Reese shot Tara a wary look. "You''re really giving this to me?"
"Yeah." Tara nodded. "But you know, Zach bought this ne at auction for three million..."
"I know." Reese nodded right back. "I''ll transfer the money to you tomorrow."
She was still a bit short in her bank ount, but she figured she could talk to n at work and ask for an advance. Scraping together three million shouldn''t be impossible.
"Tara, don''t you even like this ne?" Zach''s voice came from behind, and Reese realized he''d appeared out of nowhere, eyes locked on the ne in Tara''s hands. "I thought you''d wear it when we got married."
"But it''s my aunt''s keepsake," Tara said, looping her arm through his and looking up at him with a sweet smile. "Reese really wants it. Can''t I give it to her? Honestly, I''d feel weird wearing it at our wedding."
Zach nced at Reese, his expression full of sarcasm. "You''re way too generous. She asks and you just hand it over."
He took the ne from Tara, letting it dangle from his finger and swinging it carelessly.
Reese''s heart skipped. She was terrified he''d fling it and break the delicate chain. Without thinking, she took a step forward.
Zach noticed and scoffed. "If you don''t want it, babe, let''s just get rid of it."
He flicked his wrist, and the ne arced through the air beforending in the fountain with a ssh.
Reese''s face went white. She spun around, ready to dive in after it, but someone grabbed her wrist.
"Don''t," Zach said coldly. "Even if she doesn''t want it, you don''t get to fish it out." Reese snapped. Without thinking, she pped him hard across the face.
"Zach, you know how much this ne means to me! Do you really think you get to where you are just because of Tara? Do you have any idea what I..."
Tara cut her off, her voice suddenly frantic. "Reese, calm down. I''ll get someone to fetch it for you."
She hurried to call for help.
But Reese couldn''t wait. She shook off Zach''s grip and jumped right into the fountain.
Even though it was summer, the water was freezing. Reese gasped as the cold hit her, but she kept searching, lit only by the garden lights.
"Reese, are you crazy? You are carrying a baby?" Sebastian''s voice was sharp and angry behind her.
He''d noticed Reese and Zach disappear earlier, and the uneasy feeling had made him follow. He hadn''t expected to walk out and see this.
He rushed to the edge of the fountain, reaching out to pull her out.
Reese shoved him away. "Don''t touch me. I have to find it. It''s my mother''s!"
Sebastian stopped, thrown by her words.
Her mother''s ne?
So Reese hadn''te tonight for Zach at all. She''de for the ne.
He swallowed his questions and called out, "Brady!"
Brady, who''d already noticed themotion, came running and leapt into the fountain.
In just a few minutes, he surfaced with the ne, carefully wiping it with a tissue before handing it over.
Reese''s eyes never left the ne for a second.
Sebastian took it from Brady, turning it over in his hand. "Are youing out now?"
Reese climbed out, water streaming from her ruined dress, shivering as the night breeze hit her skin.
She walked straight to Sebastian, hand outstretched. "Give it to me."
Sebastian toyed with the ne, watching her. "You said this was your mother''s?"
She nodded, lips pressed tight.
A faint smile touched his lips. "Come home with me, and I''ll give it to you."
Reese''s face twisted. She didn''t want to go with him, but she couldn''t bear to lose the ne again.
She was about to give in when Zach jumped in. "Mr. Ratcliff, what''s this supposed to mean? I bought that ne for my fiancée.”
"But she doesn''t want it," Sebastian replied, voice even. "If you want it that badly, Mr. Wiles, name your price and I''ll buy it from you."
“Sebastian...” Sofia, who''d followed him out, perked up at his words, but her excitement faded the moment she saw Reese, soaked and shaking in her drenched dress.