Chapter 3 - The Falling Ring
Victoria’s breath caught in her throat. She took a step back, her sharp heels clicking against the marble as the color drained completely from her flawless face. Her hands began to tremble against her bridal bouquet.
"Adrian... listen to me," Victoria lied smoothly, her brain working at lightspeed to spin a new story. "That... that's impossible. Someone must have stolen that necklace from Eleanor’s personal belongings after the crash! You know how many opportunists tried to profit off your family's tragedy!"
Adrian stood up slowly. His tall frame towered over Victoria, his dark eyes filled with an icy, lethal fury that made the guests in the front row back away in silence.
He didn't scream. He didn't raise his voice. Instead, he looked at Victoria as if she were a total stranger—a parasite that had wormed its way into his life while he was drowning in grief.
"Eleanor never took this necklace off," Adrian said, his voice a low, raspy growl. "Not when she slept. Not when she bathed. And certainly not on the day she disappeared."
He reached down to his left hand. With deliberate, agonizing slowness, Adrian unclasped his heavy platinum wedding band.
Victoria gasped, reaching out her hands in utter terror. "Adrian, no! Think about the merger! Think about your reputation! You can't ruin us over a fake photograph!"
Adrian opened his fingers. The heavy ring fell through the air, hitting the marble floor with a sharp, echoing metallic clatter before rolling right to the hem of Victoria’s bridal gown.
"The wedding is over," Adrian declared, his tone cold, absolute, and unshakeable.
The entire ballroom broke into chaos. Reporters began snapping photos, flashbulbs exploding like lightning across the hall. Guests stood up, shouting and whispering in disbelief.
Then, Clara stepped forward again. She reached small, cold fingers into the soft layers of Baby Mia’s blanket. When her hand emerged, she was holding out a small, rusted metal key.
Clara looked up at Adrian with big, unblinking eyes.
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"Mom isn't dead, Daddy..." Clara whispered softly, her words piercing through the chaotic noise of the room. "Victoria is keeping her locked in the basement."
👉 Where is Eleanor being held, and how did Victoria manage to keep a living woman hidden for six agonizing years?
