###20
20
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
Just like the day they forced me to apologize to Delilah, he repeated the words over and over again-ten times, maybe more.
But this time, no one helped him up.
I sat there, unmoved, wiping away the last traces of makeup in the mirror. I didn’t even glance at him.
The reflection showed Daniel on his knees, shoulders shaking, crying uncontrollably. Only when capped the makeup remover and stood did he finally scramble to his feet.
‘Ava, I know you hate me. I know you might never forgive me,” he said, voice trembling, “bu please-give me a chance to make it right. Let me atone.”
looked him straight in the eye.
‘She’s gone,” I said. “Ava is dead.”
stepped around him. Once, I had been obsessed with his tenderness, desperate for his promises. I had loved him more than I ever loved anyone in the Wren family.
But where did that love get me?
‘She died at your hands,” I said coldly. “One cut at a time.”
Daniel flinched like I’d struck him. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have believed her-I shouldn’t have
rusted Delilah! I was wrong, I—”
Stop saying sorry,” I snapped. “It’s disgusting.”
At that moment, my assistant entered, carrying dry-cleaned clothes. She shot Daniel a look of ›ure disdain and deliberately bumped into him.
Miss Monroe has a shoot tomorrow. Don’t block the way. Even dogs know when to move,” she ;aid icily.
Daniel staggered backward, humiliated. But suddenly, as if remembering something, he
traightened up and spoke quickly, eagerly.
I brought her-Delilah. She’s downstairs. Whatever you want to do to her, I’ll cover for you.”
With a snap of his fingers, bodyguards entered and dragged in a woman who barely looked
juman.
stared, stunned.
The woman who once basked in the glory of being the pampered “little princess” of the Wren amily was now filthy, bruised, and disfigured. Hair matted. Skin gray with grime. Barefoot. Barely dressed.
The bodyguard shoved her forward, and she collapsed to the ground.
‘MMMMMM!” she screamed, muffled and incomprehensible.
recoiled instinctively when I saw her lips-blackened, blistered, half-melted.
Daniel looked grim. “Her tongue’s been burned. She’ll never speak again. I gave her back double what she did to you.”
But I didn’t feel satisfaction.
Not even relief.
Not when I looked into her eyes-still brimming with hatred, still burning with venom. Her soul hadn’t been broken. Just twisted further.
The room turned colder.
“I’ll leave her to you,” Daniel offered, almost eagerly.
“No need,” I said flatly. “Take her. I never want to see her again.”
I turned to call security.
But just as I reached for my phone, Delilah let out a guttural cry and lunged at me-like a wild animal. Her hand gripped a jagged shard of glass.
The sharp glint flashed inches from my face.
I raised my arms, too slow to stop her.
Then-impact.
A warm, solid weight crashed into me, shielding me completely.
Daniel.
He held me tightly-and I heard the sound of glass tearing through flesh.
“I’m sorry…” he choked out, his voice thick with pain. “I didn’t protect you…”
His white shirt bloomed red. Blood gushed from a wound in his back-deep, ugly, lethal-looking. Yet he didn’t flinch.
He spun, grabbed Delilah by the collar, and flung her aside like she weighed nothing.
‘Lock her up!” he barked.
The bodyguards rushed to obey, dragging the still-snarling Delilah away. Her voiceless howls echoed down the hall, curses I couldn’t hear but could still feel in my bones.
But I wasn’t afraid anymore.
One of the guards caught Daniel just as he collapsed sideways. “Sir, you need to get to a hospital-now!”
Pale and blood-soaked, he looked up at me.
didn’t move.
I didn’t cry. I didn’t reach out.
And in that moment, he understood.
I didn’t love him anymore.
His lips parted to say something-then closed again.
Silently, they carried him out.
