Terri held back the sting in her eyes and looked up at Blayne. “Are you serious? You believe whatever she says? Why would I hurt her? Why would I slap myself?”
“I won’t say this a third time, Terri.” Blayne pulled Valerie—who looked hurt and wronged as if she had just been falsely accused—behind him, shielding her like a protector.
“The money from the marriage contract you signed with my Grandpa goes through the company’s accounts. Terri, I’d advise you to be smart and not piss me off. Otherwise, you’ll end up with nothing—not a single cent.”
Terri took a step back.
Even though the contract had been terminated and she and Blayne were no longer legally married, she still couldn’t believe he was using it to threaten her.
For a moment, Blayne hesitated under her gaze, unable to meet her eyes.
“Forget it, Blayne,” Valerie said gently. “Terri is still young, and there are so many people around today. If it really bothers you, I can change into a long-sleeved gown later to cover it up. It’s not a big deal.
“Today is an important day for the Holzmans. Let’s not ruin it over something so trivial.”
She stepped forward to take Blayne’s hand, playing the understanding, considerate one.
With that movement, her bruised wrist was suddenly and unmistakably exposed—whether by accident or on purpose, it was hard to tell.
Seeing the purple marks on her skin, the momentary softness in Blayne’s heart hardened again.
His almond eyes narrowed, brimming with undisguised contempt and disgust. “Oh, Terri, you really don’t know what’s good for you. Keeping you far away was the right choice.
“A woman like you, so consumed by jealousy that you’d even go after your own sister—I have no idea what my grandfather ever saw in you. If it were up to me, not even if you begged would I let you have a single thing from the Holzmans.”
The words cut deep.
Terri’s eyes turned red, but she refused to lower her head. She clenched her jaw and shot back, “Blayne, you knew exactly who I was when you first met me. So what the hell are you saying now?”
She never thought he’d talk about her like this.
Especially for Valerie.
Back when Valerie left the U.S., Blayne spent his days drowning himself in clubs and bars.
Oswald, his grandfather, had no choice. Seeing that Terri bore a slight resemblance to Valerie, he gritted his teeth and sent her over.
From then on, Terri stayed by Blayne’s side.
He loved lychees, so she arranged for them to be flown in from Hawaii.
Her mother was vain and constantly pestered her for money. Blayne, instead of letting her deal with it, gave Clarissa a supplementary card just to shut her up.
There was sincerity in it.
Every night, he held Terri in his arms, gently caressing her face, calling her his precious girl.
When things got heated between them, she once asked him why he never took it further.
Blayne buried his face in her neck and whispered, “Let’s wait until we’re married. I want to give you the best.”
She cried until her heart melted.
But then—the day before the wedding, she saw him lounging in a hotel room, holding Valerie in his arms.
He was beneath her, their bodies intimately entwined.
Blayne frowned at Terri now, unable to understand why she still didn’t know when to quit.
“You think your little tricks aren’t obvious?” He pulled Valerie into his arms. “You just want to frame your sister so you can come running to me, playing the victim?”
Valerie clung to his arm, looking troubled. “Whatever it is, let’s talk about it later. The party's about to start, and there are people everywhere. You’ll need a date when you go in. I won’t hold this against Terri—it’s not worth it.”
Saying that, she reached out as if to take Terri’s arm.
