Chapter 87

• The worst wasn’t the betrayal. No, that was just the beginning. The real sting came later, when I learned just how far the Warren family would go to claim what they felt was rightfully theirs and how much they were willing to manipulate just to take everything from me.
• It wasn’t just the emotional toll or the way Ethan had used his new status to turn his back on me. No, it was when they tried to seize my dowry, accusing me of being "disrespectful" and "jealous" for refusing to accept his new engagement. They turned the tables, making it seem like I was the problem. And the audacity to use that as grounds for divorce it was infuriating. But the real kicker was the way the system worked in their favor. I never expected it, but the courts sided with me. They posthumously granted my father the title of duke, which gave me the legal leverage I needed to walk away with my dowry, completely unscathed.
• Rafael’s expression darkened with disbelief. "They did that to you, and you still walked away with everything?" he asked, his voice tinged with anger.