The next second, the door swung open.

Ann stood in the doorway, her silhouette filling the frame.

*Click.*

She flicked on the lights.

The monochrome world of the dark room instantly flooded with color.

The blood drained from Tammie's face, but he still couldn't bring himself to believe

that Ann was the one who had stolen his designs.

*Ann... Ann must have come to clean the study for me! That has to be it!*

He never allowed Lindy to clean his study, so Ann must have seen how overworked he was and decided to come up in the middle of the night to help.

Tammie tried to soothe himself with the thought.

Benedict's expression was icy. "Clean? Tammie, stop lying to yourself. Couldn't she have cleaned during the day? Why in the dead of night? And the timing-right after you finished the design draft!"

Tammie was being far too naive. Thank God for the security footage. Otherwise, without hard evidence, he would never have believed Ann could betray him.

"No—" Tammie's defense of Ann died on his lips as she sat down at his computer and pressed the power button.

She seemed to pause for a moment, likely noticing the password prompt, before typing in a string of numbers.

*Click.*

The computer unlocked.

Ann deftly opened the application, inserted a flash drive, and saved the images. The entire process was seamless, fluid, and she showed no signs of guilt.

The security camera had no blind spots. Pivoting the angle on the monitor, they could clearly see the design files being saved onto her flash drive. Once she was done, she pulled out the drive and headed back downstairs.

Benedict watched this unfold, his face a mask of fury. Though he'd been mentally prepared for this, seeing it with his own eyes still made his blood boil. He turned to Tammie. "Did you see that? That's the Ann you've trusted all this time!"

Tammie's world was collapsing. His entire body began to tremble.

*Why? Why was it Ann?*

He couldn't believe his eyes.

*WHAM!*

Tammie slammed his fist onto the desk. He used so much force that crimson blood immediately seeped from his knuckles.

Pain. It was agonizing.

But he couldn't feel it. The chill in his heart was far more intense than any physical ache. Tears streamed down his face, and he felt as if he couldn't breathe.

Losing all control, Tammie shot up from his chair and stormed downstairs. Benedict followed close behind.

In the first-floor living room, Ann was sitting on the sofa, watching TV as if nothing had happened. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, she turned. "Tammie, where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Tammie didn't answer. He walked silently until he was right in front of her, then grabbed her by the collar, hauling her off the sofa. His eyes were bloodshot, veins popping on his forehead.

Ann was terrified. She had never seen him like this. He was horrifying.

Her voice trembled. "T-Tammie, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? You have the nerve to ask me what's wrong?" he roared. "Why, Ann? Why? Why would you betray me?"

He had trusted her so completely. Even when everyone warned him good, he had stood by her, shielding her from all the gossip.

And this was how she repaid him?

The rage, the guilt-a storm of

emotions threatened to drown him. The thought that he had defended,

this viper

dod

and, in doing so, caused

the death of an innocent woman made him shake with anguish.

was no

*I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Lindy. I'm a monster.*

Tammie's accusation stunned Ann, and her face went deathly pale. What did he mean? Had he found something out?

*No. It can't be. The camera in the study was broken. And I have Lindy to take the fall. What is there to be afraid of?*

Forcing herself to remain calm, she looked at him. "Betray you? What are you talking about, Tammie? I don't understand."

"You don't understand?" A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "You seemed to understand just fine when you were stealing my design files. Have you forgotten already?"

*Stealing the files?*

Ann's eyes widened, and tears instantly welled up. "It wasn't me! I didn't steal

them! Tammie, you're accusing the wrong person!"

"Stop lying! If it wasn't you, then who was it?" He tightened his grip on her collar and threw her violently to the floor.

A sharp pain shot through her entire body; she felt as if her bones might have broken. But she ignored the agony, looking up at him with a face of tear streaked innocence. Tammie What's going on? Lindy was the one who stole the designs. It had nothing to do with me."

Lindy was dead. A dead woman tells no tales. She was the perfect scapegoat.

"Lindy?" The name only fueled his

rage. He stepped forward and pressed his foot down on her You dare bring up her name? Its your fault! You killed her! If it weren't for you, would she have jumped from that building?"