Chapter 8

Elvira left her seat at intermission to touch up her makeup. When she stepped out of the restroom, she saw Vincent leaning against the wall in the hallway, smoking.

She tried to walk past without looking at him, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Why did you sell the gifts I gave you?"

His voice was quiet, with a hint of roughness.

Elvira lifted her eyes, her tone edged with sarcasm. "Why did you step in earlier? Are you going to say it's because I'm Lilian's friend, or maybe because I'm Elena's sister?"

Vincent pressed his fingers against his brow, a hint of fatigue flickering across his face. "You're always like a hedgehog, prickles out all the time. How does that help you?"

How did that help her?

If she didn't protect herself like that, this family and Elena would have devoured her long ago.

"My matters have nothing to do with you," Elvira answered, jerking her hand free. "And as for men, I can have as many as I want. You don't get a say on it either."

His voice dropped lower. "Where are you going?"

She didn't answer him. She turned and walked away.

She returned to her seat, wanting this farce to end so she could leave Norwell for good.

However, when the next auction item appeared, her expression froze.

It was a blue diamond ring. The design was vintage and elegant. Inside the band, she could see the account password for a secret bank in Norwell engraved into the metal.

That ring had been her mother's most cherished possession. It was the last form of protection her mother left for her.

Her gaze shot to Elena, and the smug look in Elena's eyes said everything. Antonio must have stolen her mother's ring and given it to Elena, who then gave it to a charity auction just to humiliate her.

Elvira forced herself to stay calm and took part in the bidding. She couldn't let her mother's ring fall into anyone else's hands.

After several intense rounds of bidding, Elvira went all in and finally won the ring. Relief washed through her as she stood to collect the ring.

Just then, Elena suddenly rose. "Wait."

Her tone was gentle, but the malice behind it was clear. "I made a mistake. I brought the wrong item. This ring is my personal keepsake, and I must've mixed it up. Sorry, but I'm not planning on auctioning it."

With that, she took the ring, flashed Elvira a smile of victory, and turned to leave.

Elvira hurried after her, catching her outside the club. "Elena, give the ring back. I'll pay you whatever amount you want."

"I'm not short on money."

Elena toyed with the ring, smiling cruelly. "You've always been so proud and cared so much about appearances. If you want it, you can go down there and pick it up yourself."

She walked to the edge of the man-made lake and tossed the ring into the dark water.

Elvira jumped into the freezing lake without a second of hesitation.

Mud clung to her clothes and smeared the makeup across her face, but none of that mattered. She searched the bottom blindly, her fingers scraping against sharp stones.

That ring was the only remaining piece of her mother. She couldn't lose it.

…

When Vincent came out after finishing his cigarette, the first thing he saw was Elvira struggling in the lake. His brows tightened, and he hurried toward the water.

He reached his hand toward her, his voice tinged with suppressed fury. "Elvira, get out of there!"

She pushed his hand away and kept searching.

Finally, her fingertips brushed something solid and cold. She grabbed it and clutched it tightly, dragging herself out of the lake, soaked from head to toe.

Vincent looked at the ring in her hand, his eyes dark. "You donated hundreds of millions like it was nothing, yet you're willing to throw your life away for a trinket like this?"

"You don't understand anything!" Elvira was trembling from the cold and from anger. "You're the one who said we were done, so do me a favor and leave me alone, Vincent. Don't talk to me either."

Her words pierced straight through him. His body stiffened, his pupils constricting.

Just then, Elena approached, reaching immediately for the ring. "Thank you for retrieving it for me."

"This belonged to my mother!"

Elvira held on tightly, refusing to release it.

"Vincent, my mom gave it to me…" Elena said softly, turning to him with wet eyes.

Vincent looked at Elvira's stubborn grip, then at Elena's expectant gaze. His hand closed around Elvira's wrist. "Let go," he demanded sharply.

Elvira glared at him, her eyes bloodshot. "No!"

Vincent used more and more force, practically relying on brute strength as he pried her fingers open one by one.

A sharp crack sounded, and Elvira let out a stifled cry of pain. Her wrist had been snapped by him, just like that.

Agony rushed through her entire body. Her face turned completely pale as she stared at the cold and ruthless man in front of her, unable to believe what he had just done.

Elena took the chance to snatch the ring, shot Elvira a triumphant look, and walked off while holding onto Vincent's arm.

Elvira held back the pain and tried to chase after them, but as soon as they stepped back into the club, the lighting rig above suddenly came loose and dropped straight toward Elena.

Vincent reacted immediately and shoved Elena out of the way. The side of the heavy frame ended up scraping against the back of Elvira's head.

"Elena!"

His expression shifted dramatically. He lifted Elena into his arms and ran toward the parking lot without once looking at Elvira, who was curled up on the floor in pain.

The pain had her on the edge of losing consciousness as she clutched at her fractured wrist. Fortunately, she was taken to the hospital by a kind passerby.

When the doctor examined her injuries, he couldn't help but ask, "Who did this to you?"

Elvira didn't respond. She stared out the window, her tears falling silently. Her heart hurt far more than her body did.