I Swear I Still Hate Him (Atlas Lawson) novel Chapter 163

Chapter 163

Emery’s POV

Present.

E 55 vouchers

I had never planned to say it out loud. Not like this. Not in a resturant with soft jazz in the background and champagne glasses clinking like nothing in the world could be ugly. But people can only take so much poking before they snap, and Daisy Lawson hadn’t just reached my limit. She’d blown right past it and kept going like she enjoyed the sound of met cracking.

Her face stayed sweet, her posture composed, like she still believed she could talk her way out of anything.

“Wh…what are you saying? I…I don’t understand… is this some kind of joke… wait, don’t tell me you have some secret camera hiding like this reality show,” Daisy said.

Her laugh came out thin, breathy, forced. Like she was trying to sell the moment as ridiculous so I’d feel ridiculous too.

Was she really thinking that if she acted clueless, I’d just magically agree?

I kept my gaze on her, steady and unblinking, my hand wrapped around my water glass so hard my fingers ached.

“Stop the act Daisy I know it’s you…”

Her smile twitched. Just a flicker. Her eyes sharpened a fraction, and then she recovered fast, like she’d been trained for this.

“You can’t just point fingers at me without any evidence.”

I nodded slowly, like I was considering it. Like I was calm. Like my heart wasn’t pounding so hard it felt like it was trying to crawl out of my chest.

“You’re right I can’t but it’s a good thing I do have evidence.”

The air between us changed. Daisy’s shoulders dropped a little, the way they did when she realized charm wasn’t working and she needed a new weapon. Her lips parted. She let out a quiet sigh like she was the one being hurt here. And then she reached for her favorite trick.

Tears.

“Em….I’m….I’m sorry,” she said, voice breaking. She sniffed, and her eyes went glossy on command. “That night hunts me for the rest of my life. I wasn’t thinking straight. I just…” She pressed hand to her chest like she could physically pull sympathy out of me. “I love your father so much and I…I didn’t want to ruim what we had so I…”

I leaned back slightly, my jaw tightening, my stomach turning with disgust and disbelief.

“You opted for sending a video of your son and myself making out to not just my dad but every person included at the party?…and you thought that was okay?”

Daisy’s tears stalled for half a second. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. She cleared her throat, and I saw her jaw clench tight, angry, controlled, before she forced her face back into something soft,

“Like I said I wasn’t thinking straight.” She forced a smile,

It wasn’t warm. It was a mask stretched too thin. I watched her carefully, then lowered my voice quiet enough that she had to lean in, quiet enough that it felt like a threat even though I didn raise it.

“And if I decide to send the evidence to my dad… You know cause I’m also not thinking straight…or maybe I send it to Atlas.”

1/3

15:40 Fri, Mar 6 AMD.

Chapter 163

ས 74%a

55 vouchers

The shift in her was instant. Her eyes flashed. The softness drained out of her face like it had never been there. For the first time all night, Daisy looked exactly like what she was underneath all that sweetness. Her mask slipped, and the fury showed.

“You won’t dare.”

I didn’t flinch.

My mouth curved, not quite a smile. More like a bitter little truth

“Actually, I just might… I’ve taken so much from you, Daisy… I have let a lot slide, not because I couldn’t face you, no… because I don’t want to hurt the people I love, but you constantly stepped on my foot.”

Daisy’s breathing changed faster, tighter. She leaned forward, lowering her voice like she was trying to pull me back into her web.

“Don’t do it Em… you’d break Atlas heart… imagine the guilt he’d feel…” Her eyes locked on mine, sharp now, calculating. “He’d never forgive me and never feel worthy of being with you either so it’s a losing game for both of us.”

I stared at her, stunned by how easily she could say something so cruel and dress it up like concern.

My throat tightened. My chest felt hot.

“What happened to you Daisy… you were the sweetest woman I ad ever met. I was so happy when dad said he liked you because I believed he would finally have another epic love that he had with my mother… but now I question it all.”

For a second, Daisy’s eyes looked tired, almost human.

She sighed. “I…”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify