Chapter 2
When Catalina came back to the Naillon’s residence, she ran into Valerie, who was clearly upset. The moment she saw her, Valerie snapped, “Catalina, it’s my wedding day! Where were you? You were supposed to be watching my things!”
Catalina froze for a moment, then replied with a calm voice, “I had to visit the doctor.”
The word “doctor” made Mateo pause for a second. He looked puzzled and asked, “Why were you there?”
Catalina turned away and answered, “Just caught a small cold.”
Right after she spoke, Mateo’s expression turned cold again.
“You’ll need to ignore these little health issues from now on-unless Valerie says otherwise,” he said firmly.
His words sank deep into Catalina, and she quietly nodded, almost robotically.
Valerie folded her arms with a scowl forming on her face.
She said, “Everything went through your hands. Now my wedding ring is missing. How do you plan to fix this, Catalina?”
In truth, Mateo had put the ring on her finger himself. She never gave it to Catalina.
Catalina’s lashes fluttered faintly. “I… didn’t see it.”
Valerie sneered. “I gave you the ring myself. Are you saying I imagined that?”
Catalina was about to defend herself, but Mateo’s cold stare silenced her.
“Hand it over. Don’t hold onto things that aren’t yours. Got it?”
Each word stung like ice. Catalina stood frozen, but she understood the hidden message.
It was like a silent warning. Any love they once shared had ended three years ago.
For a moment, Catalina wanted to laugh. He had been the one to destroy her family. Did he honestly believe she still had feelings for him?
The love once blooming inside her had long turned to dark vines of hatred.
She lifted her head and locked eyes with Mateo. “I told you, I didn’t take it.”
Before she could do anything else, Valerie grabbed her bag and dumped it out. A glimmering diamond ring dropped
onto the floor.
Valerie snatched it up and cried out in shock, “My ring! I’ve been searching everywhere for it, and it turns out it was
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in your bag!”
Her face showed both anger and sadness as she leaned into Mateo’s arms.
“Mateo, look! She’s even resorted to stealing from me…”
Catalina narrowed her eyes. How could she have taken a ring she didn’t even recognize?
“I didn’t steal anything,” she said firmly.
Mateo’s face darkened further. He was already used to how stubborn Catalina could be.
He grabbed the ring from Valerie’s hand and gently said to her, “This one’s been touched by filthy hands. Give it to me. Don’t worry, I’ll buy you a brand-new one.”
Catalina stood there, frozen, as Mateo held up the ring toward her.
“You like it?” he asked, voice cool.
“Then it’s yours.
11
She didn’t respond-still in shock-when the housekeeper brought a blowtorch from the kitchen.
The ring was placed on the floor and quickly heated until it glowed red-hot. Mateo slipped on protective gloves, a soft chuckle playing on his lips.
“Don’t you like it? Let me personally put it on for you.”
“I said no, I don’t want that thing!”
No matter how hard Catalina tried to avoid it, Mateo kept pressing the heated ring onto her finger.
Her hands eventually turned red from the heat, and the bleeding from her burned skin quickly stained the ring with blood.
Even though it hurt badly, she managed to hold back her screams.
She knew Mateo enjoyed watching her break down and beg, but she wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
When her legs went weak from the pain and her eyes filled with tears, Mateo let out a low laugh.
He said, “Just a little warning. Next time, do better and treat Valerie right, you might get something good in return.”
She had gotten used to being humiliated by him. But this time, he was doing it for another woman, and that made her heart ache.
