"And who are you to tell me that?"
I didn't even know what my voice was—was it screaming, or was it dying? It scraped out of me, raw and broken.
"I never wanted to show you this," Lucian said, his voice low, almost regretful if not for the ice in it. "But you are determined to cling to your delusions. To think him perfect."
"He sold me, but he loved me," I whispered, the last shield I had left.
"Tell that to the video." Lucian didn't raise his voice. He didn't have to. "Alexa, play the video I titled Stupid."
The response was immediate, smooth, and devoid of soul. "Yes, sir."
The AI's voice echoed through the dining room, coming from everywhere and nowhere. My breath hitched, trapped in my throat.
The room dimmed, the remaining light retreating as if in respect—or in shame. One entire wall, which I had thought was polished mahogany, brightened into a vast, stark screen.
A video began to play.
