heart.
How could this be?
His mind went blank. He couldn’t understand why Aurelia would look at him with such revulsion.
Didn’t she like him?
She had liked him so much that no matter how indifferent or dismissive he was, she never seemed to care. She was always smiling, always clinging to him, and pestering him to do this and that.
She had liked him so much that she had no problem lowering her pride to pursue him first, despite being a rich heiress. She had liked him so much that she never cared, even when others mocked her and called her his simp.
Instead, she would reply with pride, “I do like Damien. He’s amazing. What’s wrong with liking someone like him?”
She had once loved him so deeply. But now, when she looked at him, the light in her eyes was gone, replaced entirely by cold, unyielding disgust.
What had happened? How had everything changed so suddenly?
A sharp pain ripped through Damien’s chest as he clutched at his heart. The man who had always seemed invincible now looked like a lost child, panicked and utterly helpless.
“You don’t love me anymore?” Damien stared into Aurelia’s eyes, each word slow and deliberate. “I don’t believe you.”
She had loved him for so long. How could that just vanish?
Love couldn’t be that fragile.
Aurelia gave a cold, hollow laugh. “Believe whatever you want.
Then, she turned her gaze to Sloane.
Now that she knew Sloane was behind it all, Aurelia had no intention of letting her off easy.
“Sloane, you treacherous bitch!” Aurelia stormed forward, stopped in front of her, raised her hand, and slapped her hard across the face.
“I begged my dad to bring you out of that orphanage. We gave you food, shelter everything! And you actually stabbed me in the back!
“You’ve been eating our food, living under our roof, enjoying a princess–like life thanks to the Vance family–and this is how you repay us? By doing something this vile behind our backs?”
As Aurelia spoke, she struck Sloane repeatedly, her slaps landing hard from both sides, Sloane’s face quickly swelled, and blood began to trickle from the corner of her mouth.
“Aury, please stop! I’m begging you! Stop hitting me…”
But how could Aurelia possibly believe her?
one after another.
Sloane sobbed, pleading. “You’ve got it all wrong! I’m innocent. I didn’t do anything!”
Seeing Sloane still refusing to admit it, Aurelia kicked her hard in the knee without hesitation.
The kick landed with full force. Sloane’s legs buckled, and she dropped to her knees with a loud thud.
“Dad, I swear I didn’t do anything,” Sloane cried, turning to Harrison now that begging Aurelia had failed. “I’m innocent! Dad, you have to believe me!
“I don’t even understand computers, let alone how to remotely control a projector. Someone must be framing me–both Damien and I are being set up!”
Seeing Sloane crying so pitifully, Harrison couldn’t help but waver. He had personally raised Damien and Sloane, and he truly didn’t want to believe either of them could be involved in something like this.
So, he asked hesitantly, “Aury.. is there any chance you might be mistaken? Sloane’s only ever been good at music, chess, literature, and painting. She knows nothing about computers or hacking. How could she possibly be behind this?”
Aurelia didn’t answer. She simply turned to Damien.
“Are you going to come clean, or should I do it for you?” she asked. “Because I have evidence too–undeniable proof that Sloane orchestrated all of this. But my evidence is… ruthless. Once it’s out, Sloane’s reputation will be utterly destroyed.
“Damien, Sloane, I’m giving you one last chance. Confess now, and I might let you fall with at least a shred of dignity.”
Chapter 13
