I had to hand it to her. How could a woman cling to me so shamelessly? Did she have no self-respect?


    Wasn''t she once voted "the richest beauty" somewhere? Why was she so insistent on pursuing me?


    I had thrown unkind words her way and done everything I could to make her feel unwee. Yet, nothing seemed to deter her. I was the one who felt exhausted.


    "Do whatever you want."


    I couldn''t be bothered to give her the time of day. I would only do what I needed


    to.


    She trailed behind me, beaming as if she''d won some kind of victory.


    When I entered the library and found the book, I tried to tune everything else out, focusing entirely on my research into the family. Crystal sat beside me, silent, pretending to read.


    If it weren''t for the way her eyes slid toward me every time I moved, I might have thought she was genuinely interested in the book in her hands. Even though she sat quietly, her natural beauty drew the attention of others in the library. Many sneaked nces at her, which made me feel ufortable.


    After failing to uncover any useful clues about the family, I left the library. As expected, Crystal followed close behind me.


    I couldn''t help but joke, "Have you be my follower now?"


    "That doesn''t sound like a bad idea," she replied with a cheeky grin.


    "As long as it makes you happy, I guess."


    My phone buzzed. Victor was calling to tell me that Roxanne wanted to see me.


    I knew why she wanted to meet-it was probably to beg for mercy, hoping I''d pull some strings to reduce her sentence. But that was impossible.


    Still, a nagging thought lingered-what if she knew something about Felicia? Reluctantly, I decided to visit her in prison.


    When I saw Roxanne, she looked entirely different. Her once carefully styled hair was now cropped short, and she wore the standard prison uniform.


    Gone was the pride and vanity she disyed at thepany. Her face looked haggard and weary. It was clear she hadn''t been doing well.


    It wasn''t hard to guess why.


    Once upon a time, Roxanne had a bright future. Even if she couldn''t be the star of the show, she could have been a luxury brand ambassador, a minor celebrity living afortable life. If she had yed her cards right, she could''ve flirted her way into a wealthy marriage, buried under gifts and enjoying a life far better than most women.


    But now, her best years would be wasted behind bars. By the time she was released, she''d be middle-aged. Finding a man who wanted her would be nothing short of a miracle.


    "William..."


    The moment Roxanne saw me, tears streamed down her face.


    "I know that whatever I say now is toote."


    Emotionlessly, I replied, "In that case, you don''t have to say anything. No matter how much you beg, I won''t forgive you. However, if you know anything about Felicia that could help me find her, I might consider being a little more lenient."


    Her lips trembled as her eyes darted nervously.


    I knew that look all too well-she was scheming.


    "I''m warning you," I said coldly. "If you dare toe up with fake information, I''ll make sure your sentence is extended to at least 15 years. Try me."


    The n she''d been cooking up fell apart instantly. Roxanne''s face went pale.


    After a moment of silence, she dropped her head. "I don''t know. I don''t know anything."


    "In that case, I''m leaving."


    "Wait!"


    She lunged at the chance, desperate not to let this glimmer of hope slip through her fingers.


    Roxanne red at me, her eyes brimming with frustration.