As soon as I entered the room, I smelled in the air the scent left after intimacy.
Elliana lifted the lace underwear and cast a flirtatious look at Hector.
“It’s all because Hector got my skirt wet and caused you trouble.”
Watching her behave like the rightful girlfriend, my heart hurt. I took the cash I had just taken from the bank out of my bag and said decisively, “Hector, let’s break up.”
The man laughed, reached out, and pulled me into his arms.
“What nonsense, are you jealous?”
“Didn’t I already say, Elliana divorced her ex-husband. Only by joining the lady test together can she make her ex-husband give up on getting back together. It is all just an act.”
I broke free from his arms and lowered my eyes to hide the sadness.
Last year, Grandma was burned by a leaking electric water heater, her whole arm scalded until the skin split and flesh was torn.
I held her and rushed past three blocks before I flagged down a cab. The operation cost came to eighty thousand, and after checking every account, I had only five thousand.
Even though Hector was the Montana crown heir, I feared he might think I loved luxury, so I hardly took his costly presents and almost never used his help to cut corners.
That was the first moment I broke down in front of Hector, asking him to lend me money, promising I would repay him somehow later.
But he said Veena, you must learn independence. The Rivas family did not support lazy people.
About a month earlier, I had stayed awake without rest to finish the sample gown, and I passed out from low blood sugar, then learned my heart was beating too fast.
The doctor said if I waited any longer, I might need to have a pacemaker put in.
If Hector had just lifted a hand, he could have set up the best operation for me.
But he did not, and only said I was still young with a strong body, so resting for two days would be enough.
He then turned away and reserved a whole level of a private hospital, arranging a full checkup for Elliana, who only had a cold.
For Elliana, Hector never gave up anything; for me, nothing mattered.
"Hector, I am serious—"
"Young master," the butler suddenly opened the door and stepped inside, with a man walking in behind him.
"This Mr. Lozano says he wants to meet Miss Elliana."
The moment Dalton Lozano walked in, he fell to his knees before Elliana, crying with tears and snot streaming down.
“Elliana, I was wrong. I was not in my right mind and cheated. Can you forgive me?”
My blood seemed to turn cold, and I felt nauseous, unable to stop vomiting.
Seven years earlier, I had gone to Maryland alone for a trip.
In a narrow alley, Dalton had pulled me into a dark spot and ripped my clothes.
I fought back desperately and used broken glass to cut his arm before I managed to escape.
I broke down and called Hector.
He rushed back overnight, held me in his arms, and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”
I had thought Dalton ended up in jail.
Yet now he was kneeling properly in front of us, Elliana’s former husband.
So the “take care of it,” Hector said back then, meant protecting Elliana’s marriage and hiding everything!
My body trembled uncontrollably, my teeth knocking together.
Dalton turned toward me and pointed.
“Elliana, it was all because this woman tempted me back then and caused my first mistake. After that, I couldn’t stop cheating again, it’s all because of her!”
Tears filled Elliana’s eyes instantly. “Veena, the one who seduced my husband before was actually you?”
She seemed afraid and leaned into Hector’s arms.
“Brother Hector, I had been hoping for this marriage… I believed in him so deeply…”
Hector’s face grew cold.
“Veena, say sorry to Elliana!”
I laughed in anger, laughing until tears fell.
Seven years ago, to protect Elliana’s marriage, he covered up her husband’s wrongdoing and chose to deceive me.
Seven years later, to help Elliana fully break free from her ex-husband, he arranged for people to join the lady test together.
“Hector, you really are a good older brother!”
I shoved that bundle of money hard into his arms, turned around, and walked away.
But before I could reach the door, the butler stepped in and blocked my path.
