I let out a cold laugh and tossed a bill onto the table. "You two really are a match made in the gutter. I'm here for one thing today. Compensation."

"Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars!" Cindy shrieked. "Debbie, have you lost your mind? What suit costs two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?"

I raised an eyebrow and looked at Brendan.

"Why don't you ask your precious Brendan? On top of the suit itself, factor in the time I've lost and the rush fees for a replacement. Then tell me whether that number is unreasonable."

Cindy turned to Brendan, eyes pleading, desperate for him to call my bluff. Instead, he gave a small nod. "That price is about right."

Her breath hitched. "But I don't have that kind of money! And I was only going to borrow it for a few days. Isn't she being a little too calculating?"

"Cindy, don't worry about it. Consider this suit her apology gift to you. We're not paying a cent."

"But Brendan, if you keep taking my side like this, she's only going to get angrier." Cindy leaned against his shoulder, practically preening. "I'm afraid she'll make things difficult for you."

"Don't worry about that."

Brendan was dismissive, a thread of arrogance running through his voice. "We're husband and wife. What's hers is mine. If I say it's yours, no one can stop me."

"Then I hope you'll both say that to the police when they get here."

I held up my phone and gave it a little shake. The screen glowed with an active call, and the number on it was 911.

"You—" Brendan rushed over in a panic, snatched my phone, and hurled it to the ground. It shattered into pieces on impact. "Debbie, do you really have to be this ruthless?"

That phone was the matching couple's set he'd given me at the start of the year, covered in crystal charms. He'd told me our love would outlast every diamond on it.

"All I know is that someone stole a suit I paid a fortune for. Either replace it with a brand-new one, or pay up."

Even though I already knew where Brendan's loyalties lay, watching him panic on Cindy's behalf still sent a sharp ache through my chest.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and kept my voice cold. "Cindy, are you going to hand it over willingly, or would you rather I take you to court?"

"Enough."

Brendan stood up, his expression dark. "I'll pay for her."