7
“No!”
Miguel’s face went pale, lips trembling as if desperately searching for a defense.
“Belle, come on, be merciful when you can.”
Saoirse’s father, Armani, entered slowly, leaning on his cane.
“It’s just a necklace,” he said, voice calm but firm. “I’m willing to invest ten times its worth intc your company as compensation.”
At the sight of her father, Saoirse quickly darted behind him, sticking her tongue out at me like a spoiled child.
With Armani stepping in, the brand representatives naturally backed off, unwilling to escalate
the matter.
He turned to the press with a composed smile. “Everyone, this was all just a misunderstanding. My butler will prepare some small gifts after tonight’s event.”
“I trust nothing will be leaked, yes?”
The reporters’ eyes lit up.
“Of course, of course. Nothing happened at today’s event,” they echoed in unison.
Just then, Giselle dropped to her knees in front of me, tears streaming down her face.
“Belle, you’re family. Please, forgive your sister!”
Before she could kneel fully, Armani pulled her up.
“Giselle, you’re an elder. You don’t kneel to a junior.”
Then he turned to me, his gaze turning sharp.
“I said, this matter is over.”
Saoirse hid behind Armani and Giselle as though they were her true family.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady the trembling in my fingers.
“But she slandered me, nearly got me arrested, almost cost me my job, and left me condemned by thousands-”
“Silence!”
Armani slammed his cane to the ground. “I’m your father. That means I have the final say.”
My eyes burned. I reached up to wipe them. Only then did I realize I was crying.
So it was only when he was shielding Saoirse that I was allowed to be his daughter.
The three of them walked out of the venue hand in hand, inseparable.
After a long silence, Lori draped a coat over my shoulders and gently guided me back into the nanny van.
She softly dabbed alcohol on my scraped knees, disinfecting each wound with care. “Miguel… that boy, if he ever realizes he lost someone like you, he’ll regret it. He definitely will.” Outside the window, Saoirse clung to Armani’s arm, pouting like a child.
1:59 pm
Giselle looked at her with tear-filled eyes and pulled her into a warm embrace.
Parents like that, I no longer wanted them.
Lori’s voice was gentle as she asked, “Are you really not going to tell Miguel about all this..”
I snapped back to myself and answered calmly, “No need. I was the one who wanted to keep it from him.”
Then I added, “Also, about my resignation, please help me keep that a secret too…”
“What secret?”
The van door slid open. Miguel stood there, holding a bag of medicine.
“Nothing. You misheard,” I replied with a forced smile, subtly signaling Lori to stay quiet. Miguel didn’t question it. He shifted over and sat beside me.
“Belle, let me help you with the medicine…”
But the moment his eyes landed on my already bandaged knee, his expression froze. “You used to be so afraid of pain. Why didn’t you wait for me…”
I remained silent.
The deepest pain I had ever endured in this life, every bit of it had come from Miguel.
。
Maybe the look in my eyes gave too much away because he suddenly looked shaken. That creeping sense of panic returned as if I could disappear from his world any second. “About what happened today, I had my reasons. You’ll understand, right?”
I didn’t answer. I just looked at him and said flatly, “Let’s break up.”
The moment he chose to believe Saoirse, the Miguel I’d loved for six years, was gone from my heart completely.
Miguel fled the van as if running from something, his voice trembling. “Don’t say that. I have something to do. I’m leaving.”
I watched his figure vanish in a rush. Tears slid silently down my cheeks.
After all these years, what kind of man had I fallen for?
The Pearson family villa was brightly lit.
I stood at the entrance for a long moment before slowly climbing the steps.
They had never once waited for me to get off work. The whole Pearson household lived by Saoirse’s schedule.
Clearly, she couldn’t sleep tonight.
Sure enough, in the living room, Armani’s face was dark as thunderclouds.
Before he could speak, I pulled a prepared document from my bag.
“I want to sever all ties with the Pearson family. Especially you.” “You ungrateful brat! I raised you. What right do you have to cut me off?” Armani’s chest heaved with rage as he hurled a cup straight at my face.
The glass shattered. Warm blood trickled down, blurring my vision. Through the red haze, I heard Saoirse’s sickeningly sweet voice.
“Daddy, just sign it. That way, you’ll be all mine.”
After a pause, Armani smiled with indulgence. “Fine.”
The sound of the pen scratching across the paper was sharp and clear; at that moment, I fel truly free.
Biased parents. A man who betrayed me. I didn’t want any of them anymore.
Just then, Saoirse’s eyes gleamed with venom.
“Oh right, I forgot to tell you, your mother’s inheritance is about to be auctioned off.”
1:59 pm
