He really thought that first diamond ring, with all its sparkle and that gorgeous design, would be enough to win over whoever Andrew Lane had set his sights on. But then Andrew came back and asked for a second ring. That threw him. For a second, he wondered if Andrew was seeing two people at once. Turned out, it was for the same woman.

Things had been rough between Johnson and his family these past few years. They'd argued about his girlfriend. He'd promised himself he'd never go back home, and so far, he'd stuck to that. He barely kept in touch with anyone back in his country, and with someone as quiet as Andrew, it was normal for them to go years without saying much at all. They were still friends, but neither of them really knew what was happening in the other's life.

But the years hadn't made things awkward. They still remembered the old days.

A few days ago, Johnson caught a news story about Andrew's divorce and Isabella Austin going to jail. He sent Andrew a quick message to check in. Maybe that jogged Andrew's memory and made him reach out about the ring.

Honestly, the real shock wasn't hearing from Andrew. It was realizing Andrew had found someone new so quickly after the divorce. The timing was so close, Johnson almost laughed.

He couldn't help himself. He texted: [Andrew, can I ask who she is? I'm dying to know. Who's the woman who's got you acting like this?]

Andrew was just then picking up the finished ring from the staff member who'd flown

in to deliver it. He texted back: [Come home and find out.]

Johnson replied with a string of embarrassed, sad emojis: [You know what's going on with my family.]

Andrew: [Your dad's sick.]

It took a minute before Johnson replied: [What's wrong with him?]

Andrew: [Kidney stones.]

Johnson responded with an ellipsis: [Andrew, are you trying to scare me to death? I thought it was something serious.]

Andrew: [Let's not talk about stuff that hasn't happened. I'll send the rest of the payment tomorrow. Keep an eye out for it.]

Johnson: [Alright.]

Meanwhile, Amelia Lane was hiding out in her room. She stood by the floor-to- ceiling window, pulling back the curtain just enough to peek outside. She watched as a car pulled into the yard and Andrew got out.

She quickly let the curtain fall and hurried back to her bed, reaching for her phone. On the screen, she stared at the transfer confirmation page The amount was so big, it made her chest tighten just looking at it. She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and tapped confirm. The money was gone in a flash.

She felt her heart shatter right along with it.

Hugging her phone, Amelia felt completely defeated. She remembered what Andrew had said to her and bit down on her lip, furious and helpless. She didn't dare take it out on him, so she quietly blamed Beatty for telling the truth in the first place.

She closed her eyes, and almost instantly her phone buzzed in her hand. A new message popped up. It was from Isabella Austin's mother. This time, her words were edged with anxiety and impatience, maybe because she'd been waiting so long.

[Amelia, what's happening over there? You haven't told me anything, and I'm starting to get really worried. Please just tell me something My heart's been racing these last few y days. I haven't been able to steep or eat. I'm worried sick.]

Amelia shot up from the bed, holding her phone in both hands as she typed a reply. Her palms still ached from where she'd been hit earlier and every tap sent a little jolt of pain through her hands. She tried totype gently, wincing with each letter.

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