Jamison’s lips curled in a cold, mocking smile. “Girlfriend? Then what does that make Miss Emma? She had an abortion for you, didn’t she?”
“That was an accident.”
“And your engagement–was that an accident too?”
“The engagement will be called off,” Micah replied firmly. “I’ve already told my family, and I told Emma as well.”
“So they all agreed?”
Micah pressed his lips together and fell silent.
Clearly, no one had agreed.
After a moment, Micah muttered, almost to himself, “I never broke up with Ivy. She was kidnapped and went missing… I only got together with Emma because I had no choice. Now that Ivy’s back… of course, she’s still my girlfriend.”
Jamison stared at his nephew, sorely tempted to crack open his skull with a scalpel and see what sort of nonsense rattled around inside.
He had no patience left for his delusional nephew. Pulling out his phone, Jamison dialed Carla directly.
She answered quickly. “Hello, Jamison?”
“I told you to keep an eye on Micah, and you let him slip out again?” Jamison didn’t bother softening his tone, even though the woman on the other end was his older sister by nearly twenty years.
Carla sounded startled. “Micah came to see you again?”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
Carla sounded frustrated and defensive. “Well… Emma came over. She was here yesterday, and again today. She said she wanted to take Micah back to the Windsor house for dinner and talk about the wedding–how could I stop that?”
Jamison’s expression darkened.
He had underestimated the Windsor family’s adopted daughter. She was more cunning than he’d thought.
“So what–is Micah in trouble again? Didn’t they go to the Windsors for dinner?” Carla picked up on her brother’s anger, her voice sharp with surprise.
Backed into a corner, Micah suddenly snatched the phone out of Jamison’s hand and complained to his mother, “Mom, Uncle Jamison is trying to steal Ivy from me! You and
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Grandma need to do something! Ivy’s mine, I want her back, he can’t just cut in like this!”
“What?” Carla was so shocked her voice rose to a shriek. “Are you out of your mind? Your uncle and Ivy aren’t even the same generation!”
“I’m not confused! If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself!” Micah said bitterly, shoving the phone back at Jamison.
Jamison never imagined that the ambiguous tension he’d planned to drag out with Ivy would explode so spectacularly. Suddenly, everyone knew.
There was no point hiding it now. He took the phone, put it to his ear, and said openly, “It’s true, I’m interested in Ivy. I intend to pursue her. Didn’t you all want me to find someone? Well, now you should be happy.”
“Happy? Are you crazy?” Carla was so angry she could barely speak. “This is ridiculous! Ivy isn’t the same girl she used to be–the Windsors don’t even acknowledge her anymore. Why are you getting involved?”
“That family is a bunch of idiots. If they don’t want her, all the better.”
“No… absolutely not-” Carla stumbled over her words, then paused and asked, “Does Mom know about this?”
“You’re the first to know.” Jamison glanced at Micah, his expression icy and laced with a mocking smile. “You can thank your precious son for that.”
At this moment, Emma returned. She’d just washed her face, and her hair was still dripping. The front of her blouse was soaked, leaving her looking a mess.
Micah glanced at her, his eyes cold, not a trace of concern.
Emma, clearly unable to stay any longer in such a state, walked over to Micah and said quietly, “Can you drive me home? I need to change.”
“Call a cab,” Micah replied flatly.
She raised her voice, frustrated. “My clothes are drenched–how am I supposed to take a cab
like this?”