Selene lowered her hand, her eyes brimming with contempt and disdain. Her voice turned even more venomous.
"You actually think you deserve to sit in the Godfather's wife's seat? I never imagined that after Grayson dumped you, you'd latch onto Samuel so quickly. Absolutely shameless."
"You don't deserve him. Grayson, Samuel, they're both mine. They always have been, and they always will be!"
"You'll never be worthy of standing by his side, and you sure as hell don't deserve the title of Godfather Rowe's wife!"
My arm was still pressed against the ice-cold display case, a dull ache throbbing through it. Before I could even process her vicious words, Selene suddenly seized my wrist in a death grip and used my own momentum to fling herself backward, crumpling gracefully onto the cashmere rug beside the display.
She curled into herself, her eyes reddening instantly, tears glistening on the verge of spilling. Just like that, she'd transformed into the picture of fragile innocence.
"Lois, I wasn't saying your photos were bad. I just wanted to ask if you could try a different angle to capture the grain on the raw stones... Never mind, I was being presumptuous. Please don't be upset..."
The words had barely left her lips when the door to the private room slammed open. Samuel strode in, took one look at the scene before him, and hurled the custom glass tumbler in his hand to the floor. The sound of shattering glass cut through the air like a scream.
He rushed forward and shoved me aside. Hard. I stumbled back several steps, my spine slamming into the unyielding edge of the jewelry display case. A sharp hiss escaped through my teeth. But he didn't even glance my way. He was already crouching beside Selene, checking her over with painstaking care, his voice tight with worry.
"Selene, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"
"Samuel, I'm fine, really. Please don't blame Lois. I just lost my balance and fell on my own..." Selene tugged at his sleeve, her voice soft and pleading as she defended me, looking more delicate by the second.
"Selene, you're too kind. Don't cover for her. I saw everything." Samuel's expression was glacial as he helped Selene to her feet, handling her as though she were a priceless gemstone that might shatter at the slightest touch.