Chapter 111
Norah’s POV
It was a face split into two different worlds.
Finished
The right side, though lined with wrinkles, was still breathtaking. A ghost of the legendary. beauty she once was.
The left side was a nightmare. A mess of twisted, angry scars. Ugly. Hard to even look at without flinching.
“Kathy…” Eleanor’s scream ripped through the air. She crumbled to the floor, a heap of shaking terror. Like she’d seen a demon clawing its way out of hell. “No! You’re not her! She’s dead! You’re a fake!”
“Obviously, I’m not dead.” Kathy’s voice was cold steel. She took a slow, deliberate step forward. Moving toward the woman who ruined her life. “Your men did their job. They chased me off that cliff. I hit the icy water. But they didn’t plan on Mr. Veyron’s fleet. Amélie’s father. His ships were right there.”
Amélie stood up from the crowd. “My father saved her. But her face… it was too late. All these years, she’s been in our private sanatorium. Healing. And gathering proof. Proof of everything you did.”
“Proof?” Eleanor’s laugh was shrill, unhinged. “What proof? That pathetic diary? The ravings of a scarred lunatic? No one will believe you!”
“You think you’ve won?” Lucien’s voice cut like a knife.
He pulled a tiny camera from his suit pocket. A cruel smile touched his lips. “Mother, I recorded your little gift. Every second of it.”
The giant screen in the opera house glowed to life.
It showed the study in the old Constantine mansion. The view was from Lucien’s chest.
There was Eleanor. She hurled the heavy brass clock at the old man. Then she spun and threw herself against the bookshelf. A piercing scream tore from her throat. A perfect performance. A flawless frame–up.
[…I’ll use your mother’s favorite thing to send you off.]
[Someone! Help! Lucien killed someone!]
A perfect lie.
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Chapter 111
Finished
“The clock had my prints because I picked it up. But yours…” The video of Eleanor’s hands. Covered in thin silk gloves. “…you were careful.”
A wave of gasps swept the room. “This is…” Murmurs exploded.
“It was a setup!”
“My God, she’s a monster!”
Cops and security swarmed Eleanor.
“No! Get off me! You can’t do this!” She fought like a wild animal. “I am Madame Constantine! How dare you?!”
No one listened.
When Inspector Delacour snapped the cuffs on her wrists, it was over. Years of lies, finished.
Damian watched, pale. His mother dragged away. His father, a stranger on stage. He slumped in his wheelchair. A broken, despairing sound escaped him.
The guests left, buzzing with shock and gossip.
I watched Lucien stand close to his mother. A loving son. Amélie went to Kathy’s side, offering support.
The three of them together. A family.
A sharp, sour pain twisted in my chest.
Over.
Finally over.
I let out a long breath. Turned to leave. To give them space.
“Norah.” Lucien’s voice stopped me.
He left his mother’s side. Crossed the room to me fast. His face was alight. Joy. Relief.
He reached for me. Tried to pull me into his arms.
I stepped back. Instinct.
His hand hung in the air between us. Frozen.
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Chapter 111
“What’s wrong?” Confusion clouded his eyes.
83
Finished
uct. You knew
“You knew.” My voice was flat. Calm. “You knew she’d make her move at t she’d frame you. The wanted status. The running. It was all an act. And you didn’t tell me. Not a word.”
“Norah, I…” He started.
“To save you,” I cut him off, the hurt bubbling up. “To get the evidence to clear your name, I went to Mateo. I agreed to be his fake fiancée.” My voice cracked. “I thought you were in real danger. I thought you were alone. I risked everything for you. I sold myself.”
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