Chapter 7
“Mrs. Montgomery, this is too valuable,” I stammered.
“First of all, it’s ‘Grandma,‘ not ‘Mrs. Montgomery.‘ Second, you’re about to become the lady of the Montgomery house. Everything we own will be yours anyway–what’s one little bracelet?” she said with a warm smile.
Those familiar words slammed into me with a wave of dizziness out of nowhere–like I was floating for a second.
The Blackwood brothers had said almost the exact same thing to me once.
Those two teenage boys had swiped their mother’s jewelry and gave it to me as their “love token“.
When Mrs. Blackwood found out, she hadn’t even been mad.
Just like Mrs. Montgomery now, she’d slipped the bracelet onto my wrist gently.
“Now that you’ve accepted a piece of our family, I guess you’ll have to marry one of my boys someday.”
Too bad Amber ended up smashing that bracelet to pieces.
And just like that bracelet, our once inseparable trio shattered beyond repair.
My eyes started stinging at the memory, tears threatening to spill over.
Mrs. Montgomery instantly flipped into full grandmother–panic mode.
“Oh honey, don’t cry!”
“The second I laid eyes on you, I knew you were meant for good things. Your energy is perfect. I swear on my family name, you’ll never suffer a single slight in this house.”
Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery followed suit with their own gifts.
Each one worth more than everything I’d ever owned combined.
Every single person treated me with genuine respect and warmth.
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Chapter 7
Even though we were technically already married, they never pressured me to move in and learn the Montgomery rulebook.
Instead, they wanted me to keep living with my mom, suggesting Jack and I could let our
relationship grow naturally after the ceremony.
“Your new home is all ready, but what happens between you two is your business, not for us old
folks to meddle in.”
“Just remember–if that boy gives you any trouble, you come straight to me.”
“Yes, Grandma.”
After leaving the Montgomery estate, wedding prep kicked into high gear.
The Montgomerys had their team working round the clock.
Mom spent her days running around gathering my wedding items like we were preparing for the
royal wedding.
I’d worried that leaving the Blackwoods would leave me feeling empty, that I’d spend weeks crying
over what happened.
But between endless dress fittings and diamond selections, I was so exhausted I’d pass out the
second my head hit the pillow. No energy left to dwell on the past.
Before I knew it, those memories started fading like old photographs.
Until one day, while I was drowning in tulle at the bridal salon, Mrs. Blackwood called.
“Rose, Marcus and Nathan heard about your wedding and they’re hell–bent on seeing you.”
“I couldn’t stop those stubborn boys. They should be there any minute. Just ignore them and focus on your big day.”
Hearing those two names froze me in place.
Before I could even hang up, I caught their reflections in the mirror.
The Blackwood brothers stood there staring at me like they were trying to burn holes in my skin, their eyes a storm of emotions I couldn’t begin to untangle.
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Chapter 7
Shock. Wonder.
And beneath it all–regret so deep it was practically carved into their faces.
Slapped Today, Crowned Tomorrow
