Prince of Ruin

Chapter Eight: Theodore

The moment I saw the look on my father's face I knew I was screwed. He was pissed, something I had anticipated when I gave her the other ring. I straightened my spine. I needed to remain focused. She would not get that ring.

"What the hell was that, Theodore?" He snarled. My father had dragged me out of the ballroom and into a small room off to the side. If I had to guess I'd say this was meant to be a fainting room once upon a time.

"That was the ring I gave her," I answered, smoothing the wrinkles his hand had left in my suit jacket. I hoped that the party had been fun enough and distracting enough that people didn't see as my father dragged me away like a child being punished for misbehaving.

"That is not the ring that I gave you to give to her."

"The ring you gave me belonged to my mother." I kept my tone calm, very matter-of-fact. Something that would either make him even angrier or would keep him from blowing his top. There was really no telling which way it would go until it was too late.

"I'm well aware of that, Theodore, I am the one who gave it to Ophelia. And as I told you at the table the other day, she doesn't need it anymore. You were to give it to your betrothed."

"And I chose to not do that. I will hold onto it and perhaps give it to my future children." I refused to truly think about future children and the actual solid idea of procreating with Coco.

"I gave you an order, Theodore."

"I'm a grown man, I'm about to be married. I made the decision to not give my mother's ring to Coco Fucking Selwyn."

My father scoffed.

"You are hardly grown, you're still acting like a child, throwing a fit over something like a ring that belonged to a woman you never even met."

"She was my mother." I roared, letting him get the better of me again. It was a battle in a war that I was always on the losing end of. "I might have never gotten to meet her but she was my mother and that was her ring, and Cordelia Selwyn does not deserve my mother's ring."

There was a sharp intake of breath and a click. I whirled, hurrying to the door that had just snapped closed. I yanked it open to see Coco storming back into the ball.

"Grown." My father chuckled. "Sure you are." I glared at him but didn't give him the satisfaction of fighting back as I headed into the ballroom, scanning the room for Coco.

I saw my friends, most of them, Draco hadn't come but I hadn't expected him to come. He rarely came to parties anymore with the obvious exception of my birthday party. And even then he hadn't come out of the house until basically everyone was gone.

Alistair caught my eye and he brightened, gesturing to the others. They were heading my way, but my attention was already moving on, looking for a very pissed-off woman. Or at least her brother, I had a feeling if I found Baz I would find Coco.

Making it all the more difficult was the knowledge that this was the Selwyn's house, there was nothing stopping them from going anywhere in the damned mansion.

"Have you two seen either Baz or Coco?" I asked as my friends finally made it up to me.

"Yeah, actually, Baz was talking to us until Coco came through, she dragged him out to the garden-" Alistair replied, "Ew why are the Fawleys here?" Blaise's head whipped around and I rolled my eyes. I did not have time for Blaise and his ex-step-father drama.

"Everyone was invited," I responded before pushing past them and heading for the doors to the garden. It was officially nighttime, but the Selwyn family's garden was well-lit, making it still habitable. Of course- they had a damned hedge maze