Chapter 12

I forced a tight-lipped smile in response to Emmanuel's casual remark, the warmth in his tone feeling like a cruel mockery of the turmoil churning inside me. "Yeah, sure," I managed to reply, my voice strained with a mixture of resentment and pain. "Catch up soon."

Emmanuel walked away, his steps echoing in the hollow space left by our unresolved past. I felt the weight of all those buried memories crashing down on me once again.

"Sean, listen to me, please." I'm begging him in his office,

"Why are you here? Do you want some money?" Sean's eyebrows were shot as he got some cash from his wallet and threw it all over my face.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I wiped the cash from my face, the sting of Sean's words cutting deeper than any physical pain.

"Sean, please, just listen to me," I pleaded, my voice trembling with desperation. "I know what you saw, but it wasn't what it seemed. Emmanuel -"

Sean cut me off with a bitter laugh, his eyes flashing with anger. "Emmanuel? What's your excu