"Do you know who gave you to that old man?" She leaned in, lowering her voice as if savoring the moment. "It was my brother. He planned it all—to make sure you could never ruin my happiness. And your family's bankruptcy? That was his doing too. Every creditor who hunted you down, every moment you spent struggling to survive—it was all part of his design."
I already knew the truth.
But hearing it from her lips still made my chest tighten, made something inside me twist and ache.
She waited for my reaction, expecting to see me crumble.
Instead, I met her gaze and let out a soft laugh.
"Faye," I said, tilting my head, "you can steal a trophy, a career, even a man—but no matter how high you climb, you know the truth better than anyone, don’t you?"
I leaned in slightly, my voice dropping to a whisper.
"You didn’t earn this. You never could. And you should worry less about flaunting your stolen achievements…" I let my gaze drift to the trophy in her hands before meeting her eyes again.
"…and more about how hard the fall will be when the truth finally catches up to you."