Kate's face went white. She shrank behind Andrew's tall frame like a frightened child.

I held my ground, voice cold as steel. "Remember this moment. From now on, we're done. Pray you never cross my path again."

I turned and walked away without waiting for a response.

"Leah! Where do you think you're going?" Andrew's composure cracked into panic behind me.

I didn't look back.

My apartment sat in the heart of downtown. I'd bought it outright before the marriage—every cent of my savings plus a little help from my parents. It was mine.

After the wedding, Andrew complained it was too far from Delgado Group headquarters, so we moved into his villa. Over time, this place became my secret sanctuary—the only refuge when being Mrs. Delgado became suffocating.

I drove on autopilot, running on fumes. All I wanted was to crawl into my shell and lick my wounds in peace.

But the moment I pushed the door open, the sanctuary shattered.

Instead of the crisp lemon verbena I loved, the air hung thick with cloying sweetness.

Pink fuzzy slippers with pom-poms sat at the entryway. Not mine.

I stepped into the living room. Cartoon throw pillows littered my minimalist sofa. Fashion magazines and half-eaten snacks cluttered the coffee table.

Acid rose in my throat. I walked stiffly to the bedroom and pushed the door open.

My breath caught. My simple bedding had been stripped and replaced with an absurd lace-trimmed princess set. On the vanity, my skincare had been shoved into a corner, replaced by gaudy new bottles.

The wardrobe hung open. Inside—frilly dresses I'd never seen, sized to flaunt a petite frame.

Rage surged through me, drowning out the curse's lingering pain. My hands trembled.

"Who let you in?"

My voice scraped raw against the violated space.

"Leah? You're back?"

Kate sauntered out of my study, turning one of my crystal ornaments in her hands without a shred of guilt.

"I just came to tidy up," she said lightly. "Andrew mentioned this place was sitting empty—such a waste. My internship's nearby, so I'm staying here a while."

She set the ornament down and surveyed the room with proprietary satisfaction. "I arranged things pretty well, don't you think? Much cozier now."

My nails dug into my palms until skin broke. "This is my house. Who gave you permission to touch my things?"

Kate tilted her head, smile saccharine. "Leah, don't be like that. You and Andrew are married. Sure, you bought this before the wedding, but now it's all joint property, isn't it?"

She smoothed her dress. "Andrew said so himself—what's his is mine. If I want to live here, of course he agrees."

Marital joint property. The audacity was breathtaking.

"So he agreed you could break into my private space and contaminate my belongings?"

"Oh, don't put it so harshly." Kate walked over, reaching for my hand like we were best friends.

I slapped it away.

She shrugged, unbothered. "We're practically family. Why draw such clear lines? You don't even live here—leaving it empty is wasteful. I'm just adding some life to the place."

She studied my face with mock concern. "Leah, you look terrible. Is the poison still in your system? You should really see a doctor. Don't worry about things here—I'll make myself at home."

A pause. Then, with casual cruelty: "Oh, right. I'm in the master bedroom. The guest room still has some of your old stuff—you can rest there."

"Get out."

My voice dropped, deadly calm.

Kate froze. "Leah—"

"Now. Take your trash and get out of my house."

I enunciated every syllable, my voice low and dangerous. "Otherwise, I'll call the police immediately. Trespassing is a crime, Kate."

Her mask slipped, revealing a flash of panic. "You wouldn't dare! Andrew wouldn't allow it!"

"Try me."

I lifted my phone, thumb hovering over the dial pad. "Let's see if he can get here before the patrol car does."

Kate bit her lip, her face twisting. She stomped her foot like a petulant child. "Fine! I'll go! Who wants to stay in this dump anyway? I'll tell Andrew exactly how unreasonable you're being!"

She spun around to pack, deliberately throwing items into her bag with a clattering racket.

Before she could finish, the lock clicked.

The door swung open. Andrew stood there, dark hair disheveled, breathing uneven—like he'd sprinted from the elevator.

Kate dropped the clothes in her hands instantly. Tears welled on cue as she threw herself at him. "Andrew! She's kicking me out! She threatened to have me arrested! I just needed somewhere to stay for a few days..."

His gaze softened the moment it landed on her. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, then turned to me.

The softness vanished. His brows drew together, hardening into that familiar disapproval. "Leah, why are you making a scene again? Kate's only staying temporarily. Do you really need to turn this into a war zone over something so trivial? You haven't even recovered—can't you just settle down?"

I didn't say a word.

I summoned every ounce of strength left in my hollowed-out body and lunged.

"Leah! What are you—"

Slap.

The sound cracked through the room like a whip.

My palm stung, vibrating with numbness. Andrew's head snapped to the side, angry red welts blooming against his pale skin.

Dead silence.

Kate's sobbing cut off like a switch had been flipped. She clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with genuine shock.

Andrew remained frozen, head still turned.

After several agonizing seconds, he slowly faced me again. Fury ignited in his dark eyes. "Are you insane?"

But the moment he met my gaze, the rage faltered.

I stood rigid, jaw clenched so hard it ached. My face was drained of color, lips white from biting down. But it was my eyes that stopped him—rimmed red, swimming with tears I refused to let fall.

Andrew's pupils contracted. The icy desolation in my gaze seemed to pierce him.

"Leah..."

His voice came out hoarse, stripped of arrogance.

