Chapter zo Detour
When I opened the door to grad the mall, Ashton was already standing there with a coffee tray and a paper bag.
Thlinked Uh, metting.
It came out awkward.
Couldn’t help it.
Last night I’d somehow agreed to marry the inan, and my brain was still buffering
‘Morning,‘ he said smoothly. ‘I brought Breakfast.‘
Of course he had.
Thanks. Come in. You look… nice.‘
Understatement of the damn year.
He was wearing a three–piece charcoal grey suit.
Not the stiff Wall Street kind, but something sharp and clearly custom.
The lapels were narrow, the trousers tailored within an inch of their life, and the stitching at the cuffs were subtle hand- embroidered initials—AL.
Jesus. Even his tie looked smug.
People complimented well–dressed men by saying they looked like a million bucks.
For Ashton, I’d have to add three more zeros, and that still felt like lowballing it.
We ate in the living room, though neither of us touched much.
My croissant sat there flaking quietly while my brain looped through the phrase ‘I’m getting married today‘ like a bad ringtone.
After about fifteen minutes of poking at the pastries, I glanced at the clock.
Still early.
The City Clerk’s Office wouldn’t be open for another hour and half.
‘Would you mind making a detour first?‘ I asked, not quite meeting his eyes.
‘Not at all,‘ he said, instantly. ‘As long as we’re not late.‘
He drove.
In silence, mostly, because there were only so many ways to fill the air between ‘want to get married?‘ and ‘sure.‘
He pulled up outside the Vance residence.
I unbuckled. “Thanks. I won’t be long.‘
‘Do you want me to come with you?‘
1 hesitated. Then shook my head. ‘No. I can handle it.‘
I grabbed the door handle, then paused.
Fine. He deserved context.
‘I’ve been thinking about what you said. About Aunt Louisa. You were right–I shouldn’t let guilt steer my decisions just because
1/3
chopts 30 pett
+25 BONUS
she’s been… decent to me.’1 sighed. ‘Marriage should be about me and the person I’m actually marrying. Not how charming his mun might be ‘
He didn’t say anything
Just gave me a slight nod.
“I gave Rhys the ring back ages ago. But there’s something else I forgot to return to the Grangers.‘
There’d been an exchange of gifts when our families arranged the engagement.
My dad gave the Grangers an heirloom gold fing.
Louisa had it now.
The Grangers‘ gift had been a vintage brooch.
According to the family lore, it once belonged to Louisa’s great–great–great–grandmother, who probably wore it while judging people in oil paintings.
My parents had kept it locked away in a safe somewhere.
When I stepped inside the house, only Caroline was there.
She was on the sofa, sipping coffee.
‘Well, well. Look who finally showed her face,‘ she sneered, without looking away from her mug. ‘You sounded real tough on the phone the other day. And now you’ve come crawling back? After slapping Catherine and Serenna in front of half the city? Unless you’re here to apologise, save your breath.‘
4
‘I’ve got nothing to apologise for. If anything, Catherine should be apologising for sleeping with my fiancé, and Serenna for trying to steal hers.‘
Her coffee cup hit the table so hard I thought the glass would crack.
‘Unbelievable! I raised you. I fed you, clothed you, paid for your bloody orthodontist. And now you think you can just cut us off?”
Here we go. Again.
‘Don’t start with the Greatest Hits,‘ I cut her off fast. ‘I didn’t come here for a lecture. I came for the brooch the Grangers gave us.
She frowned like I’d asked for her kidneys.
Took her a full five seconds to even remember what I was talking about.
Then her eyes narrowed.
‘Why do you want that brooch?‘
‘I don’t see how that’s your business. It was given to me. It belongs to me.‘ My patience was already on a three–second fuse.
‘Absolutely not,‘ she snapped, all tight–jawed fury. ‘You’re planning to return it, aren’t you? To the Grangers?‘
‘So what if I am? Louisa gave it to me. I can do with it whatever I like.‘
I checked my watch.
I’d stupidly thought this would be quick.
In, out, done. Five minutes, max.
But no, Caroline was digging her heels in.
2/3
Chapter 40 Detour
+25 BONUS
‘I’m your mother. I have every right to hold on to it for safekeeping‘
Exactly, safekeeping. As in, you’re just the storage unit. And newsflash, when something’s mine, I can take it back whenever
the hell I want. Like… now.‘
‘Absolutely not. It’s way too valuable to just hand over.‘
I narrowed my eyes. ‘You giving it to me or not?‘
She sniffed, mouth curling into that nasty little smirk she probably practised in the mirror. ‘Even if I did give it away, it wouldn’t be to you. If Rhys gets engaged to Catherine, she should have it.‘
“Then wait till they’re engaged. Until then, it’s still mine.‘
If I didn’t hand that brooch back to Louisa myself, she’d keep thinking there was still something between me and Rhys. Which…
- ew.
‘Still no.‘ Caroline’s eyes darted.
She knew damn well if Louisa had the final say, she’d never let that heirloom piece land on Catherine’s backstabbing chest.
I raised a brow. ‘Oh, I see. You’re scared Louisa and the Grangers won’t accept Catherine, right? Scared that even if Rhys does propose, Louisa’s gonna pretend she doesn’t see her? So you’re just gonna hoard the brooch like some paranoid dragon and hope no one notices? That’s delusional, even for you.‘
That hit a nerve.
Her nostrils flared so wide I thought she might actually combust.
‘How I handle things is my business,‘ she hissed. ‘And mind your bloody tone. I’m your mother, not someone you get to lecture.‘
‘Cool. Then you’ll love this.‘
I whipped out my phone and started dialling.
