The Bride He Took For Granted novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Landon couldn’t remember a thing.

Jason threw back the covers and got out of bed.

“If you wanted Elise’s address, you should’ve asked her,” he said. “Looking it up behind her back and showing up uninvited crossed a line.”

He looked Landon straight in the eye.

“I’m serious. You need to start respecting her boundaries.”

Landon hated being lectured. His expression soured.

“Since when does a man need permission to visit his own wife?”

“She’s not your wife.”

“She’s still my girlfriend.”

“That doesn’t mean you can show up at her door whenever you feel like it.”

“I was trying to surprise her,” Landon shot back. “And even if I spent the night at her place, so what? Our engagement agreement is still with my dad. Elise is still my fiancée.” 1/8

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Chapter 37

He sounded completely certain.

The fact that Elise had called Jason to pick him up only

convinced Landon that she still cared. If she didn’t, she could have left him unconscious on the floor.

As far as he was concerned, they were still going to get married. It was only a matter of time.

Jason stared at him, stunned by his capacity for self-delusion.

There was no point arguing, so he turned and walked out.

Landon found his phone and called Jerry, telling him to bring over a fresh suit.

Then he headed into Jason’s bathroom to shower.

In the living room, Jason messaged Elise.

[He’s awake. Looks like he doesn’t remember anything from last night.]

Elise decided that was probably for the best. At least Landon wouldn’t find out that Harold was the one who had hit him.

[Okay. Thanks.]

Aygight o’clock, Elise texted Jerry and asked for the day off.19:57

Chapter 37

Then she put on a hat and sunglasses and left the apartment, carrying a small box in her tote bag..

Her first stop was the passport office, where she applied for a replacement passport.

Her passport wasn’t actually lost. Sharon had it. But Elise couldn’t ask for it back without raising suspicion.

After leaving the passport office, she took a cab to the pawnshop, arriving at the agreed-upon time with all her jewelry.

She needed to come up with one hundred million to get out of the engagement.

What Landon had said the night before about getting a marriage license had finally forced her to make up her mind.

If she wanted to avoid becoming his legal wife, she had to get as far away from the Carter family-and her own parents—as possible.

But one thought continued to haunt her.

If I leave, will Leonard go after Jane?

Before she could find an answer, the cab pulled up outside the pawnshop.

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Chapter 37

The manager was already waiting for her.

“Ms. White, we’ve finished authenticating everything. All of the jewelry is genuine.”

Her sunglasses concealed the emotion in her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Choose enough pieces to make one hundred million. Exactly one hundred million. I’ll take the rest with me.”

“Of course.”

The manager and his clerks could barely contain their excitement. The commission from a deal this size would be enough for them to splurge on designer bags.

“Ms. White, please review the interest rate and service fees.”

Elise pressed her lips together and tightened her grip on her bag.

“Okay.”

“Then we’ll proceed at the price we agreed on. I’ll start preparing the paperwork.”

To the pawnshop employees, every beep of the calculator

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sounded like money pouring into their pockets.

To Elise, each one struck her heart like a hammer blow.

She watched the total climb on the screen, her grip on her bag tightening with every entry.

By the time the final amount appeared, the pain in her chest had become almost unbearable.

“The pigeon-blood ruby, the diamond tiara, the complete. emerald set, and the finest cat’s-eye stone,” the manager said. “Those should be enough.”

Because pawnshops factored wear and possible damage into their offers, it took nearly half the jewelry in Elise’s box to reach the amount she needed.

She lowered her head and stared at the pieces laid out before

her.

The day before Dorothy died, every breath had been a struggle. Still, she had pulled Elise close and whispered into her ear.

“Sweetheart, you took care of me for three years. I know how good you’ve been to me. That old bastard didn’t blow through the entire family fortune. I managed to hide some of it.”

Bogothy paused to catch her breath.

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Chapter 37

“Your parents have always put Dora first. They’ve let me down too many times. So everything I saved is yours. Do whatever you want with it—just don’t let them get their hands on it.”

Then, in a fading voice, she told Elise the story behind each

piece.

“I spent an entire afternoon on my knees begging my father for that pigeon-blood ruby.”

“I bought the diamond tiara with my own money for my wedding.”

“I took that emerald set from the old bastard’s mistress.”

“And a cat’s-eye stone that fine is hard to come by. I was afraid someone would find out I’d hidden these pieces away, so I never dared wear them. Keep them. Wear them yourself.”

Elise closed her eyes.

Behind the dark lenses, tears slipped down her cheeks and fell onto the back of her hand. She fought the tightness in her throat

until it hurt.

Once she made enough money, she could always redeem the

jewelry.

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Chapter 37

Maybe it would take three years. Maybe five. Maybe even longer.

But at least she would be free

The manager placed a pen in her hand.

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