Sylvia shouted after her, but Melanie didn't so much as glance back. Sylvia turned to me, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, Valentine. I caused all this trouble. It's my fault."

"Maybe you should just send me back to the hospital."

Melanie paused mid-step. Through gritted teeth, she muttered under her breath, "Conniving little fox."

"You barely escaped that place. You're not going back." I steadied my voice. "Stay here. This is your home now."

I gave Sylvia's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "As long as I'm here, nobody's going to push you around."

The words had barely left my mouth

when Melanie let out a sharp scoff and walked out without looking back.

I didn't go after her. Once we finished eating, I took Sylvia to the mall to buy some clothes.

That was when I spotted Melanie and Boyd in a luxury watch store.

Melanie was holding a watch, fastening it around Boyd's wrist.

Their eyes locked, lingering with an intimacy so thick it was almost tangible.

I recognized that watch. Around fifteen thousand dollars, a model I'd been eyeing for a long time.

But whenever I brought it up, Melanie always said the same thing: "A watch just tells time. Why waste that kind of money? We should be saving for our future kids."

And now here she was, buying it for Boyd.

She'd been covering his medical bills for the past six months, too.

"Should we go say hi?"

Sylvia whispered.

"No need."

I waved her off and pulled her into the clothing store across the way.

Sylvia had barely changed into a dress she'd picked out when Melanie came storming in.

"Valentine, what the hell do you think you're doing? You're actually spending money on her?"

I'd only just turned around.

Sylvia rushed to speak first. "Melanie, please don't be upset. I'm keeping track of every dollar. I'll pay Valentine back once I get a job."

"Shut your mouth, you scheming little tramp!"

Melanie's eyes went wide, and her hand shot up to slap Sylvia across the face.

But I was faster. I caught her wrist before the blow could land.

"You... you're actually siding with an outsider?"

That only made her angrier.

"Don't you side with Boyd every single day?"

My voice was level.

"That's... that's different!"

Melanie clenched her jaw. "Boyd and I have a pure friendship. Whatever's going on between you two is something else entirely."

Boyd chimed in right on cue. "Come on, man. What you're doing here is really out of line."

Out of line?