He pulled Harper into his arms, framing me as the villain in this twisted narrative. Fury surged through me, fueling my glare at them both. "If it wasn’t for her shallow obsession with luxury, my father would never have been framed by her parents. He wouldn’t have had to jump from that building to prove his innocence!" I spat, my voice raw with grief. "You were there, Hudson! You witnessed how horrifically he died! You swore you’d never forgive them!"
Hudson's expression twisted in irritation. "Do you plan on living in hatred forever? What kind of life is that? The dead are gone, Aubrey. Can’t you move on and find some peace?"
"Harper’s trying to make amends! Why are you being so ungrateful and cruel?"
"Ungrateful?" I choked, incredulous. "You think my father’s death was his fault? That he was weak?"
The realization struck me like a freight train. I had never truly known this man. The one I had spent five years loving was now a stranger, and a profound emptiness settled in my chest, as if something within me had finally shattered.