LAURA’S POV
I didn’t flinch when Ivy stepped closer.
She stood just inches from me, her Chanel perfume stinging my nose, her eyes narrowed with icy precision.
“You’ve taken what isn’t yours,” she repeated, as if she were the gatekeeper to Elijah’s soul. “You don’t belong here. You never did.”
The rage that boiled in my chest was slow and steady. I didn’t scream. I didn’t cry. I just stared her down.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said calmly. “You don’t get to erase me.”
A twitch flickered in her lips. “You think that because Elijah kissed you, he loves you? Don’t be naive. He was drunk. Weak. Men like him always regret chasing broken things.”
“I’m not the broken one,” I whispered. “You are.”
That made her falter—just for a second. But it was enough.
“You locked Richard away,” I adde
