He wasn't angry when he heard that. "Valentine, let's stick to the facts. Don't lump me in with Mason Westgate.
Zane Patterson lost, not because of me, and not because of you. It's because he's a coward—always has been, his whole life.
He was in love with you for so long, but he never dared to say it. When I took you to Aethelgard, he didn't dare to fight for you. He just watched the Patterson Family fall apart, refusing to ask anyone for help.
If he'd had the guts to act on even one of those things, things wouldn't have ended up like this."
Annelise Valentine wanted to defend Zane Patterson. "You..."
He cut her off. "What? Am I wrong, Valentine?"
Her chest heaved with rage. "Yes! You've got guts, all right! You forced me, you lied to me, you tricked your way into my bed and into my heart! You'll do anything to get what you want, so what does that make you? Some kind of good person? You're despicable, shameless, and vile!"
