“Give it back!” I shouted, reaching for it.
Amber smirked, dangling the bracelet between her fingers. The delicate chain shimmered in the sunlight, but in her grasp, it felt tainted—like everything else she touched. “This?” she mocked, her tone dripping with cruelty. “You should’ve stayed in your place, Elliana. You never belonged in Darren’s world.”
My chest tightened, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Amber, please. That’s not just a bracelet. It belonged to my mom. It’s all I have left of her.”
Amber’s grin widened as if my pain was her fuel. “Oh, save it. You didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings when you went after Darren. Now you want sympathy?” She lifted the bracelet higher, taunting me like a cat playing with its prey.
I clenched my fists to stop my hands from trembling. “Amber, you don’t understand… My mom gave that to me before she died! Please… just give it back!”
Her laughter was sharp and heartless. “Your mom must’ve been as pitiful as you if this trash is all she left behind!”
Her words sliced through me like a knife. My mom wasn’t just a memory—she was the strongest person I’d ever known.