Ivy could endure all the pain by herself, but she could not bring herself to terms with Aurum's kindness. There might have been a future between them, but it felt impossible given what had happened. She fantasized that perhaps Aurum's regretful gaze stemmed from his belief that she was no longer pure.

Ivy took a deep breath. "I don't blame you or Gale. I only hate the person behind all this manipulation, and even more... Paul!"

Paul was clearly sober, yet he claimed she had seduced him, unable to resist. Was that not just an excuse he came up with? He could have called the police, left, or taken her to the hospital. There were so many options, yet he chose to have sex with her.

"It's already happened. We can't change it; we can only accept reality. Ivy, I hope we can still be friends. I don't look down on you. You're a victim, and I will find out the truth and help you get justice. I'll handle Paul. You can ignore him; just focus on playing your role."

He lifted his hand, gently re