"I'm not joking!" Christian barked. "You've humiliated both our families! Esteban de la Vega is threatening a lawsuit, the investors are panicking, and every headline out there has your name in flames. You think this is just about a dress?"
Ruby crossed her arms, defiant. "It was just a dress! A dress that should have been mine. I paid for it—"
"You stole the design!" Christian cut in, slamming his palm against the table so hard that a glass trembled and toppled over, spilling wine across the polished surface. The crimson liquid spread slowly, like blood under candlelight.
Ruby froze, her breath catching for a second before she whispered, "I didn't steal it. I borrowed inspiration."
Christian stared at her, disbelief clouding his eyes. "Borrowed inspiration?" His voice was low now, colder. "That's your excuse?"
