Page 165 of Mexico Can Choke On It
She deserves more than a weak man who treats her like a dirty secret.
She’s better off without me.
The door opens abruptly.
“Ah—Mr. Sterling.” Nigel’s voice tightens with surprise. “Forgive the intrusion. I was under the impression the room had been vacated. I shall return and complete the packing at a more convenient time.”
My voice comes out sandpaper-rough. “She’s really gone?”
“Regrettably, yes sir. I arranged Miss Brinkman’s departure myself.” He reaches into his waistcoat pocket. “She did ask me to return this.”
The ruby ring.
The one I picked because it was her in gemstone form—that exact shade of fuck-you red she paints on her lips every morning.
I hesitate, breath caught halfway up my throat as I reach for it. The center stone is enormous—bloodred and pulsing like it knows all my secrets. My fingertips trace the halo of diamonds encircling it, like stars being pulled into its irresistible orbit. Because that’s what Petra does—burns so bright she makes everything else look dim by comparison.
“Apparently, it slipped from her finger while she was on the balcony. She was quite distressed.”
Two rings in one day.
One I’m being forced to give. And one I chose with my heart.
The universe has a sick sense of irony.
Nigel shifts toward the doorway then stops. “Mr. Sterling, might I speak candidly?”
I give him a curt nod.
“Would you permit me to examine this momentarily?” His white-gloved fingers gesture toward the ruby.
I drop the ring into his outstretched palm. He rotates the stone beneath the warm glow of the lamp, and it transforms into liquid fire, casting crimson reflections across his lined face.
“A truly remarkable specimen—much like the lady it was meant to honor. Rare gems like this, with such richness of color and depth of character, are the kind a gentleman encounters but once in his lifetime.”
My jaw locks up tight. “I understand your meaning. You act like I had a choice in letting her go.”
“I have spent my life in service and watched the wealthy crush the spirits of many extraordinary individuals. That young womanshould not have been added to the list. Not on my watch. Not on yours.”
“You don’t know what it’s like to have everything and still feel powerless. You think I want to be the heir imprisoned in a boardroom?”
“The way I see it, sir, is simple. You’re deliberately closing the prison door on yourself.”
Anger spikes through my chest like lightning. “Don’t lecture me about freedom, Nigel. You’ve never had to make a choice like this. Both options end in someone you love getting destroyed. You think I wanted this? You think I chose to hurt her?”
“I believe you think you’re choosing honor. But all I see is a man polishing his chains and calling them a crown.”
“That is too far, Nigel. You are out of line.”
Nigel drops the ruby into my palm with quiet finality.
“This jewel, sir, is not merely a complement to her lipstick; it captures her very essence. Formidable. Headstrong. Spirited. That remarkable young lady offered you love, yet you chose the approval of ghosts. Legacy, after all, is nothing more than the worship of the dead. And your decision, Mr. Sterling, clearly shows you never deserved her.”
He’s not wrong. I was never worthy of her love. Of course I’d choose her—if my last name didn’t come with the power to destroy Heartvest and sixty million people’s savings. If loving the wrong woman didn’t mean my father burning down everything Gavin and I built. But that’s not the world Sterling heirs live in. We don’t get choices. We get obligations.
Sterling men honor their commitments.
Tomorrow I will propose to Amanda because that’s what the name demands.
