96 Did you leave her to die?
Beca stared at her son, as if trying to refuse to believe something she had heard. But the way her brows knitted together made it clear she was struggling to comprehend the things.
Ryan, on the other hand, was growing increasingly uncomfortable. He had expected her to be there, but not seeing her around now filled him with unease. Her words from earlier again came echoing in his mind, refusing to leave.
“Mom, I asked you something. Tell me where Arwen is. You didn’t allow her leave, did you?” Ryan asked again, this time with more desperation in his tone that he was trying hard to mask behind his anger.
Beca, however, wasn’t surprised by his tone. From the day Arwen broke off the engagement, she knew a day like this would come when her son would finally begin to realize what he had lost. But even though she had seen it coming, nothing could have prepared her
for it.
Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and said, “I
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never owned Arwen, dear. While you two were together, I had the right to ask her to stay. But now that the relationship is over, how could I possibly have the right to stop her?” She paused, reaching out for the blue velvet box that she had asked the butler to bring earlier. “She came back for something, and after that,
she left.”
Ryan’s gaze dropped to the familiar ring box, and his brows furrowed. “Don’t tell me, Mom, you took this from her? How could you? Didn’t you give it to her on her nineteenth birthday? As a token of our
relationship?”
Beca raised her brows at his son. “So, you remember. I
thought that it never mattered to you,” she said tauntingly before shrugging Well, even if you remember it now, that doesn’t change anything
“What do you mean, Mom?”
“I thought it was obvious. Didn’t Arwen explain it to you already?” Beca said as she opened the box to reveal the ring. “This is not any ring, Ryan. It’s a Foster family, our family heirloom, meant for the future mistress of the family. Not everyone can wear it. It is
given to the daughters and future daughter–in–laws of
96 Did you leave her to die?
the family and since Arwen will no longer become one, she had no reason to keep it. It was only right for her
to return it.”
“Mom!” Ryan felt his sanity slipping. He couldn’t take hearing the same illogical arguments over and over again. “How can you let her say that nonsense? You know what she is trying to do by acting like this, and
yet you are
“What is she trying to do?” Beca interrupted with a sarcastic smile. “Tell me, Ryan. What is Arwen trying to achieve? Let me hear your perspective.”
Ryan gritted his teeth. Running his hand through his hair, he shifted on his feet, looking at his mother, weary from it all. “Mom, you shouldn’t have taken this ring back from her. She is still my fiancée and
“She broke up with you, Ryan. Arwen broke up with you.” Beca raised her voice, cutting him off sharply. She let the silence hang for a moment before continuing, her voice softer but firm. “You think this is just her trying to make a point, to push you into action.” She clicked her tongue and shook her head. “If that was her plan, she would have done it long ago. She wouldn’t
have come back now, after all these
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od Did you leave her to do?
years, just to return this ring”
“But I haven’t agreed to the break–up, Mom, I never agreed.” Ryan tried to reason.
“And do you think that matters?” Beca scoffed. “You never fully accepted your relationship with her,
anyway.”
“Mom, I” Ryan’s words caught in his throat. It was true. Even when the families had announced the
engagement, he had never openly accepted it. And whenever they were invited to the events together, he either went alone or avoided Arwen entirely.
Because of his actions, their relationship had always been a source of speculation. The only real confirmation the public had was when Beca would be seen parading Arwen around, showing everyone how close they were.
“Even if I didn’t publicly accept our relationship, that never stopped you from making her look like my future, did it?” Ryan snapped, his frustration was leaking through his tone. “So how can you expect me to let her go so easily now? I am definitely not letting her go.”