when I confronted you." She stood silent before him, dumbstruck and numb. Speechless.

He turned his head to her then his lips twitched as he gazed down at her. "What, Cat got your tongue, Stepmother?" he asked with no emotion. "You had plenty to say to me when I was a boy."

She swallowed simply unable to look away from him or answer.

"With the countless times you spewed your hateful words to me, I am surprised." he drawled.

Looking back into her eyes, he asked.

"You did not expect me to be alive did you?" Her eyes widened a fraction at the suggestiveness of the question.

He chuckled humorlessly and blood drained slightly from her face. "Of course not you sent me to be killed at the hands of your lover, remember?"

" That is not true," she shook her head.

His jaw clenched.

"Come now M'lady, don't play with my intelligence. I read the letters you sent to Cuthbert," he hissed through his clenched teeth and stepped closer.

Resigned with truth of his words she swallowed hard at the ball forming in her throat. With a slight tilt of her chin, she asked. "What are you planning to do then?"

He remained silent under her nervous, questioning gaze.

"A gentleman of your distinguished rank certainly would never expose--," she began then abruptly stopped as he let out a gusty chuckle.

"First and foremost, m'lady, I am no gentleman. I am a pirate."

She nearly collapsed on the spot.

His wolfish grin, filled with dark humor and pride, made her knees buckle.

"But you are most correct. I would never reveal our past in front of your peers. Not in front of Tempest. Not here. Not like this." he replied evenly.

"It would be cruel of me to point out what type of a woman she has for a mother," he said.

"What does this have to do with my daughter?" she recoiled with a clipped voice.

"This has everything to do with her," he stepped even closer.

Their gazes locked.

"As you can see, M'lady, Your efforts to have me killed, in order for me not to get anything from my father, was in vain. Because, I inherited my title from my great-grandfather on the side of my mother's ancestral line, his vast wealth and his lands." his lips split into a chilling smile. "Are now mine."

"And as you know, I have a duty to continue my family name." he paused. "I need an heir."

Her mouth dropped open as she stumbled back at what he was insinuating.

"You can not-"

"You have no say in it," he barked.

"My daughter will not marry the likes of a--," she whispered angrily, but in an instant stopped as his expression turned murderous and he grabbed her arm and placed his hands securely around her neck in a vice grip. His advance pressed her harshly against the wall at her back.

She gasped for air, shaking and staring into his dark gaze. "The likes of a pirate, whom, may I remind you rescued your daughter from the deadly hands of your lover ."

She shook her head furiously and she squirmed to pull away, but to no avail she could not. He would not let her. Her chest constricted; she felt suffocated, she couldn't breathe.

"Yes, I am that pirate, the Black Scourge of the sea and I will have your daughter's hand in marriage. Whether you approve or not."

She held in the breathless sob of anger that threatened to tear from her throat. "I will never allow it."

Without hesitation, he roughly gripped her chin. She jerked back in horror, but his grip tightened.

"You have taken everything from me." He growled. " At your hands, I am what I am today, thanks to you," he seethed through clenched teeth.

His rigid stance conveyed his rage. His hate.

He pulled away letting her stumbled back as a laughing couple walked close to them.

They remained in silence for some time until he faced her again.

"I can not understand for the life of me, how someone so sweet and pure as she, came from something so vile and putrid as you." Tears stung his eyes as he spoke. His voice was hoarse.

She looked away from his hateful tone and accusing glare.

Then after a while, he turned to face the garden.

"I will keep up this charade and false image you present only for her," he paused. " I am leaving for a month supposedly to search for my evil stepmother, as I explained to Tempest." He informed her; his tone low, harsh.

He stood then to his full height and looked at her.

"But when I return, you will accept my marriage proposal or I will expose you for the Black-hearted bitch you are. Is this clear?

She looked away.

He stepped back and offered his arm to return as the music ended in the ballroom.

"Remember M'lady, you can not ruin me nor more or as much as I can ruin you."

She straightened her back. Heeding his warning tone.

Suddenly, the light spilling from the terrace doors darkened. "Mother? Justin? Are you still out there?" Tempest's voice called hesitantly.

"I am here, darling." her mother's voice strained to hide its shakiness as she removed her trembling fingers from his arm.

Tempest's petite form framed the doorway. Shortly she pulled away and pranced slowly toward Justin. Her hand curled around his arm.

"Is everything alright? You were out here an awfully long time," she looked softly up into his eyes.

The loving caress of her gaze unleashed a wild possessive need within him. His only concern now was for her.

"Nothing to worry about love," he stared down into those eyes swirling with so much trust. He smiled then. "Your mother has agreed to our betrothal," he murmured.

The warmth of a gorgeous giddy and wistful smile formed on her lips. She turned then towards her mother and wrapped her arms tight around her.

"Oh, Thank you so much mother!" she whispered happily.

Through a fast, exhaled breath, her mother mumbled something unintelligible, numb to the core. Tempest pulled away too quick to notice, then turned back to Justin.

"I want one more dance before you leave," she said prettily leaning into his embrace.

"Of course," he pulled her close. His lips brushed her forehead, but his gaze passed beyond her to settle on her mother. "Anything for you my love, I am yours forever."

He pulled away then with deliberate grace and brushed his lips tenderly over hers. Timidly, she leaned in for his kiss.

Her mother's hand tightened into fists watching him disappear into the ballroom with Tempest.

The bastard had nerves, she fumed. But, she was also smart and will not bow to his will. He had up the stakes with his intentions to expose her. He had the proof. But, by the month's end, she vowed, She would be ready for him.

****

And her we hoooo..

😱😱😱😱😱

Yes I am creating the biatch you will all love to hate...

Please do not show up in my yard with pitchforks yet.

I am aiming for some tissue worthy chapters...

Just comment

BRING IT

and tell me how intense you want it...😈😈😈

😱😱😱

You all know what to do...if you have Twitter add me and use #JustinandTempest

I literally want to see how far this gets...