But even as she tried to convince herself, Anna knew something had fundamentally changed within her. The allure of the ring had dimmed, eclipsed by an overwhelming sense of guilt and unease. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had been warned, that she had crossed into territory where she did not belong. The thrill of her secret venture had transformed into a chilling reminder of the moral boundaries she had breached.

In that moment, Anna made a decision. She would abandon this path, return whatever she had taken, and put an end to this cycle of theft. Her dreams of luxury and travel would have to be achieved through honest means, however long that might take.