How low will you stoop, Olivia?”
My gaze fell on the painting in question. I saw that black splotches had ruined it, disrupting the harmonious blend of bright, vivid colors.
I stared at Yasmin’s and Simon’s angry faces, annoyance bubbling up within me. “I’ve never seen that painting before. Instead of accusing me of something I didn’t do, why don’t you make better use of your time and check the security footage?”
I was tired after a long day of work, and all I wanted was to break the good news to the family so I could go home.
Yasmin sneered at my suggestion. “Simon and I have bodyguards escorting us wherever we go, and we left the painting at the front desk. You were the only one who went to the counter to settle the bill, so you must have ruined the painting!”
Panic colored my relatives‘ faces as they turned to me and prompted, “Apologize to Yasmin and get this over with, Olive. You were the only one who went out. We’re family. I’m sure she won’t hold this against you.”
“That’s right, Olivia. We’re talking about five million dollars here! How will you afford the damages if Yasmin
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Insists on making you pay? Just say that you’re sorry,”
Yasmin raised her chin and said arrogantly, “Because you’re my cousin, I can let you off for two million dollars, but only if you get on your knees and apologize.”
Simmon set the painting down and hissed through gritted teeth, “Just apologize, and we’ll let this incident slide, Olivia. If not, we’ll see you in court.”
I pinched the space between my brows and countered tiredly, “I told you that I had nothing to do with this. If you don’t believe me, call the cops.”
The commotion in the lounge had the waiters checking in us, but they didn’t have time to pay us any attention. They stood by the door and respectfully greeted the man who had just entered the lounge.
As the voices in the lounge rose to a clamor, I was suddenly pulled into a man’s warm embrace,
“What’s the matter, sweetheart?”
