The next morning, the surveillance feed showed Rosette nestled in Evren's arms, the two of them sharing cherries in a haze of intimacy.
Evren covered her eyes playfully and pulled out a small, beautifully wrapped box from behind his back.
"Rosette, I got you a gift. Open it and see if you like it."
The moment she lifted the lid, my heart lurched.
Inside the box lay a familiar brooch—my mother's keepsake.
I remembered how Evren and I had attended an auction together once. The brooch had gone to a mysterious bidder for an absurdly high price, and he pretended to comfort me afterward, saying it was a shame we hadn't won it.
Now I realized the truth—he had been the one who bought it in secret. Only to give it to his foster sister as a gift.
My hands clenched around the bedsheet as I watched Rosette pin the brooch to her dress.
She frowned.
"It doesn't look as nice as I imagined," she said casually. "Analeia wanted it so badly, but now that I see it up close, it's nothing special."
Evren chuckled, his tone lazy and indulgent as he brushed her neck with his fingers.
"If you don't like it, I'll buy you another one."
On hearing his words, her confidence grew instantly. She leaned in and kissed his cheek before tossing the brooch into the trash bin. "It's hideous anyway. Throwing it away is being generous!"
I sat on the hospital bed, trembling, fighting through the pain that racked my body.
Ignoring the doctor's protests, I slipped out of the ward.
When I reached home, pale and weak, they were standing together in the living room, planning a vacation.
Seeing me in the doorway, disheveled and silent, a flicker of smug satisfaction flashed in Evren's eyes.
"So you finally came back," he said coldly. "You had the nerve to walk out yesterday without a word. Tsk. No respect for your elders at all."
I didn't respond. My vision blurred as I headed straight for the trash bin in the living room and gently lifted the brooch out as though it were made of glass.
Rosette laughed softly behind me.
"I didn't know you had a habit of picking things out of the trash, Sister-in-law. But unfortunately, anything I throw away—no one else is allowed to keep. I'd rather destroy it."
Evren's expression darkened. His gaze turned sharp and frigid.
"Analeia, give the brooch back. It belongs to Rosette."
Tears welled in my eyes as I stared at him, forcing the words out between trembling lips.
"That brooch was my mother's keepsake. You knew that."
But there was no trace of pity in his eyes, only cold indifference.
He had long forgotten the man he once was—the man who swore he'd make me the rightful mistress of the Johnson family, the man who promised to find and return my mother's brooch to me.
Now, every vow he'd ever made meant nothing.
He strode over and yanked the brooch from my hand. In doing so, it tore open the barely healed wound on my arm. I winced, blood seeping through the fabric.
It was only then that he seemed to notice something was wrong.
He grabbed my arm, pulled up my sleeve and froze.
"Analeia... you're hurt?"
He pushed up both sleeves, revealing the bruises and bandages.
For a fleeting second, the ice in his eyes melted. His expression shifted to shock then panic. He quickly supported me onto the sofa.
"What happened? You've never hidden things from me before."
My lips parted, ready to speak—but Rosette stepped in with perfect timing.
"Sister-in-law, you're hurt! Why didn't you say something? Go rest first."
Then, turning to Evren, she added sweetly, "Brother, go buy her some medicine. We can talk later."
Evren nodded, grabbed his keys, and left.
As soon as the door closed, Rosette walked over, the brooch glinting in her hand.
Narrowing her eyes, she snarled. "Analeia, why do you always cling to Evren? If it weren't for you, I'd be the one married to him! You stole everything that should've been mine!"
I stared back at her coldly as she pulled a divorce agreement from her bag and laid it on the bed.
"If you want this brooch," she said smugly, "sign it. Then it's yours."
She tossed a pen toward me.
Before she could say another word, I picked up the pen and signed my name without hesitation.
Rosette froze, her smirk fading into disbelief.
I looked up calmly and held out my hand.
"Now," I said quietly, "give me back the brooch."
