Tempted By my Evil Lycan Stepbrother novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Want My Attention?

Riley’s POV

My face burned.

God! Why did he have to walk in on this exact moment? This ugly, hurailiating little scene where Leon saw me as a grasping poor girl trying to sneak a bigger diamond.

I wanted the marble floor to open and swallow me whole.

“Do you mind?” Leon spoke up abruptly. “I’m talking to my fiancé.”

Ezra let out a cold, mocking laugh.

“By all means,” he said with a shrug. “Keep talking to your fiancé.”

Then, to make things worse, he pulled out a chair for the girl hanging on his arm and sat down with her at the display table right beside ours.

That girl–Jenny, apparently-looked thrilled by his attention. She immediately started cooing over the spring collection the sales assistants laid out for her, touching necklaces and bracelets and earrings with wide, sparkling eyes.

“Oh this one is gorgeous,” she gasped, holding up a diamond bracelet.

I took in a deep breath. Her face, sickly sweet voice made me want to puke.

Ezra barely glanced at it. “Buy it.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really? But-but it’s so expensive!”

He gave her a lazy smile. “If you like it, it’s yours.’

That only encouraged her. Within minutes she had pointed out half the things on the tray. A sapphire pendant. A pair of pearl earrings. Ezra bought all of it without the slightest hesitation/like money was air and he was doing the store a favor by breathing.

The contrast was so sharp it made my skin crawl.

I looked away, only to find Leon still watching me, still waiting for me to choose a ring.

“Well?” he said. “Have you made up your mind?”

I almost rolled my eyes at him.

“Does my opinion matter here?” I asked sarcastically.

“Well, of course, you are the bride.” He smiled, completely unbothered by my tone.

I turned back to the tray in front of me and tried. But every few seconds my attention dritted to Ezra and Jenny again. She was giggling at something he said. He leaned into murmur something in her ear. She touched his arm. He didn’t stop her

He’s looting the store for a girl he barely knew, and my fiancé wouldn’t even spend any money on our engagement ring I chân’t know which one was more embarrassing.

Meanwhile Leon was still talking,

“As my future wife,” he was saying in that mild, polished voice of his, “you’ll need to learn how to handle money more appropriately. My family doesn’t admire women who obsess over expensive handbags and jewelry Those things are symbols of vanity.”

I balled my fists slowly under the table.

+15 Bonus

Faidu’t like handbags and jewelries. I never had But I wouldn’t let atryone put a label on me

“When you freet Iny mother properly,” he went on, “she’ll teach you. She’s very good at helping young women refine their priorities.”

My priorities.

The words made something in me snap. And I was done playing this little game arrymore,

“Then just pick one yourself,” I said flatly.

Leon blinked. “What?”

He stared at me, then slowly, he said, “Actually I was thinking…maybe we don’t need a diamond ring at all.”

He’s gotta be kidding me. “Then why on earth did you bring me ring shopping today?”

He folded his hands and gave me that reasonable smile again, the one I was starting to hate.

“I didn’t want to refuse in front of your mother. She would have made it dramatic.” He tilted his head slightly. “I thought after seeing the prices, you’d understand on your own and tell her you don’t need one.”

My anger shot up to my head like an active volcano just like that.

He had dragged me here to make me reject my own ring so he could save money without looking cheap in front of my mother.

And then he had the audacity to call me vain. How dare he.

I drew in a breath, already feeling the words rising, but then a sharp noise came from beside me.

It was Ezra. He stood up abruptly. His chair scraped against the floor.

The entire store went quiet at once.

He walked up to us. Leon immediately straightened up and leaned back in his chair as though he was afraid. But Ezra cornered him and stared him down.

Leon looked so small and pathetic in the shadow cast by his tall figure.

“In case you’ve forgotten, Riley’s my sister and the rightful princess of this kingdom.” Ezra said freezingly. “And if you keep insulting her with that bullshit anymore, I’ll make sure you and your little family go bankrupt the next morning.

I held my breath. Leon’s face went pale.

