The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress

Lorelai POV

The manager, Sophie leads us to the back of the store, where the rings are housed beneath a glass casing, all of them shimmering and glittering beneath the lights as I pause to look at them. They are beautiful, I have to admit as Knox pauses to stand beside me, but all of them are large, awkward looking and so blingy that it hurts my eyes to stare at them for very long. I try not to wince as my eyes scan them for something, anything that's less ostentatious but have almost no luck.

"This one is one of our most expensive rings" the manager purred, opening the case up and withdrawing a ring that had a giant oval diamond surrounded by smaller ones. It looked as though it would take up almost my whole finger as she tried to persuade me to try it on. "It's very elegant and gives you a look of refinement," she said as she held it up for me and Knox to look at.

I tried not to shudder. It was horrendous. It would catch on to everything and feel heavy on the finger. Knox was eyeing it carefully. I hoped he wasn't about to agree with her. It seemed that wealth did not necessarily equate to taste, I thought dismally. I slowly shook my head, trying not to give offense "I'm afraid it's not to my taste" I said quietly as Knox nodded in agreement "Perhaps something smaller?" I suggested hopefully.

A lot smaller. Like minuscule in comparison.

Sophie gave a long dramatic sigh and reluctantly put the ring back. "I see that you have more of a delicate taste."

I nod and she picks up another ring. This one is a large square diamond surrounded by diamonds and it's all blinged up. I try not to wince. It's hideous. At least to me. I can feel myself becoming desperate. If it was up to me the ring would be something a lot more simple. A lot more elegant. Not even necessarily a diamond. This is already going so wrong. Why couldn't Knox have asked me what I liked before dragging me out here? At this rate, it was only going to end in tears.

"Not that one either," I said tactfully.

She sighs and puts it back. "Perhaps you have something in mind that you would like?" she suggests.

I glance at Knox whose eyes have narrowed and fixated on me. He strokes his chin.

"Tell her" he suggests, nodding towards the manager.

Tell her? Hadn't he informed me that whether I liked it or not, I had to get an expensive, over-the-top ring? I stare at him indignantly and then throw caution to the wind. Screw it. He told me to tell her, so I would tell her exactly what kind of ring I would get if I had a choice.

"An emerald ring cut in a rectangle shape," I said solemnly as Knox c****d his head and listened "with a modest amount of diamonds on each side of the emerald. Set in a gold band."

The manager is incredulous "Such a simple ring? Surely not" she gasps.

I feel irritable "Actually yes, it's exactly the kind of ring I would want. Emerald because they are my favorite stone" I say frostily "and only small diamonds because I don't like big extravagant things, I like small and dainty. Gold because it looks good with green" I raise my eyes and glare at both of them "Is that a problem?" I almost hissed the words.

Knox looks thoughtful. Sophie looks as though she's about to have a heart attack. She puts a hand to her chest "With all due respect" she begins and then Knox intervenes.

"Bring the emerald rings out."

The manager gapes. "Mr Grant, an emerald ring for an engagement ring would be highly improper" she states but Knox merely looks her in the eyes while I stand there in surprise.

"Bring out the emerald rings" he repeats calmly.

Sophie sniffs but quietly moves over to a different casing, withdrawing three rings and bringing them back. I eye them carefully.

Only one of them is like what I described, the other two are large and bulky. I point at the smallest of them all, its rectangular shape and modest three small diamonds on each side, perfect in my eyes. "That's the one" I breathe, my excitement growing.

"It's too small madam," Sophie says, even as I reach over and pluck the ring out of her hands, trying it on my finger.

It fits. Perfectly, like a glove. A smile spreads across my face. It's exactly as I pictured my engagement ring to be. There's nothing over the top about it. It's me. It suits me and who I am. I spread my fingers out and eye the ring appreciatively. "Mr Grant, please, you understand the necessity of having the right ring in your elite circle" the manager appeals to him. Knox's eyes are hooded. I can't tell what he's thinking. All I know is that I'm in love with this ring and I don't want to have to take it off. But as I look at him and the manager who is so adamant about having a larger diamond ring, I realize that what I want is not going to be a priority and slowly begin to slide the ring off my finger, feeling miserable. "Stop."

