Chapter 99
The ring wasn’t flashy; it wasn’t the kind of piece that drew gasps or glittered under camera lights.
To my eyes, accustomed to high–fashion jewelry since I was young, it barely registered.
But to my former self, it had meant everything.
This was the ring Ryan had used to propose to me in my last life.
Back then, I’d slipped it on with a heart full of naive joy, oblivious to the turmoil that awaited.
“Marry me, Sophia,” he had said, his voice trembling with emotion.
But that was a lifetime ago.
Now, I took the ring out of its box with a chill in my veins.
Across from me, Lirian waited, his face a careful mask of support, but I could sense his tension.
His dark, ink–like eyes darted between me and the ring, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty flashing across his usually confident gaze.
And Ryan…his eyes brightened with hope, as if the sight of the ring meant we could erase the painful history between us.
The faint smile on his lips betrayed a yearning, a desperate belief that the past could somehow be mended.
With a flick of my wrist, I flung the ring.
It clinked once against the stone path, rolled a few inches, and then tumbled into the man–made lake, disappearing beneath the water’s dark, icy surface.
“We’re never going to make it,” I said, my tone devoid of warmth.
Ryan’s face twisted, panic flooding his expression.
“Why?” he sputtered, his voice breaking. ‘Is it because I’m not rich? Do you hate my poverty like
Linda does?‘
Field his gaze, unwavering. “If I cared about your overtu I..
Chapot sig
place,” I replied, my voice icy. “Ryan, it’s not about wealth. It’s about trust, loyalty–the things you destroyed with your own hands. My heart was true, but you shattered it, and now…” I paused, watching the realization creep across his face, “now there’s nothing left for us.”
He looked at me, his eyes wide with shock, and for a moment, I saw the weight of regret settle over
him.
Maybe, at last, he was realizing that he’d given up something genuine for the fleeting thrill of wealth and ambition.
I turned to leave, the cold air biting at my skin as I walked toward my car. Just as I reached for the door handle, his voice came from behind me, desperate, pleading.
“What do I have to do, Sophia? What would it take for you to forgive me?”
I didn’t answer.
Without a glance back, I climbed into the car.
“Drive,” I instructed, and Lirian slid in beside me just as the driver pressed the gas.
As we pulled away, murmurs rose from the onlookers nearby.
Oh my god, did he just jump into the man made lake?” one voice shrieked.
“Is he after the ring?” another asked incredulously.
“It’s freezing! He’ll die!” someone gasped.
The driver hesitated, glancing at me through the rearview mirror, clearly wondering if he should stop. I met his gaze in the mirror and said, “Keep driving.”
Inside the car, silence thickened around us.
Lirian’s expression was uncharacteristically solemn, his usually sharp, calm demeanor softened. almost clouded by something I couldn’t quite place. He looked out the window, avoiding my gaze, his jaw set.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, trying to read his face.
He finally turned to me, and his dark eyes seemed to search mine.
“Lust… feel like you don’t care about me,” he murmured, almost as if he were admitting a secret
ame.
The softness of his voice caught me off guard. “Why would you think that?”
We’re mates,” he said, the word weighted with meaning. “But I’m the only one who can feel that bond between us.”
His gaze dropped, and I noticed a faint sadness in his expression.
I sensed that he’d been holding back, afraid of saying the wrong thing, yet desperate for some sign that he was more than just a second choice.
“Just now…” He paused, looking at me deeply, “you cried in front of him.”
There was no anger in his tone, but a quiet hurt that left me reeling.
Even though I had tried to maintain my composure around him, to keep my emotions controlled, I couldn’t deny that I had let my guard slip in front of Ryan.
In Lirian’s eyes, that vulnerability was a signal, one he interpreted as familiarity I reserved only for my past.
“You… wanted me to be angry with you?” I asked, still processing his words.
It’s a really strange thought, but Lirian’s hand brushes up against my face, his eyes unmistakably
erious.