1

“…You can’t,” Leon said after a little pause, “You don’t have that much power. And I’m going to become the King’s son in law soon. He won’t let you touch me…”

Ezra laughed.

“Oh yeah? Then try me. His green eyes gleamed with malice and contempt. “Or do you preter we go one on one right here? My father can’t stop me from beating the shit out of you today.”

The air went still.

All the sales had frozen where they stood. Jenny looked startled, her hand still resting on an open jewelry case. No one dared

move.

Leon’s lips were pressed into a thin line. Of course he wouldn’t go one on one with Ezra. He’s not that stupid.

“That’s what I thought,” Ezra mocked.

Then he reached out, snatched Leon’s wallet straight off the glass counter, and slapped it into his chest.

+15 Bonus

“Take out your card,” Ezra said.

Leon flinched. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Slowly, stiffly, Leon obeyed and pulled out his credit card.

Ezra didn’t even look at it. He just turned to the nearest sales assistant and said, “The most expensive ring in this store. Wrap it for Lady Riley and her-little husband.”

Leon’s face had gone red. “You can’t force me-”

I pushed my chair back so abruptly it nearly tipped.

“Enough,” I snapped.

OK, I admitted what happened just now felt so damn good.

But why did it have to be Ezra?

Why did it have to be HIM who saw me getting humiliated by my own future fiancé, like I wasn’t worth any respect?

I wanted to show up in front of Ezra with a perfect man, someone who valued me. You never want to lose to your ex. But the truth is, Ezra would always have charming, beautiful girls around him. And here I was, stuck with this stingy calculating guv- and everyone, including my own mother, acts like I don’t even deserve that.

“Riley,” Ezra called me.

“Don’t.” I snapped.

Before either of them could speak again, I turned and stormed out of the room.

I went straight to the ladies’ room and locked myself inside one of the stalls, pressing both palms to my face and trying to breathe through the pounding in my head.

This was a disaster.

Leon was a jerk. He didn’t seem so perfect when I first met him. But that’s OK. Everyone had flaws. I didn’t even like him in the first place.

But it’s Ezra who made everything worse. It’s Ezra who made me feel that hot, unbearable humiliation stirring ( my chest now.

The door opened outside.

Then two sales assistants came in talking in low, excited voices.

“Oh my god, did you see the drama in the VIP fitting room?”

“Of course. How can I miss it? Poor thing. Her fiancé wouldn’t even buy her a decent ring”

They both giggled.

I went cold in the stall.

1

“Well, what did she expect?” the first one said. “She’s just some cheap small town girl A take princess in the first place. Her mom helped her latch onto a nice guy but that doesn’t change who she is originally Pathetic Golddiggers. Both of them.”

“So true. And I agree she doesn’t deserve a ring. She should feel grateful enough to marry a noble even without any jewelry ”

My throat tightened.

+15 Bonus

I should have been used to this by now. I had spent years being picked apart by girls exactly like this girls who smiled sweetly in public and then turned vicious the second they thought you couldn’t answer back.

But it still hurt.

Those two were still chatting. Then the ladies’ room door slammed open.

“Shut the fuck up.” Ezra’s voice cut through the room like a blade.

I heard one of them gasp. The other muttered, “Your Highness-”

“If the next time I hear either of you gossiping about my sister again, I’ll make sure you get expelled from this fucking city Understood?”

“Y-Yes. We are so sorry…”

“Get the hell out.”

Their shoes clicked frantically against the floor as they fled. The door shut again. The room went still.

“I know you’re in there. Come out now,” he said deeply.

I shut my eyes for another second, then unlocked the stall and stepped out.

Ezra was standing near the sinks, one hand braced against the marble, his expression still dark.

I looked at him and forced my voice flat. “That wasn’t necessary.”

He let out a humorless laugh. “Really? So you just like being treated like trash?”

“Maybe. And maybe not. But either way it’s none of your goddamn business.”

Ezra pushed away from the sink and strode toward me, quick and furious. I could tell his temper was rising as well.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify