When she returned, she looked at Olivia.
"We're going to handle this properly."
Olivia nodded.
Daniel approached.
"Olivia, please. Can we talk privately?"
She looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because we were together for three years."
"Exactly. Three years."
Daniel lowered his voice.
"I know I made mistakes."
Olivia looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"You didn't make one mistake, Daniel. You made hundreds of decisions. Every time you lied, every time you hid something, every time you made me believe we were building a future together while you were secretly building another life."
He reached for her hand.
She stepped back.
"Don't."
"Olivia..."
"No. You don't get to hold my hand now."
Daniel looked desperate.
"I still care about you."
She shook her head.
"If you cared about me, you would never have put me through this."
Catherine watched quietly.
She did not interrupt.
Her daughter needed to speak for herself.
Olivia took a deep breath.
"Return the money. Correct every false statement you made about my family. And never contact me again unless it's through the proper legal channels."
Daniel looked stunned.
"You would really do that?"
Olivia nodded.
"Yes."
For the first time that afternoon, she looked completely certain.
CHAPTER 9: VANESSA DISCOVERS THE TRUTH
Vanessa had remained silent for several minutes.
She was trying to process everything.
Then she turned toward Daniel.
"Did you tell me you owned the apartment?"
Daniel hesitated.
"I..."
"Did you tell me your company had already secured the investment?"
He looked down.
"Vanessa, I can explain."
"Did you tell me you were financially independent?"
Daniel rubbed his face.
"Things became complicated."
Vanessa laughed.
"Complicated?"
She looked toward Olivia.
"How much money did you give him?"
Olivia answered.
"Enough to help him keep his business alive."
Vanessa turned back.
"And he used it to pay for things he told me he could afford?"
Olivia nodded.
Vanessa's face changed.
She had spent months believing that Daniel was a wealthy businessman.
She had enjoyed expensive dinners and luxurious weekends.
She had imagined a future in which they would attend exclusive events together.