Anne stood frozen, her chest rising and falling with shallow, shaky breaths. Tania's words clung to her skin like frost, chilling her to the bone. Her mind reeled. Lies. They had to be lies. And yet—there was something about Tania's tone, her certainty, that made Anne's heart twist with doubt.
"No," Anne whispered, shaking her head.
"You don't believe me?" Tania scoffed, her eyes glinting with wicked amusement. "Go ask Augustine yourself. See what he tells you."
Anne clenched her teeth. She wanted to scream, to cry, but instead, she straightened her back and held her head high.
"I don't care what twisted stories you spin," she said through gritted teeth. "Whether his family accepts us or not, it doesn't matter. I don't need their approval. I and Augustine are enough for each other."
Tania's smile faded for a moment, the venom in her eyes flickering as she realized Anne wasn't breaking the way she had hoped.
