Chapter 10

Lily stared at him for a long, aching moment. The man she had once trusted. The man she had believed still held a shred of decency. A low, bitter laugh escaped her throat. Her eyes glittered, not with tears, but with the sting of betrayal. “No,” she said clearly. A fresh wave of whispers rippled through the crowd. Marina jumped in, her voice dripping with false innocence. “Lily, don’t be difficult. A simple ‘I’m sorry’ will settle this.” “I have nothing to be sorry for,” Lily snapped, her voice rising, carrying through the room. Her hands trembled, shame and fury staining her cheeks red. David’s expression didn’t change, his lips pressed into a thin, unyielding line. “It’s a friendly suggestion. Take it.” His tone was casual, almost dismissive, a stark contrast to the gravity of the moment. Lily’s throat tightened. *Friendly suggestion?* After the public accusation, the humiliation? Her fists clenched at her sides. A thousand words danced on her tongue, but she swallowed them down, not