Page 109 of Knot a Thief

My breath catches.

The last time I saw this exquisite diamond, it was a single stone. Now it’s perched on a platinum band surrounded by smaller stones of exactly the same color, winking in the dim light.

It’s even more beautiful than I remember, and jealousy twists in my gut as I imagine it on another woman’s finger.

Does that mean he found his scented omega?

I smile. He’s not mine. I realize it’s not jealousy furling in my gut, but hurt from being rejected by him.

I lift the jewelry from its velvet cushion, and grip the band in my hand. A triumphant smile spreads over my face, but after all this time, I know it’s not rightfully mine. The ring is beautiful and my heart races as I hold it high, its facets catching the dull light, sending sparkles dancing across the walls.

What the hell am I doing here? I turn to place the ring back in the safe when a floorboard creaks behind me.

I freeze, my breath catching in my throat before I whirl around, and narrow my eyes, praying what I see is just my imagination.

But it’s not.

There, standing in the doorway, is a figure I never expected to see.

Layla.

“Ava,” my sister gasps.

The silence stretches between us, heavy unspoken words and years of separation, rendering us both speechless.

I clutch the ring tightly, my mind racing.

How did she get here?

Why is she in Garrett’s penthouse?

A thousand questions swirl in my head, but all I can manage is a whispered, “Layla?”

Her eyes roam to my hand, then back to my face. There’s something in her expression.

Is it guilt?

I open my mouth to explain why I’m here, and to ask why she’s here, but before I form the words, I hear heavy footsteps approaching. My heart pounds even harder. I know those footsteps.

Garrett.

I realize this night is about to become far more complicated than the revenge I sought.

I should have moved on from what happened. Now I’m trapped in a room with a stolen diamond, a sister I haven’t seen in years, and I’m about to be confronted by the alpha who rejected me.

“What the hell are you doing, Ava?” Garrett’s deep voice booms.

A chill runs through my veins, turning my blood to ice.

Then he whispers to Layla, “Are you okay, princess?”

“Layla?” I whisper, staring at my sister in disbelief.

I look at the pink diamond, its facets catching the dim light as I stare at it, then back at my sister. Layla’s eyes are fixed on the ring, a smile on her face.

“Ava, please,” Layla says softly. “I love Garrett.”

I scoff, my fingers tightening around the ring. “He’s too old for you, Layla.”

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