Quincy immediately stepped forward to shield her, opening his mouth to speak. But the moment his gaze landed on Alannah’s deathly pale face, he faltered.
Her eyes were vacant, fixed on the shattered opal in her palm.
He had never seen her so fragile before. For the first time, an uneasy feeling crept into his chest.
Sensing his hesitation, Pearl clung to his hand, her tone quivering. “Quincy, you said you’d protect me for my sister’s sake. Now that your wife’s hit me, are you really going to do nothing?”
Ignoring the faint unease in his heart, Quincy answered without hesitation. “What do you want me to do to vent your anger?”
Pearl gave a cold laugh. “I want her to slap herself. At least ten times!”
Quincy turned to Alannah, his voice low and cold. “Do it. Otherwise, your mother’s ashes…”
After all, Alannah only cared about money. Once he coaxed Pearl back into a good mood, he could always make it up to Alannah later.
Alannah stood motionless, her expression numb. When she finally looked up at Quincy, her eyes were lifeless, like a well gone dry.
“It was her,” she said quietly. “She broke my mother’s keepsake on purpose.”