It was no wonder my father chose to take the fall.
And there it was–the Ford family, unmistakably among the conspirators.
My entire body trembled with rage, my emotions spiraling as I alternated between tears and bitter laughter. “I knew it. I knew my parents were innocent… Those monsters! I’ll make them pay for this!”
Norman’s fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, the veins on the back of his hands bulging with restrained fury,
“Violet, I swear–no matter the cost, I’ll clear your family’s name.”
I bit down hard on my lip, forcing myself to stay calm.
“They ruined my parents, destroyed their reputation, and even in death, left them to be vilified by the world. Simply sending them to prison won’t be enough for me.”
“What do you want to do?” Norman asked, his dark eyes steady and unwavering. “Whatever it is, I’m with you.
“Let’s get married,” I said suddenly. “I mean, let’s hold a grand, high–profile wedding. ”
He blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before his lips curved into a knowing smile. Violet, I was already planning to give you the most romantic, extravagant wedding imaginable.
“Perfect,” I said with a quiet smile. “Let’s make it a celebration to remember.”
Norman, true to his word, dove into wedding planning the moment we i ned home.
As he liked to say, “The only things I’m good at are loving my wife and spending money.”
And with his wallet as his weapon, our wedding was quickly set into motion, every detail designed to perfection.
Norman and I worked seamlessly, flaunting our relationship and promoting our upcoming wedding on social media. Before long, news of what the world was calling “the wedding of the century” rocketed to the top of the trending topics.
It wasn’t long before Averil and Julian took notice.
Averil was the first to send me a private message, “So what if you’ve latched onto a rich man? Tell me, do you think Mr. Carter would still want you if he knew your true identity? The daughter of murderers.”
I stared at the messages, unbothered, already knowing Julian must have shared my secret with -her.
Surprisingly, I didn’t feel the sting of betrayal.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 28
Instead, I responded calmly, “I’m about to marry Norman Carter. Julian is all yours. What more could you possibly want?”
Her reply was almost instant, “You were a loser, my stepping stone. How dare you marry better than me? Just wait. I’ll make sure you’re utterly ruined!”
I shook my head at her deranged lack of self–control and decided to stop engaging.
But it was as if Averil and Julian had coordinated. The moment her messages stopped, a new one popped up from Julian:
“Violet, I’m giving you one last chance. Come back to me. Otherwise, I’ll clip your wings and keep you grounded in a cage for the rest of your life.”
A cold laugh escaped my lips.
Without hesitation, I sent him a single–word reply, “Scram.
