Chapter 493

Rose’s POV

The air in the small room felt heavy as I showed Celine the ring.

Her eyes widened, then moved with concern.

She took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she reached for the ruby embedded in the ring.

There was fear in her eyes, but I could also feel that she was relieved to have it in her possession again.

“We must give this ruby to the goddess,” Celine said, her voice barely above a whisper. She held the ring carefully, as if it were both a treasure and a curse. “I can’t keep it anymore. The man will come back for it, and I am afraid of what he will do if he finds it with me.”

I frowned, taking a step closer to her. “But you’ve been hiding it all this time, haven’t you? Why give it up now?”

Celine shook her head, her expression tense. “Before, he thought it was lost, but now he knows it exists again. He won’t rest until he gets it back. I can’t risk him coming after me, or worse, after you.”

I swallowed h