“Brandon…” his father growled, standing up slowly from his chair. “Tell me you didn’t say that to a grieving woman about her orphaned brothers.”
“Dad, listen—it was just… it was a negotiation!” Brandon stammered, backing away from the table. “We’re too young to take on kids!”
“You are a coward,” Brandon’s father said coldly. “And a disgrace to this family.”
I stepped forward, pulled the engagement ring off my finger, and dropped it into Brandon’s glass of champagne.
“The wedding is off, Brandon,” I said smoothly. “And as for the house deposit? Since you signed the escrow release yesterday believing you were securing our future, those funds—including the fifty thousand your parents gifted us—have been legally deposited into an irrevocable educational trust for Leo and Lucas. Your parents signed off as co-trustees this morning when I showed them the recording.”
Brandon’s mouth dropped open. “You… you stole my money?!”
