"There's nothing else," the man muttered, turning his face away. Liam didn't hesitate. His fist connected with the man's jaw in a brutal punch. The man gasped, doubling over. "Man, I was broke, okay?" he wheezed. "I'm a delivery driver. I was on a job that day.
I—I took something from her."
My blood turned cold. "What?"
"It was a necklace," he admitted.
I clenched my jaw. "Where is it?"
"I sold it," he mumbled.
Rage flooded me. "You couldn't help me, but you could rob me?"
"I thought you were dead!" he argued.
" I was scared of being accused of something I didn't do!"
I took a step closer. "What else did you take from me?"
"Nothing! I swear! Just the necklace. You had a bracelet too, but it looked old, so I left it. I only took the chain. It was pure diamond, man, I was tempted, and I needed the money...
I glared at him, fists trembling. "You stole from a dying woman. And you think 'I was tempted' is a fucking excuse?"
His silence was answer enough.
I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. Rage burned through me, white-hot and uncontrollable. This man-this coward
had stolen from me while I was bleeding out, left me for dead, and now had the audacity to act like he was the victim.
Liam must have sensed that I was about to lunge at him again because his hand clamped down on my arm, holding me back. "Where did you sell it?" Liam asked, his voice eerily calm.
The man hesitated, shifting uncomfortably. "A pawn shop... in Rivertown."
Rivertown. That was at least two hours away.
"Which one?" Liam pressed.
"I—I don't know the name," he stammered. "But it's near the old train station, just a few blocks down from the liquor store."
I exhaled sharply, trying to keep my anger in check. If my necklace was truly valuable, there was a chance it was still there. Or at least, I could track where it ended up. "You're going to take us there," I said, my voice dangerously
low.
The man scoffed. "Lady, I don't owe you shit.."
Liam drove his fist into his stomach. The man choked on his next breath, folding over as he groaned in pain.
Liam leaned in close, voice low, dangerous. "Wrong answer."
He coughed, clutching his stomach. "You won't find him," he muttered.
"Why?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.
"Because he's gone," he spat. "That bastard scammed me. The diamond was worth way more than what he told me. I basically handed him a fortune on a silver platter."
I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean?"
His jaw clenched. "The diamond on that necklace—it was a Pink Star. Do you even know what that is? A once-in-a-lifetime gem. And I threw it straight into that bastard's hands."
My breath hitched. A Pink Star?
He let out a bitter laugh. "I only found out the truth when my friend got back from a trip. We were catching up, talking about his travels, and he mentioned seeing a Pink Star diamond being sold at an auction—for $82.2 million." His eyes burned with fury. "He even showed me a picture. And guess who was at the event? That bastard. The same old pawn shop owner I sold it to. But this time, he wasn't just some low-level dealer—he was the seller. He walked away with $82.2 million after paying me a measly eight grand."
My stomach twisted.
"I was humiliated," he continued. "I couldn't even tell my friend what happened. I went back to that shop, ready to get my revenge, but it was too late. He was gone. Vanished without a trace."
Liam and I exchanged a look. My pulse
pounded in my ears. "A Pink Star?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah," the man groaned, still clutching his stomach. "A rare gem-once in a lifetime kind of thing. And I practically handed it over for nothing." His laugh was bitter, full of regret.
"That bastard scammed me. Eight thousand dollars. Eight thousand for a diamond worth eighty-two million. Do you know what that means?" His voice rose with anger. "I gave away a damn fortune and didn't even know it!"
Liam's jaw tightened. "It wasn't your fortune to begin with, so stop acting like a victim. You're a thief. You stole it from her." The man scowled but said nothing. Liam stepped forward. "Who was he?"
The man shook his head. "I don't know his real name. Just some old pawn shop owner. Thought he was just another sleazy dealer. Turns out he was a goddamn criminal mastermind. By the time I realized the truth, he was gone. Vanished. The shop was emptied out, not a trace left behind."
I felt like the ground had been ripped from under me. That necklace-my necklace-was worth millions? And I had no memory of it? No idea why I had something so rare?
"What did it look like?" I demanded.
"I told you, it was thin, gold, with a small pendant. But that pendant? The Pink Star. Big, flawless. You could see your damn reflection in it." He exhaled sharply. "It wasn't just expensive. It was the kind of thing only royalty, billionaires, or collectors own. That's why I knew I screwed up. Someone like me? We don't get near things like that unless we're stealing them."
A sick feeling twisted in my stomach. If had owned something that valuable, who the hell had I been before all this?
How did I end up with a diamond worth millions? He'd said I was coiled up like I was hiding from someone. What if everything that happened to me was because of that diamond?
What if I stole it too? What if I was a thief, just like him?
"You're still going to take us there," Liam said
"I told you, he's gone. He left no trace."
"Then we find a trace," Liam said coldly. "No one just disappears after pulling something like that."
The man let out a dry laugh. "Good luck. I spent months trying. That bastard covered his tracks well."
Liam looked at me. "What do you want to do?"
What do I want to do?