"Get out."

I didn't blink.

"Take her and get the hell out of my house. Now."

He stood rooted, reaching out as if to brush the moisture gathering at the corner of my eye. "Leah, don't cry..."

I jerked away like his touch was poison. The movement dislodged a single tear, tracing a cold path down my cheek.

"Don't touch me."

My voice was raspy, but absolute.

His hand froze midair.

Kate recovered her senses. She stepped out from behind him, shrieking. "You actually dared to hit Andrew! Have you no shame?"

"You don't get to say my name."

I turned my gaze on her—cold enough to freeze blood. "Need a refresher on the penal code for residential trespassing?"

She flinched, shrinking back.

Andrew closed his eyes, inhaling sharply. When he opened them, the emotions swirling in their depths were illegible. "Kate. Pack your things. We're leaving."

"Andrew!" She gasped, unable to believe he was conceding.

"Go. Now."

His voice dropped an octave, leaving no room for argument.

Kate fell silent. She shot me a look of pure venom, then marched into the bedroom, stuffing her belongings into her bag with chaotic fury.

For a moment, only the two of us remained.

Andrew studied me, expression pained. "The house is yours. I'll make sure she moves out. But your health—let me take you to the hospital."

"No need."

I walked to the door and pulled it wide, gesturing to the hallway. "Please."

He didn't move. "We need to talk."

"Talk about what?"

I let out a short, hollow laugh. "About how your innocent little cousin is the victim? About how aggressive and unreasonable I am?" I met his eyes. "Andrew, that slap was for the curse you let her put on me. From this moment on—we're even."

Andrew's face drained of color. "About the curse... I'll get to the bottom of it. If Kate's responsible—"

"It doesn't matter anymore." I cut him off. "Just keep your entire family away from me."

Kate dragged her suitcase toward the door, eyes rimmed red. Andrew opened his mouth, but the ice in my gaze silenced him. He cast one last look my way before ushering her out.

The lock clicked shut. My legs gave out—not a dramatic slide down the wall, just a graceless collapse onto the floorboards, every drop of adrenaline spent. The Heartbreak Curse still throbbed in my chest, a dull echo of earlier agony, but the numbness spreading through my limbs was worse.

I didn't wallow. By morning, a locksmith was drilling out the core to replace the locks entirely.

Then came the purge. Everything Kate had touched—bedding, skincare bottles, even the sofa slipcovers—went straight to the dumpster.

Task complete, I drove to the Delgado estate. Not for nostalgia. For retrieval—and severance.

The villa was silent.

Natalie met me at the door, eyes widening. "Mrs. Delgado? You're back? Mr. Delgado didn't return last night..."

"Just here to pack." I bypassed her and headed upstairs.

The master bedroom still held the stale air of yesterday's chaos. I ignored it, cleared my wardrobe of essentials, secured my documents. Then I entered the study.

I opened the safe. My mother's jewelry box sat inside, but when I lifted the lid, the velvet interior was empty.

The pearl necklace was gone.

The only keepsake I had left of her.

Cold rage spiked through my blood. I marched downstairs. "Natalie. Who entered the study?"

She fidgeted, avoiding my eyes. "Well, Miss Fox stopped by yesterday. Said she needed to find a book..."

An engine roared outside, cutting her off.

The front door swung open. Andrew strode in, Kate trailing like a shadow. His eyes landed on the suitcase, brow furrowing. "Leah? What is this?"

"Divorce." I slapped the papers onto the coffee table. "Sign it."

Kate stepped forward, concern painted on her face. "Leah, don't be impulsive. I know you're upset about yesterday, and I apologize, but—"

"The necklace." I extended my hand. "Give it back."

She froze, blinking innocently. "What necklace?"

"My mother's pearls. You took them from the safe yesterday."

Andrew turned to his cousin, expression darkening. "Kate? Did you take it?"

"I didn't!" Her eyes welled instantly. "Leah, you can't frame me just because you hate me!"

I didn't waste breath arguing. I pulled out my phone and tapped the screen—a miniature camera I'd installed in the study before the wedding. Paranoia that had finally paid off.

I held up the screen. The video played clearly: Kate slipping into the study, cracking the safe, pocketing the pearls.

Silence. Heavy and suffocating.

Andrew stared at the screen, then slowly turned to Kate. The room dropped ten degrees. "You stole from my wife?"

"I... I just thought it was pretty!" Kate grabbed his arm, panic rising. "I was just borrowing it! Andrew, I'm sorry, I'll give it back!"

He ripped his arm free, disgusted. A vein pulsed at his temple.

He looked at me, voice raspy. "Leah... I didn't know she was capable of this."

"Now you do." I pocketed my phone. "Return the necklace and sign the papers. Today."

I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.

"Leah!"

His voice cracked, desperation bleeding through. "Is there really no room left? None at all?"

I paused, hand on the doorknob. Didn't turn around.

"The moment you chose to protect her over me, you burned that bridge yourself."

Three days after I'd settled back into my apartment, my phone rang.

Quinn Whitney. My childhood friend, the boy next door who'd spent years abroad. Finally back.

"Leah!" His voice burst through the speaker, bright and infectious. "Heard the news—congratulations on the divorce! Come out, let me buy you a drink. We're celebrating your prison break and washing away the bad luck tonight!"