I sneered, my voice colder than ever. “No need to apologize, but I will never forgive you.”
As we stepped out of the police station, Charlotte approached me, her voice dripping with false humility.
“Lily, I really didn't mean it,” she said, her eyes wide, as if she were the one wronged. “I thought you would take the ring to ruin my marriage with Sylus. I was wrong. Can you forgive me?”
It was almost laughable, the switch from venom to this pitiful act. But what truly surprised me was Sylus falling for it so easily.
Before I could even form a response, he pulled her protectively into his arms, his concern all for her.
"Okay, okay, she did not mean it," Sylus said, looking at me with mild exasperation. "Don’t be so stubborn. I will transfer a million dollars to your account as compensation."
I smiled politely, accepting his offer without hesitation. Then, I watched as the two of them walked away, hand in hand.
Charlotte shot me a smug, victorious smile over her shoulder. But that smile only strengthened my resolve. The villa Sylus had given me was no longer safe, it never had been.
*