ELARA
The sight was better seen than imagined.
Watching Shawn’s face contort at different angles, different expressions flashing across his features like a glitching screen—the most visible being sheer, soul-crushing disbelief—made every second of this drama worth it.
His mouth hung open, his eyes unable to tear themselves away from me. There was a shimmering sheen in them now—real tears, finally—and I could see him trembling from across the room.
I watched him with a hawk’s intensity, savoring the exact moment the realization struck: I wasn't the pawn he thought I was. I wasn't an asset to be traded by him or a tool to be wielded by my family.
I was my own woman, the architect of my own life, and more importantly, the architect of his ruin.
I threw him a cute, tilting smile, ma
