On the contrary, she found it utterly absurd. The box was indeed in her possession-an

ace. "Of course, Mrs. Finley. I have no d

l gave me this set when he proposed. Now that he's marrying someone

, his face a mottled ca

ll has feelings for you! She's just throwing a tantrum. Give her an out, soothe her, tell her what she wants to hear!" She paused, then added, her voice dr

arry. She understood, then, that this was never about the jewelry. It was about cont

e thought Heaven's fury was a ploy for attention. He stepped tow

o a whisper, meant only for her. "Heaven, listen to me. Just give me a li

shares. If she didn't, Constance would blam

She swallow

he said, his voice thick with false emotion. "I know you're hurt. But this thing with Jessi... i

dified. Even the lawyers

he had thought she'd plumbed the depths of his shamelessness

anted her to wait in the wings while he played the her

But she didn't let it show. She let the silence stretch, watching

ily calm, "you are the most despicable, se

sion the night before, when Constance's demand first came through. The Morning Star woul

her signature on the agre

rsement for the wedding dress, Hartwell Finley will pay Heaven J

aper in front of

e, his face contorting with rage

paused, let the words hang. Then her lips curved. "I jus

ad pushed Heaven over the edge, hissed a

atched the pen and humiliatingly sig

e document and hand

to her-dinner at the Pierre, candlelight, a waiter pulling out her chair. He had knelt, opened the box, and said, "Every stone is a p

since that night. But she

n the hallway floor. Her Doberman padded into the bedroom, his massive head tilting in that way he

he murmured.

avy thump against the doorfra

box under her arm, and walke

Hartwell. She toyed with it, letting them watch her fingers trace the

he said. "Now, you're marrying Jessi. S

ared at her

personally deliver this 'blessing' to Jessi. And to see

went white. "Yo

And you'd better

e paused, turned her head just enough to cast one final, mocking glance