Page 33 of Don't You Dare Marry Me

“I know! That’s why I told her she had to bring it back.”

Abagail licked her lips and narrowed her gaze at him. “It’s a family ring,” she stated again, making sure that he understood exactly what she was trying to say. “Which means it’ll stay with me until the right person is going to receive it.”

And that hadn’t even been Estelle. Abagail’s baby brother had asked for the ring to give it to Estelle, but Abagail had refused even then. She’d finally given it to Estelle when she’d begged and told her it wasn’t doing any good sitting in the lockbox. But that was a decision that Abagail thoroughly regretted now.

“Right, but Chaya?—”

Abagail was already shaking her head. “You can’t tell me that you think Chaya is the right person. You’ve barely broken up with Nicola and you’re already engaged to someone else. There’s not enough time?—”

“Chaya has been part of our family since we were kids, Aunt Abagail. She’s always been there, unlike Nicola. She deserves the ring.”

Abagail bit the inside of her cheek. The entitlement that she’d been up against for decades came right through. She absolutely hated it. Warren had been spoiled from the day he was born, and nothing Abagail had done had been able to put it to rest.

“No,” Abagail said simply. And it wasn’t that she wanted to deny him the pleasure of giving Chaya the ring, it was that none of this felt right. That ring belonged to Nicola, and no matter how hard Abagail tried to get that thought out of her head, itjust wouldn’t leave. There was no reason why Nicola should have that ring. None at all.

“Aunt Abagail!” Warren’s voice rose, and it was close to a screech—like he’d suddenly reverted to being five and toldno, you can’t have that chocolate before dinner.Which he would have gotten anyway, so perhaps that’s why he still acted like an oversized toddler.

“I told you no.” Abagail sighed heavily, remaining in her position leaned up against the edge of her desk. Over Warren’s shoulder she could see Ivy place the receiver onto the phone and stare at her through the window. Was it that obvious that Warren wasn’t a client? Or that something was amiss? Abagail continued to eye Ivy instead of Warren.

“Chaya deserves that ring.”

“You can make that argument when your relationship with her has lasted more than two months.”

Warren’s face went sheet white and he cringed. She couldn’t deny that pang of guilt that slid through him and covered his gaze. Well, well, well… that certainly explained a whole lot. And it was very clear that Nicola didn’t know about just how much cheating had gone on in that relationship. Perhaps she knew none of it.

Like father like son.

Why did the men in her life feel as though they were entitled to have whatever women they wanted sexually? Only to then toss them away like they were meaningless? How had she and her brother managed to grow up in the same house but with vastly different values?

Abagail uncrossed her arms and gripped the edge of the desk. “According to the majority of the world, you and Chaya only started a relationship in the last few weeks. Which is why this engagement seems so swift. If you’d like to explain to your mom the depth of your infidelity, feel free. If you’d like to explain thatto Chaya’s parents, then go ahead. But until I see a reasonable relationship and timeline for one, I’m not going to give youthatring.”

She wasn’t going to budge on this one. Not now. Not until he proved to her that he wasn’t going to fuck this up like he had the last time.

“That ring is my ring! It belongs to me.”

Abagail snorted loudly. “No, Warren. It doesn’t. In fact, it belongs entirely to me, and you were given it in order to propose to your then girlfriend. But you didn’t even have the balls to get it back when you broke it off with her. So you tasked me with the job.” Abagail raised her eyebrows at him. “True or false?”

Warren’s lower lip quivered like he was going to cry.

“Don’t cry, Warren.” Abagail grimaced. “You’re a grown ass adult. Start acting like one.”

Abagail stood up and started to walk around the edge of her desk toward her chair. She was tired of this conversation already. She’d been involved entirely too much in her family’s life lately and she’d had her fill of it.

“If you wanted that ring, then you could have collected it from your ex-fiancée. Since you didn’t and it’s now safe in my possession, that’s where it’ll remain.” She glanced up to find Ivy coming toward her office door. Abagail nodded at her, indicating that she wanted Ivy to come inside. “You need to leave now, Warren. I have work to do.”

“Work?” Warren scoffed right when Ivy opened the door. “You call this work? You’re better than this.” His lowered voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

“I’m better than this?” Abagail leaned over the desk and faced him down. She didn’t care if Ivy heard this or not. It was worth it to be said. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a good hard day’s work. Maybe you’d benefit from a few of thoseinstead of letting your mother continue to wipe your ass and clean up your mistakes. Because I’m over it. Grow the fuck up.”

Warren took a staggered step backward.

“Get out or I’ll find security to make sure you can find the door. And Warren, I don’t want to see you in my office again.”

He blanched, his jaw opening and closing several times before he finally turned on his heel in a huff and walked out. The tension in the room instantly dissipated, but as soon as Abagail looked at Ivy, she regretted her decisions.

“My nephew,” Abagail said by way of explaining. She wasn’t used to having to share information with other people. Usually she kept everything very close to her chest. “Entitled prick.”

Ivy laughed lightly. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

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