Payne was clever

★★★★

"Yelling at me won't change the fact that Dante got into trouble trying to sneak out to meet you," Cindy bared her teeth, her voice laced with venom.

Jasmine's eyes flared with defiance. "You think this is about Dante? I can see right through you, Cindy. You're not concerned about him. You’re more interested in making me feel guilty. But guess what? That's not going to happen. No matter how much you think you can manipulate me, I won’t give you that satisfaction. Now, get out of my house," she demanded, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks. The worst part was the gut-wrenching realization that Dante had been desperate enough to meet her that he’d risked everything.

Cindy's face twisted with rage. "You think you can just send me away with that pathetic display of yours? You’re not going anywhere with this little theatrical performance," she snarled. "As soon as we get our son back, we'll come after you and your family. I will make every effort to drive you out o