She lifted her arm again, ready to strike once more.

“Hey!” Abell shouted, starting to step forward and intervene. He didn't get far; I beat him to Gram's side, gripping my brother's arm and blocking him protectively.

She stopped mid-swing, her voice scathing. “Step away, Nichole.”

Raising my chin, I didn't soften the resentment in my voice. “How dare you call him a disgrace? Gram isn't the one who should be ashamed, you are!”

Her eyeballs bulged. I thought she was getting ready to hit me, too. “Excuse me?”

Beside me, Gram stirred. I knew he was watching me closely, but I was keeping my agitated stare on my mother. “He's the only one in this family that ever cared about me, the actual me, and not the success and power you wanted me to achieve.”

“Nicky,” Gram whispered.

Smiling at him, I said, “In fact, I think you're the only one in this family that ever even complimented me. You told me I was amazing, that I could do anything.”

Anything.

What a word. Was he right? No one knew how to run Halloway Inc better than me!

If Gram was to be believed...

I didn't need the company at all.

My father, who'd been silent but pale, stepped closer. “Nix, stop this. You have to marry Abell. Don't waste everyone's time, stand up and be responsible.”

Lifting my eyes, I watched him with a new understanding. I saw him, both of them, for what they really were.

I'd always rationalized it away. I'd told myself it was for the family, the company. And that was what mattered.

But now I knew what really mattered.

Letting go of Gram, I rose until I was standing. Abell had remained nearby, hovering as if I needed to be protected. Leaning forward, I clutched him by the cheeks. His flicker of surprise was satisfying, especially as I kissed him. Our lips connected fiercely, the smell of tulips muddling my brain.

With a smile, I looked him in the eyes and said, “We aren't getting married.”

His eyebrows flew high. “What?” he whispered.

My parents cried out, while Gram cheered and the priest just shook his head.

Corin was silent, observing everything.

“Yeah,” I said, linking my fingers with his. “Not like this. I want to be your wife, Abell. And I will. But it has to be on our own time. Our choice. No one making us. I don't care if I lose my company, I don't even want it anymore. Think you can give up your Dad's money, too?”

Winding his hand in my hair, he connected his lips to mine. It was like kissing a piece of warm caramel. “I'd give up anything, as long as I got to keep you,” he said firmly.

My head was buzzing. Through the warm cotton, my mother shouted at me. “You'd throw away our company for your pride?”

“Nix,” my father snapped. “You can't do this to us!” Whirling, he faced Corin, his hands in bone-colored fists. “Mr. Birch, please, give us more time. We can talk her into this! I swear!”

Corin held up his hand for silence. When his eyes found me, I had to keep myself from stepping backwards. Luckily, he didn't stay on me for long.

His target was Abell.

“Listen to me, Abram,” he said. “If you walk away from her, never look back, I'll give you all the money you could desire. The lifestyle of your dreams.”

It was like being punched in the gut. The wind went out of me, I couldn't even blink. He was agreeing with us not being married, but telling Abell to walk away from me?

“What?” I asked, croaking. “I don't understand.

Next to me, Abell tensed up as if his muscles were pure iron. “You think I'd give up the woman I love, just for some cash?”

Corin ran a hand over his skull. He was fidgeting like I'd never seen him before. “Don't lie. You haven't changed a bit. If you didn't want money, freedom, sex... why would you be hanging out in filthy bars still?”

Abell's eyes went dark, clarity rolling over his features until they twisted in disgust. “You! It was you who called me that night!”

Gram and I shared a look. “The photo of Trish,” I said. “He was the one who took it and sent it to my brother?”

Corin didn't respond. It was as good as a confession.

My knees were threatening to shatter. I didn't know if I could stay on my feet, or if I could keep from vomiting. What was all of this, a giant fucking game? Covering my mouth, I whispered, “Why would you do this to me?”

Slowly, Corin looked towards my mother. She stood straighter, like she'd been electrocuted. “Ask her,” he said.

She sucked in her lower lip, sealing her answer away.

“Fine,” he chuckled. “It's clear this charade is over with, my efforts wasted. I'll tell your daughter why I worked so hard to make her future miserable.”

I was shaking; anger, fear, I wasn't sure. Every cell was in disarray, this revelation leaving me lost. Abell's arm circled me, holding me tightly to his side. I breathed in, languishing in his comforting grip.

Corin filled his lungs, held the pressure, and released. “Gabby and I have a history. Her, your father and I, we attended college together. We were almost friends. Almost.” Chuckling, he narrowed his eyes on my dad. “Rivals, more than anything.”

My father shifted side to side, scowling.

“Gabby had big dreams,” Corin went on. “She wanted to start up a company, turn her tiny consulting hobby into something that could make millions. Her family was poor, mine... less so.” His smile was sickening, but the edges quickly fell. “She knew I liked her. She worked me over, flirted with me. Then she asked for her first cash investment.

“I gave it to her. I was on the ground floor of Halloway Inc before it was ever called that. But no matter what I did for her, it wasn't enough.”

I couldn't take my eyes off of my mother. She'd had a history with Corin?

Her features had smoothed, she refused to look at anyone.

The priest closed his bible. Now, he backed away, trying to politely exit the room once it was obvious this wedding wasn't happening.

Corin grit his teeth. “She married your father. But she wasn't through with me. The day she called, crying that her husband had cheated on her, I thought this was it! She'd abandon her family, divorce her husband, and I'd be there to save her.”

Gram's shoulders slumped. I wanted to hug him; being reminded of the affair was poisonous.

Abell's dad had gone quiet. Then, he slid a glare crafted from ice and acid towards my mother. “Instead of leaving him, she asked for my money and made empty promises. I was wiser this time. I saw that nothing I did would make her mine. She had no one else to turn to, I was her only hope, so... we made a deal. I'd give her the money, but at a price.”

I held my head in my hands. “You did all this because she wouldn't date you? All of this, because of that?”

He ignored me, still staring straight at my mother. “If I couldn't have Gabby, I wanted to ruin everything close to her. That meant her company, her family.” Finally, he snapped his dead eyes at me. “The marriage should have been enough, but then, you had to go and fall in love with Abram.” His smile was sinister. “So I had to change the game.”

Abell took a shuddering breath. He was barely controlling himself. “You tried to goad me into abandoning her.”

The idea sickened me. If Abell had left, leaving me alone with our baby... Protectively, I stroked my belly.

Corin saw me touch myself, his laugh scratchy and wet. “The day I found you acting strange outside of my son's home, I suspected you'd fallen pregnant. How wonderful it would have been if he'd knocked you up, then thrown you to the side. You'd have been left with a child to remind you of the selfish man who ran.”

“I'm not running from her!” Abell growled. “I never will.”

On impulse, I hugged him closer. He surprised me, cupping my belly through my wedding dress, his chin resting on my head. His presence gave me strength.