The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 862

"Yes," Ferris admitted without hesitation. "There is nothing between Zoey and me. Selena is the only woman I love, and I never considered a divorce."

I already knew all of this. What I didn't understand was why she was bringing it up now.

"To be honest, I believed him," Lucille continued, her voice soft but steady. "We've been family for three years now. Did you really think I couldn't see what kind of man he was? I never bought into those rumors about Zoey. Anyone could see how deeply he cherishes you, and that letting you go would kill him. The two of you were just caught in a bitter stalemate, and you needed a push in the right direction."

She gave me a gentle smile. "But words are cheap. Anyone can string together a pretty lie with zero effort. So naturally, I had my doubts at first. But when Ferris gave me that handbag, I knew he was telling the truth."

The bag? Realization struck me like a physical blow. She was talking about the limited-edition, exotic leather Hermes bag that cost a million dollars. It was true—she had started relentlessly singing his praises the moment she received that impossibly expensive gift.

That very bag had been the catalyst for so much of my resentment. Every time I saw her carrying it, my bitterness had deepened. I had convinced myself that she was a greedy opportunist who would gladly sell her own daughter for luxury. I had taken it as proof that she didn't care about me at all.

I had demanded she return it, and though she had agreed to my face, she had kept parading it around town. But none of that mattered anymore. The proof of her love was undeniable. She had allowed her throat to be slashed rather than lure me into a trap.