“Fine, then we’ll go with the truth.” Brandon’s eyes turned ice cold. “This isn’t a real engagement. It’s a fraud, all set up for him getting his inheritance. He’s rich as hell already, but he won’t touch ‘billionaire’ status unless he gets his hands on it—and he has to be married to do that.”
My heart pounded loudly, drowning out everything else he was saying.
Mr. Reaves’s mouth fell open.
“It’s not personal,” he said. “But I do have to check on every fraudulent claim.”
“Enough, Brandon. That’s fucking enough.” My father stood up at the table. “No one will talk about my daughter or my future son-in-law this way.”
“But Mr. Dawson, listen?—”
“You’re not saying anything worth hearing.” His deep voice silenced the room, so much so that Brandon leaned back.
“Not that it’s anyone’s business,” my father continued, looking at me, “but Mr. Saint did call and ask for my permission. He even flew down here last weekend to shake my hand in person like a real man, and I proudly gave him my blessing and said I’d keep it a surprise until they were ready to announce it.”
“Jenna’s engaged?” “Really?” “Why didn’t she say anything?” my cousins muttered.
“It’s not real, sir,” Brandon pushed. “I can prove it.”
“What does he mean it’s not real?” “What is he saying?” “Why would they fake an engagement?”
“I think you’ve wasted far more minutes than you’re entitled to at this dinner.” My father crossed his arms. “You need to leave, and you need to get over the fact that Jenna upgraded and moved on.”
“Fuck you,” he hissed, and then he pointed at Nicholas. “And fuck you, too, for using Jenna just to get your inheritance.”
His gaze met mine. “Oh, and you, too, Jenna. Fuck you, too, for leading me on and—” His sentence ended on Nicholas’s fist, and before I knew it, Nicholas, my dad, my uncles, and cousins were taking turns beating the shit out of him.
Overwhelmed with him outing us, I slipped away from the table and headed down the hall.
“Well, then…” Mr. Reaves stepped in front of me, a half-eaten candy cane in hand. “I really don’t know what to say about what I just witnessed, Mrs. Saint.”
“You can call me Miss Dawson.”
He furrowed his brow. “It’s not personal, but I do have to check on every fraudulent claim—no matter how silly it sounds for his inheritance.”
“I’m aware,” I said. “Can you please step out of my way?”
“But—”
“Now.” I glared at him. “Please just leave me alone.”
He stepped to the side without another word, and when I was halfway to the guest suite, Elizabeth rushed to me.
“They are truly beating Brandon’s ass right now.” She smiled. “I’m about to grab my brass knuckles and do the same!”
“What?”
“Before I pull them out, if the engagement is true, can you show me the ring Cousin Nicholas got you?”
He’s not going to be your cousin…
“Sure.” I pulled it out of my pocket and pressed it into her hand.
Her jaw dropped as the carats sparkled against the hallway’s dim lighting.
“OH. MY. GODDDD…”
“Do me a favor, will you?” I felt tears pricking my eyes.
