Chapter 10 Reclaim The Ring

Marissa's heart raced. If she pinned Nicole as a thief stealing her place in the Moore family, would Aidan consider marrying her instead? Yet, she didn't utter a sound. All she did was glance at Cathy, hoping she'd step in.

Cathy picked up on her daughter's silent plea right away. But at this point, she knew there was no way Aidan would believe them. Trying to explain now would only make a mess of things.

She forced a small smile and said, "That's not possible. Nicole has always been a proper girl. Mr. Moore, you shouldn't believe every bit of gossip you hear. There are jealous women out there who just can't stand the fact that Nicole married well. They're spreading lies, that's all."

Aidan narrowed his eyes, shooting a cold look at both Cathy and Brody. "Is that so?"

It came out sounding like a question, but his tone made it clear. He didn't believe a word of it.

A sharp pain crept into Brody's head. He understood exactly what was on the line. If Aidan believed Nicole had some dark history, she'd be kicked back into their care. And worse, their whole family name would be dragged through the dirt.

The choice was already made. There was no going back now. All they could do was try to keep Aidan from snapping.

Brody rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants, struggling to steady his voice. "Please, Mr. Moore. Those stories are nothing but lies. I've known Nicole her whole life. She's always been a good girl. She's never even dated anyone."

A cold smirk tugged at Aidan's lips. "Then why did you throw her into that mental hospital?"

With a slow lean back, he crossed his legs, each move calm but filled with cold control. The air turned chilling, pressing down on everyone in the room.

The room went dead silent.

A sharp knot twisted in Brody's stomach. That was when it hit him-Aidan wasn't looking for answers. He was just watching them squirm.

Everything had unraveled the moment Cathy and Marissa spoke ill of Aidan. And now, the fallout had come down on every last one of them. It felt as though Brody was perched at the very edge, one wrong word away from the fall.

If he said Nicole hadn't been sent away on purpose, Aidan would spin it as them marrying out a mentally unstable daughter. If he admitted it, then they were heartless. Either way, they were trapped.

Before Brody could open his mouth, Cathy beat him to it. Her voice came out smooth, but her grip on calm was slipping. "Mr. Moore, you're mistaken. Nicole wasn't seriously sick. She just had awful insomnia for a long while. I heard that place had top doctors, so I sent her there hoping they could treat it. It wasn't because of any mental breakdown."

Nicole felt the weight of Aidan's stare land squarely on her. He didn't blink once as he asked, "Is that so?"

Trying to read his mood, Nicole kept her gaze fixed on him. Whatever he was thinking, he wasn't showing it. One thing was certain. She had to stay on guard. No one here would lift a finger to shield her. Left with no other choice, she nodded.

Relief finally crept into Cathy's chest as she saw Nicole didn't retort.

But Aidan wasn't finished. "Then tell me. Did the treatment help you at all?"

Locking eyes with him, Nicole answered without flinching, "It helped a lot."

Something shifted in her chest as she said it. Aidan wasn't the kind of man who let others dictate his next move. Whether she stayed beside him or not, the choice would rest entirely in his hands.

Though he said nothing more, Aidan kept studying her face. That calm mask she wore now didn't erase the memory of her steely glare the day she took down his wolf like it was nothing.

Trying to lighten the moment, Brody sprang to his feet with an eager grin. "Let me pour you some fresh coffee, Mr. Moore. It's excellent."

But Aidan didn't reach for the cup.

Nicole had grown tired of the forced politeness. Her patience was done. She turned toward Cathy and said calmly, "Mom, I need to talk to you. Just the two of us."

Still bubbling with questions, Cathy took the chance and trailed Nicole into one of the bedrooms.

The second they stepped into the room and shut the door, Cathy's carefully composed face shattered. "I thought he was dying! He looked better than any of us! Would it have killed you to warn us? Marissa ended up humiliated because of you, and now we're cornered with no options left! What were you thinking, Nicole?"

Without reacting to the outburst, Nicole narrowed her eyes, her tone turning cold and firm. "That ring you grabbed from my bank safe? It's mine. If you want to avoid a problem, give it back. Now."

Mid-rant, Cathy came to an abrupt stop, her anger stalling out. "Since you already got your sister's shares, why are you still making a scene over that damn ring?"

Not a flicker of emotion crossed Nicole's face. She had stopped expecting decency from her mother a long time ago. This response? Predictable to the letter.

She arched one brow and replied, "Tell me, five years ago-was it really my mistake, or were you and Marissa the ones pulling strings behind the scenes? Think hard. You know the truth. That ring better be in my hand soon, or you might not like how I handle things now."

Unease tugged at Cathy's heart, fearing Nicole might cause trouble because of reclaiming the ring. Still, she tried to mask it with a scowl. "I gave it to Marissa right after I took it. It's just a piece of jewelry. Let it go already."