Knox's voice is commanding. I look at him in shock. He reaches over and takes my hand, turning it over and looking at it closely.

"Is this what you want?" he asks me directly.

Is it? This was my ring, the one I had always envisioned wearing. A small smile curves on my lips. "It is" I answer truthfully. He sighs and looks towards the manager who looks fit to be tied. "Then the lady has spoken," he says shrugging "and if that's the ring she desires, then that's the ring she shall have" he continues.

"But sir" she protests.

"My fiancee deserves to be happy and if this makes her happy then who am I to deny her" he says coldly.

Sophie's face droops. The expensive commission she was dreaming about has started to diminish in her mind. No doubt she had been hoping to convince Knox to purchase one of the most expensive rings in the store, rather than one of the cheaper ones. My eyes are shining. Knox glances at me and his face softens. "The ring suits you," he tells me with a crooked smile "and I want you to be happy"

I'm floating on cloud nine. I look at the ring again. I go to take it off but Knox shakes his head and keeps his hand on mine. "No, keep it on. I can buy the ring without them needing it in their hands" he says and Sophie nods mulishly.

Sophie reluctantly returns the rings and comes back. The bodyguard is in the store, staying subtly out of the way and clutching the cage with Midnight securely in his arms. She gives a sniff. "Mr Grant, is there anything else you would like to purchase while you are here?"

Her tone is cool. Knox doesn't appear to notice.

"Not unless there is something else my fiancee desires?" he turns to me questioningly.

Was he serious? It was enough he was purchasing this ring. Even though it was cheaper than the other rings I'd been shown, it was still expensive by any other jewelry store standards. There was no way I would ask him to buy me anything else. I bite my lip and shake my head in denial. He hesitates and then sighs.

"Actually, there is something I would like to personally order in" he begins and glances at me "Are you okay to remain here while I pay for the ring and discuss some business?"

"Of course" I answer easily.

He strides off and I calmly begin to look around the store in a state of bliss. I'm careful not to touch anything, aware of the expensive price tags that are attached to all of the pieces of jewelry. I can hear people coming in from outside and continue to heedlessly window shop until I hear a familiar voice that's behind me and scathing.

"Look's like even peasants are being granted access to our kind of shops."

I flinch and turn to see none other than Abigail Stevens and a friend of hers standing there, both glaring at me. I glance towards Knox but he's disappeared out the back of the store with the manager. The bodyguard is watching but also

keeping an eye on where Knox has gone.

"Leave me alone Abigail," I tell her softly.

She sneers at me "Done any more lap dances lately? How many did you have to do to be able to afford to shop here? Don't tell me that Knox is here buying your engagement ring."

My face must have given something away because her eyes dipped down and she looked at the ring that was on my finger. A disgusted snort comes from her lips "Oh my if that's the ring he's chosen to give you then he must not love you as much as you thought. A ring like that barely costs anything. Guess he decided you weren't worth the effort" she snarls "a slut like you doesn't even get a traditional engagement ring."

I remain silent. I don't want confrontation. I turn to walk away and she grabs my arm.

"Where are you going?" she taunts "Isn't it enough that you took Knox from me, and now you want to fling your engagement in my face? We both know that you're not from this world. He's going to grow tired of you and when he does..." a vicious smile comes over her face "I'll be there to comfort him in his time of need. You think that little stunt I pulled at the fundraiser was bad?" she leans in and whispers in my ear as the blood drains from my face "you haven't seen anything yet. Get the hell away from my man before I take things further. You've been warned you little tramp" she sneers "don't say I didn't warn you."

She digs her nails into my arm and I give a sharp cry. It's enough to bring the bodyguard ambling over. Abigail is done though. She flings my arm away from her and then walks over to some necklaces, perusing through them. I feel tears pricking the corners of my eyes. For somebody who was turned down by Knox numerous times, she seems determined to have him. Before I can say a word, Knox magically appears with a smile on his face "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to take so long. Let's go" he says shortly and hustles me out the door, while Abigail snickers at me and her friend giggles behind us. I remain silent, deciding not to tell Knox what happened. There was nothing he could do about it anyway.