Called a Gold Digger, I Returned Everything novel · Chapter 7 of 24

Chapter 7: The Apology Dinner

Lucinda opened her door with tears already in her eyes.

"Oh, Susie," she said, and pulled me into a hug that smelled like vanilla and expensive hand soap.

Her penthouse was on the thirty-fourth floor, all glass and cream carpet, with a view of the lake going dark.

She had lit candles and set three places at a round table.

"I made lasagna," she said. "It's my grandmother's, so if it's bad, blame the dead."

Dalton laughed once, stiffly.

I let her take my coat.

"I want to say this before we eat," Lucinda said, and pressed both hands to her chest. "I was wrong. I took the numbers from the accountant's printout and I never questioned them. I thought I was protecting Dal. I didn't think about what it would do to you."

"Where did the printout come from?" I asked.

"The cards, sweetheart. They send a monthly report." She wiped under one eye. "I should have called you privately. I was scared for him, and I handled it like an idiot."

"You handed it out at the dinner," Dalton said.

"I know." She winced. "I know. I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

She sounded so sorry that I almost felt bad for thinking what I was thinking.

I sat down, and she poured wine.

At her throat, on a thin chain, hung a sapphire the size of a thumbnail.

It was a deep blue, set in a ring of small diamonds.

It was beautiful, and I couldn't stop looking at it.

"That's gorgeous," I said. "Is it new?"

Lucinda's hand went up to it, easily.

"This old thing? Dal gave it to me for my birthday three years ago."

← Chapter 6 · All chapters · Chapter 8 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend