Chapter 246

Susan bit her lower lip until it turned white.

She would never confess to something she didn't do.

Not even when Andrew Lucas threatened her in the cruelest way possible.

She lifted her chin, the defiance in her eyes stinging him like shards of glass.

"Andrew," she whispered, her voice soft yet razor-sharp. "My greatest regret was believing you were still the man I once loved."

Her oath cut deeper than any blade.

"If I ever love you again, may I find no peace in life nor rest in death."

His knuckles cracked under the strain of his clenched fists.

She would rather curse herself than love him.

That truth shattered what little restraint he had left.

"Mr. Ferber," Andrew commanded, his voice glacial. "Don't disappoint me."

Susan laughed then—a hollow, broken sound.

So this was how it felt when a heart turned numb.

The man she loved most was pushing her into hell.

How poetic.

"Mr. Lucas..." William Ferber wiped his sweaty brow. "Perhaps you'd prefer to wait outside—"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Andrew's dangerous whisper silenced him instantly.

"Susan." Andrew seized her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Apologize. To Nicole."

This was his final mercy.

"You're the ones who should beg forgiveness!" Pain lanced through her abdomen, but she refused to yield. "You and Nicole owe me that much!"

Her silent stare conveyed what words could not.

You're wrong, Andrew.

But even if you apologized now, it's too late.

"Very well." Andrew's chuckle sent chills down her spine. "Mr. Ferber, proceed."

When William's greasy fingers closed around her wrist, nausea overwhelmed her.

Her gaze fell to the diamond ring on her finger—the one Andrew had slipped onto her hand just last night with such tenderness.

Now he would tear it away himself.

"Reluctant to part with it?" Andrew sneered. "I'm sure it'll fetch a pretty price."

He wrenched her hand violently.

"But I won't let a faithless woman profit from my generosity!"

The band sliced her skin as he ripped it off.

Blood dripped from her finger like the shattered pieces of her heart.