Ste''s heart clenched, her eyes brimming with tears.


    "Remington, I..."


    But Remington looked at her as if the mere sight of her was enough to ruin his mood. He turned away, cutting her off, and addressed Margaret instead.


    "Ms. Miller, I suggest you think carefully before you speak. Some consequences are more than you alone can bear."


    His meaning was perfectly clear: Ste held no sway with him. He wasn''t about to grant Margaret any leniency just because Ste pleaded on her behalf. In fact, it almost seemed like Remington was encouraging Margaret to push all the me onto Ste.


    No man who felt even a shred of affection for a woman would react this way.


    Even Margaret, as naive as she sometimes was, realized in that moment that Ste had used herpletely and shamelessly.


    She shoved Ste away with a snarl, her voice shaking with anger. "Ste, drop the act! You''re still trying to trick me? Do you really think I''m that stupid?"


    “If it hadn''t been for you telling me how close you and Mr. Dashiell were—if it hadn''t been for your endless sob stories about all you''d sacrificed for him, how much you loved him—do you think I would''ve gone through all that trouble to help you stir up public outrage?"


    The force of Margaret''s push sent Ste stumbling; she barely caught herself on the edge of the coffee table before she could fall. Her face had gone pale, her expression wounded and innocent as she looked at Margaret.


    "Margaret? How could you say that? I never told you those things, I swear. Remington, you have to believe me-I didn''t. I really didn''t."


    She nced at Remington, shaking her head, her eyes pleading with him to see the truth.


    Remington only watched her with a cold, almost mocking smile.


    Ste knew he didn''t believe her, but she couldn''t just admit to something she hadn''t done.


    "You''re lying!" Margaret cried, desperate for Remington''s trust. "Mr. Dashiell, don''t listen to her-she never said any of that! If Ste hadn''t convinced me, why would I have bothered to go after Lizetta? Ste''s been plotting to be Mrs. Dashiell from the start-she''s the one who told me to do it!"


    Margaret''s voice trembled with urgency, terrified that Remington might take Ste''s side.


    Ste''s voice broke as she tried to protest. "Margaret, you hated Lizetta for standing up for Ynda and clearing her name. You said you''d make Lizetta pay for crossing you, you "


    "That''s a lie!" Margaret snapped


    back, her anger boiling over. "You''re


    the one who told me Mr. Dashiell


    cared about you! You said he was only ever guilty towards Lizetta nothing more. You even imed Mr. Dashiell''s father preferred you, and that both families had already agreed to an engagement."


    “It was you who hinted that if I helped you be Mrs. Dashiell, you''d repay me someday. That''s why I did all this for you! And now that things have gone wrong, you want to back out and leave me with the me? Not a chance!"


    Margaret''s fury burned hot, her cheek still throbbing from the p her father had given her earlier. She wanted Ste to taste some of that pain herself. Storming over, she grabbed Ste and pped her hard across the face.


    Ste let out a piercing scream. Margaret wore long, sharp French tips, and the blow left a red, bleeding scratch down Ste''s cheek.


    Crying now, Ste sobbed, “Fine, fine! You''ve made your mess, but I''m your friend—


    of course I''ll share the me with you. If you say I did it, then it''s all my fault, all right?"


    She shook her head in disbelief, face


    streaked with tears. Turning to


    Remington, she pleaded,


    "Remington if this has caused trouble for you and Lizetta, l''it apologize to her on Margaret''s behalf. Even if Lizettashes out at me, I won''t say a word in protest. Will that be enough?"