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BONUS
Chapter
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"Before I do, maybe you should ask your
maid
where she got those jewels she's flaunting."
The crowd gasped, eyes darting to Sophie's neck, wrists, and ears where the sparkling jewelry suddenly seed much heavier.
Sophia imdiately jumped in, her voice high with fury. "She's not a
maid
!" she snapped.
While Sullivan's frown deepened, torn between outrage and confusion. He turned to Sophie, then back to Cole. "What are you implying, Cole? You gave those jewels to Sophie. She said so herself!"
Cole's eyes darkened, his voice as hard as his expression. "She's not only a thief, but she's a liar as well I see. Those Jewelries are my gift to Eve. They're not hers to take."
His gaze flicked toward , softening for the briefest mont, before it hardened twice as much when it returned to Sophie. "But since a thief has already worn them, you can keep them. I don't want those tainted jewels anywhere near Eve."
My mouth dropped.
Everyone's mouth dropped.
A heavy silence fell over the room as the crowd processed his words. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Sophie looked as though the ground had dropped from beneath her feet, her trembling lips struggling to form a defense.
And ? I felt like I had been thrown into a storm I never asked to be a part of.
All eyes shifted back to Sophie, the whispers growing louder as the damning accusation hung in the air.
This was far worse than being caught between two n—it was a social scandal that would leave a permanent mark on the Rosette na.
The tension felt suffocating, and I could sense the wave of judgnt crashing toward Sophie, threatening to sweep her away.
If anyone else had dared accuse a Rosette of being a thief, they would've been laughed at, ridiculed even, called a fool for such a baseless claim.
The Rosettes lacked nothing—least of all the wealth to afford jewels of any kind. But this accusation hadn't co from just anyone.
It ca from Cole Fay.
And when Cole Fay spoke, especially with that cutting edge in his voice, it wasn't sothing to take lightly. No one dared to laugh now. The room had fallen into a thick, uneasy silence.
I knew all too well how sharp Cole's tongue could be. I had been on the receiving end of it far too many tis. He could be cold—cruel, even—and once he'd set his sights on soone, there was no turning back. He could shred them apart with nothing more than a few well-placed words.
But as I stood there watching Sophie's pale face crumble under the weight of his accusation, I felt nothing. No sympathy. No pity.
Not for her.
If Sophie hadn't turned a blind eye to all those years ago, maybe I would've felt sothing for her now. Maybe I would've stepped forward to defend her. Maybe we could've even been friends.
But the reality was different.
Sophie had been the first to wish gone. She had wanted out of the picture from the very beginning.
And now, as she stood there, trembling under the weight of her own downfall, I couldn't muster a shred of pity. Not for soone who had wished gone without a second thought.
Soone like that didn't deserve my sympathy.
Not now.
Not ever.
"It must be a misunderstanding," Sophia said, stepping in to defend Sophie, desperately trying to salvage what was left of her daughter's miserable birthday. Her grand introduction to high society had beco nothing short of a scandal.
"I thought that the jewels were a gift for the Rosette heiress," Sophia continued, her voice steady and convincing despite the chaos, "It was my fault. I told her to wear them. She's the rightful heir, after all, so I thought that those were ant for her. This is all my misunderstanding."
I had to hand it to her. A mother's love truly knew no bounds. Sophia's calm, pleading tone, paired with her impeccable reputation, instantly shifted the atmosphere. The guests, who monts ago were whispering in shock, now began to nod in agreent, their suspicions fading. Sophia had saved Sophie's reputation, at least for the mont.
I couldn't have cared less about those jewels, whether they were ant for or Sophie. All I cared about was the searing pain in my side, a constant reminder of the gunshot wound. I needed to sit down. I needed my painkillers.
Cole, however, wasn't ready to let things go. His eyes flashed with that familiar stubbornness, and I knew he wasn't one to back down so easily.
Thankfully, Lina appeared just in ti, cutting through the tension with her charm. "Brother, there you are," she said, gliding over gracefully. "I'm so sorry, everyone. My brother can be a bit dense and . . . a little rude."
A little rude was the understatent of the century.
"Anyway," she added with a dazzling smile, "please continue the party. And happy birthday, Sophie." Lina then turned her gaze to Cole, tugging on his arm. "Mother and Father are looking for you. Let's go."
I felt Cole's grip on my hand tighten—again.
Could he let go already?
When I glanced up at him, he was staring at intently, as if he wanted to say sothing. I wasn't in the mood to hear whatever was swirling in his mind, not while Victor and him were still locked in this ridiculous tug-of-war over .
"Brother, stop," Lina whispered urgently in Cole's ear, "you're stressing Eve out. Let her go."
"
Stress
?" Cole muttered, as if he had just woken from a trance. His fingers slowly released my hand.
Lina wasted no ti, pulling him away. "Sorry for the trouble, Eve," she called out with a smile. "Let's hang out more in the future." And with that, she dragged Cole through the crowd, leaving standing there, finally free.
I turned to Victor. "My hand, please."
Victor blinked, startled, and quickly released . I noticed then how his face had flushed slightly, his eyes lingering on my face longer than it should have.
What's wrong with him?
I wondered briefly.
But I didn't have ti to dwell on it. With both of them finally gone, I could take a breath, sit down, and finally take those painkillers.
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