At my question, Nicole furrowed her brows. Turning away, she grabbed two around-the-world tickets.
One was for her.
The other...
My heart skipped a beat.
It had my name on it?
I froze.
I had once mentioned to her before that I wanted to travel the world before the wedding.
'Was she really giving me a ticket?'
But in the next instant, Nicole tore the tickets apart. With a casual flick, she tossed the pieces into the air, and they fluttered down around me.
Then she picked up her phone and said aloud, "Rebook the tickets for Charles and me."
She clicked her tongue and then nodded. "Mm, that’s right. Change it.”
After the call, she glanced at me, her lips curling into a smug, disdainful smile. She brushed past me, her shoulder grazing mine as she walked away.
I couldn’t help but wonder if buying me the plane ticket had been merely a show for her mother. Someone who disliked me as much as she did wouldn't act kindly without an ulterior motive.
I touched the brooch on my chest, my fingers lingering for a moment.
I closed my eyes.
It was the only keepsake my father had left me, and it was my family’s centuries-old inheritance.
There was no way I’d give it up.