Chapter 12

Chapter 12

POV: *Damon*

The liquid gold in my glass slipped down my throat like butter. The smokey flavor was not my favorite of

alcohols but whatever got the job done.

The ice cubes clinked in the glass as I sipped the whiskey while casually stretching across the sofa in

my father’s house.

Ashton and our father were on the other couch arguing, which always put a delightful skip in my step.

Anytime Ashton was getting yelled at, I was delighted.

“Four hundred dollars?” Our father, Dalton, snarled, throwing the bill on the table like it was trash. “For

flower centerpieces?”

“Each.” Ashton groaned, rubbing his forehead from what was most likely a building headache. I grinned

to myself around my glass.

“Are they made of gold?” Dad sneered. “She’s already $4,000 over budget!”

“I know, Father,” Ashton said in exasperation. “But what do you expect me to do? She won’t

compromise.”

“She’s your fiancee,” Dad said and glared at him. “Make sure you put her in her place or else.”

I snorted at the very thought. Put Corinna in her place? The idea was absurd. Corinna didn’t listen to

anyone, especially about spending money.

Both Ashton and our father looked at me with annoyed expressions.

“Why is he even here?” Ashton growled, hooking his thumb at me.

I sipped my whiskey before I replied, “I need to talk to Father. I’m just waiting my turn.”

“That’s right,” Dad nodded. “I just needed to speak with you about this matter first.”

He glared at the bill, getting up from his seat. “Fix this, Ashton, or you’ll be paying for the wedding.”

Father turned to me. “I’ll meet you in my office shortly.”

I nodded, and he left, leaving me and Ashton alone.

It was a truly grave mistake on his part. But I was all too ready for the encounter coming my way.

Ashton grit his teeth, rounding on me with a death glare that could curdle milk. “What the hell do you

think you’re doing?”

“I assure you I don’t know what you mean,” I said casually, setting my empty glass on the table.

“Marrying Adelaide,” Ashton spat, getting to his feet. His face was red with rage, and I did my best not

to smile.

I lounged back on the couch, simply glancing at him apathetically.

“Is there a problem with me marrying Adelaide?” I drawled, calmly. The calmer I was, the more irate

Ashton became.

I smirked as his temper rose, just as I knew it would.

“You b*stard!” Ashton growled, towering over me like he thought he could intimidate me. Foolish.

brother. He should’ve learned by now.

“Is whomever Addie chooses to marry any of your concern, brother?”

“Don’t act cocky, Damon. I know what you’re planning” Ashton shouted.

Chapter 12

“Oh? What am I planning?” I smirked, watching how his anger grew. If he could, he would’ve buried me

six feet under by now. But he knew he couldn’t take me.

“You and Adelaide better not interfere with Corinna and me,” Ashton growled. “And she better not. think

she can go to the press about our relationship. That will not go over well at all.”

I paused, sending him a wary glance.

“Thank god I made her sign that NDA,” Ashton ranted to himself, not even realizing what he was

admitting to me. “This mess is all her fault.”

“NDA?” I asked, cautiously. I tried to draw out as much information from him as I could. I knew his

anger would make him speak without thinking.

“Yes!” Ashton snapped. “The NDA I made. I couldn’t have her spilling our relationship all over the

press. Lucky for me, she was dumb enough to buy that excuse about marrying her. Maybe I would

have if she wasn’t so useless and untalented.”

It all snapped into place.

I clenched my fists, keeping my face impassive, though I wanted to do more than be peaceful right

now.

“You made her sign an NDA so you could break up with her for Corinna, and she couldn’t say a thing?

Clever,” I said, my blood boiling inside. Our siblings were truly awful.

Ashton always did have one weakness. I glanced at the glass he’d emptied five times so far.

“Honestly, she’s so gullible,” Ashton scoffed. “I told her I just needed to get the paperwork together, and

I’d marry her. I needed to say something to buy me some time. Corinna’s clout, connections, and

money will help my campaign. Adelaide’s cute, but she’s useless. I need someone to support my

career like Corinna.”

There it was. The reason he did everything. His stupid career.

I slouched back into the couch, pretending I wasn’t ready to smash everything in sight, including his

face. The mere idea that Corinna compared to Adelaide in any way was laughable. Adelaide was so

much more than Corinna could ever be.

“Why are you telling me this? I already knew all of it,” I lied.

“You f*cker. That’s why you kept silent about everything.” Ashton spat. “Well, don’t think you can turn

Adelaide against me. She’s too in love with me to go along with your plans.”

My eye twitched. It took every ounce of self-control in my body not to hit him at that moment.

I had to give credit where it was due. He had a lot of nerve.

“And don’t think about hooking up with Corinna, either. I know you two used to be together,” Ashton

growled.

I simply nodded, not caring about this conversation anymore. I got what I needed. Now, I just wanted

to be rid of him.

Ashton grinned, crossing his arms as he sneered at me, “Maybe you knew all along how much she

spent on useless crap. That’s why she didn’t stay with you, you’re useless trash. Everything you have

is given to you by the family. You couldn’t provide for her as I can.”

“If you say so.”

Ashton opened his mouth to retort, probably another insult, but my father’s assistant walked out of his

office, saving me from listening to any more of Ashton’s drunken rant.

“Mr. Steyn will you see now, young master,” Louis, our father’s long-term assistant, said.

“I’d say it was a pleasant chat, but I’d be lying,” I told Ashton coldly as I got to my feet. I walked away,

Chapter 12

not bothering to even glance back at him.

“You b*stard!” he screamed at me again, his words slurring.

I heard Ashton spitting insults behind my back, but I couldn’t care less. I had one goal while I was in

this house. Fighting with Ashton wasn’t even on my radar, but I was happy to have ruined his day.

“Damon,” Dad called as soon as I stepped inside. He didn’t look up from his desk, probably signing

more documents. “What did you need from me?”

I shut the door behind me, not bothering to take a seat as I got straight to the point.

“I want Mother’s ring.”

Dad stopped in his tracks, his pen right above the document he was about to sign.

“What was that?” he looked up at me, a shocked look on his face. I could count on my number of times

my father had shown any emotion that wasn’t anger.

hand the

This was the fourth time. My father was never one to show emotion, so any emotion that wasn’t anger

was significant.

“Mother’s ring. I want to give it to Adelaide,” I told him.

“Well,” my father leaned back in his chair, an almost pleased look on his face. “I have to say I’m

surprised you would ask for your mother’s wedding ring. Ashton insisted on buying a brand-new one for

his fiance. At least one of you will be passing down her ring to your wife.”

Dad opened up the safe, and I watched patiently as he pulled out an old locked box. It was one of the

only things he’d kept from my mother.

The faded flowers on the surface were just as I remembered. The only existence of my mother that.

remained in this mansion was inside that tiny box. Adelaide deserved to wear that ring.

He opened it up and grabbed the ring. He held it in his hands, a wistful look in his eyes before he

looked

up at me with a frown.

“You aren’t going to sell it, are you? If you need money-”

“No, Father,” I bit out, harsher than I intended to. It was always about money with him.

He eyed me suspiciously but then sighed, handing over the ring.

I picked it up from his hand. It felt fragile and small in my hand.

I turned it over in my palm, the old ring meaning more than my father possibly knew.

It would fit Addie perfectly.

POV: Adelaide