A Vow of Deception, A Vow of Revenge novel Chapter 96

At that moment, Jonah felt as though even breathing was almost impossible.

It took all his strength just to find his voice again. "No... It's not your fault. It's me. I shouldn't have let you misunderstand without explaining. Worse, I let you believe something I knew wasn't true."

His heart felt as if it had been wrapped in thorny vines, each movement drawing fresh blood.

"But Miss Thorne," he said bitterly, "not everything I told you tonight was a lie."

Winona's reply was soft. "Thank you, but it doesn't matter anymore."

With that, she ended the call.

Jonah stared at his phone as the screen faded to black, pain etched deep in his eyes.

Just moments ago, he'd been eagerly anticipating their date tomorrow, even picturing her coming to his art show in a few weeks.

But now he remembered—none of it had ever really belonged to him. He'd stolen these moments, and stolen things never last.

After Winona hung up, the pale glow of her phone reflected off her face.

Warm light spilled from the living room lamp, softly illuminating the woolen sofa cushions, but it did nothing to chase the cold from her fingertips.

Her real fiancé was Elvis.

His name echoed in her mind, along with the memory of him leaving in a rush last night, and her grandmother's urgent warning to "keep things discreet."

"Nona?" Jane Warner, seeing her frozen in place, gently tugged her hand. "Don't worry too much about Elvis. He's the Rogers family's heir. The Rogers family would never let anything happen to him."

Winona nodded, but something twisted inside her chest.

The unease was strange. After all, Elvis had only left the country on urgent business.

She tried to reassure herself—maybe it was just a deal to settle somewhere abroad. The Rogers family had businesses all over the world.

Back in her bedroom, Winona pulled out her phone, wanting badly to contact Elvis, but she hesitated, afraid of disturbing him. In the end, she set the phone aside.

He spoke again, and there was a subtle note of comfort in his tone. "Just a minor issue. I'll be back as soon as it's handled."

He hadn't finished speaking when, suddenly, a scream sounded through the line. Winona's heart jolted. "What's happening there?"

"It's nothing," Elvis replied, still calm. "Just a pig."

Winona: "…?"

Was he serious? That answer was almost ridiculous.

"I have to go now—something urgent has come up," Elvis said. "But Miss Thorne, it's been good to hear your voice."

Outside, the moonlight seemed to grow even brighter, illuminating the new clarity in Winona's eyes.

"Mr. Rogers, I'm glad you called," she said softly. "I'll… wait for you to come back safe."