I watched her stagger backward.

Before I could react, a heavy shove came from behind.

Pera was pulled into his arms.Seamus.

His eyes burned with anger and resentment. His former gentleness was gone.

“Shirley!”

His voice was furious.

“What are you doing? Why did you bully Pera?”

“She came to apologize to you, and this is how you treat her?”

His gaze was fixed on me—angry and condemning.

So that's it.

Everything she showed me before was just an act.

A cold smile curled at the corner of my lips.

“She mentioned my father,” I said softly.

“Seamus.”

“Those so-called misunderstandings.” I paused.“Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

He frowned.

For a fleeting moment, fear flashed in his eyes.

“What explanation?” he demanded, his tone sharp, but it seemed more like a bluff.

“Your father didn’t get the donation because of bad luck,” he said quickly, as if reciting a prepared statement.

“He was behind Pera’s father on the transplant list. That’s federal law.”

“So it has nothing to do with Pera.”

Then, without hesitation, he delivered his verdict:

“Shirley. Apologize. Apologize now.”

Before I could respond, Pera had already gripped his shoulders tightly.

“I’m fine,” she said softly, her voice trembling.

“I understand. I understand Shirley.”

“She lost her father…I know she’s devastated.”

Her words sounded generous.

But her eyes betrayed a different story.

Those eyes were filled with a smug sense of victory and blatant defiance.

“Back then, Sam cruelly broke off them engagement,” she added calmly.

“Let me apologize to her today.”

“If she hates me that much,” Pera continued gently, “then let’s cut ties.I don’t want to put you in a difficult position.”

My nails dug deep into my palms until blood seeped out.

I watched them walk away.

Seamus hesitated, glanced back at me, and then said softly:

“Her husband has deep connections in the federal government.

We in the Mafia need political support, so we can’t lose hers.”

If I didn’t know the truth,I might have believed him.

But I already knew the truth, and in that moment I understood with a strange, crushing clarity that it was all over—completely and irrevocably so.

He didn’t come home that night, which didn’t surprise me in the least, because I had already seen Pera’s post on Instagram, praising how considerate Seamus was for staying by her side all night over nothing more than a slight cold.

Just a cold, and yet Seamus had mobilized half the resources of the Mafia and emptied an entire hospital room for her sake, and when I called him at dawn, it was Pera who answered, silent on the other end of the line.

But through the receiver, I heard Seamus instructing his secretary.

“Are you sure you want to change the contract?” the secretary asked cautiously.

“This will be a huge loss. You might even lose your heir status.”

“I know,” Seamus answered without hesitation.

“But it's to compensate Pella.”

“It's all Shirley's fault. She forced it.”

“Add another clause,” he said calmly. “Half of the family’s future profits—transfer to Pera.”

The secretary left without a word.

I stared at the silent screen for a second longer than I should have. I had planned to say goodbye, to make it sound final and civil—but suddenly, there was nothing left to say.

I ended the call.

At one in the morning, I went into the kitchen.

I turned on the gas.I lit the cupboards.I watched the flames slowly engulf the kitchen.

The living room.Everything.

Then I turned—and left without looking back.