Debra ripped off the fragile veil of Melody''s pretense.


    Melody fell silent, and Hester was enraged.


    *Is what she said true? You did all of this? You knew from the start that the person who entered my room wasn''t Juan. You set me up," she shouted.


    Melody responded only with cold impatience, "Youck skills and have only yourself to me."


    The words pierced Hester''s heart like a knife. She had trusted Melody, believing that winning Juan''s affection would eventually lead to a future by his side. But now, it has be clear. Melody had seen her as nothing more than a pawn, discarding her when she was no longer useful.


    "It''s all because of you!"


    In a surge of fury, Hester lunged forward. Melody took a fearful step back, her usualposure slipping. Hester had the knife at Melody''s throat, trembling with the intensity of her emotions. For the first time, genuine fear flickered across Melody''s face. "What do you think you''re doing? Have you lost your mind?"


    "Yes. I have lost my mind. You drove me to this."


    Hester''s face was twisted with anger and desperation. Stripped of her chastity, she hade here looking for answers, only to be met with insults.


    Her family might not be as powerful as the Nichols family, but she had still been a pampered heiress, unustomed to such humiliation.


    She had always been sweet-natured, but Melody had exploited her weaknesses, never treating her as anything more than a disposable tool. "Hester, put the knife down."


    Juan''s voice cut through the tense air like amand, but to Hester, it soundedughable.


    She had loved Juan from the moment she firstid eyes on him. When Melody approached her with the prospect of bing Juan''s wife, she had been overjoyed, envisioning a future where she stood by his side.


    But she had been a fool to think Juan would ever love her. Once, she would have treated Juan''s every word as gospel. But now, all she wanted was to feel the bitter satisfaction of revenge.


    "Melody and you humiliated me. You allowed some stranger to take away my chastity while I foolishly believed I could marry you. Do you feel aplished, using people like pawns in your sick game? Do you think you can just do that because your family is powerful?" She pointed the knife more deliberately at Melody, inching closer. Debra saw a reflection of her past self in Hester''s anger and despair.


    "You think you can hurt anyone here? Don''t be foolish, Debra chimed in. "Think about your family and your future. Think about the consequences of what you''re about to do. Do you really have it in you to go


    through with this?"


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    Hester''s hand wavered. Debra continued, "If what you want is justice, I believe Melody can give you that. She may not be able to restore your chastity, but she can certainly give you money."