Chapter 14
Calliope’s POV
“Who are you?” Thaddeus demanded of the man who had just joined our circle.
I couldn’t help but smirk as I cast a glance at Zephyrine, who stood rigid beside Thaddeus, looking as though she’d seen a ghost.
“Yes, Zephyrine, tell us–who is he? Why the ghostly expression?” I pressed her.
Zephyrine snapped out of her frozen state, clinging to Thaddeus’s hand as if for dear life.
“Get me out of here, please! He’s the one who hurt me, my ex–husband!” Zephyrine cried, her voice quivering in distress.
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I burst into laughter, while Thaddeus’s face grew stormy as he glared at the intruder.
“How dare you show your face here again after all you did to Zephyrine?” Thaddeus rebuked, his voice menacing.
The man scoffed. “How dare I? The last thing I want is to share a room with this snake, but Mrs. Calliope requested my presence, informing me of everything that’s transpired, so I came to save you.”
Zephyrine turned to me, her eyes brimming with suspicion, before redirecting her frantic gaze back to Thaddeus.
“Please, Thaddeus, let’s leave. Don’t believe anything they say,” she pleaded.
“What’s wrong, Zephyrine? Afraid your
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schemes are unraveling?” I queried, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Thaddeus frowned at me. “What is going on, Calliope? How can you invite such a man here after all he’s done to Zephyrine? Do you not possess an ounce of compassion?”
“Mrs. Drake, I refuse to be falsely accused,” the man said, his tone calm yet firm.
I nodded, acknowledging him. “Thank you for coming, Lysander. Did you bring the documents?”
He handed them to me, and Zephyrine visibly trembled beside Thaddeus. I shot a look toward Lucian.
“Darling, do me a favor. Call security so Zephyrine can’t make another escape, I instructed Lucian.
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Lucian, although equally baffled by the unfolding events, nodded and started tapping his phone. “It’s done, my love.”
“Security? Calliope, are you trying to repeat the horrors inflicted on Zephyrine?” Thaddeus questioned, his body protective of Zephyrine.
“Your naivety is laughable, Thaddeus,” I retorted. “It’s precisely this gullibility that made it easy for Zephyrine to ensnare you. If you had cherished and respected me half as much, perhaps she wouldn’t have sunk her claws into you.”
Lysander shook his head sympathetically. “Unfortunately, this happens to the best of us, Mrs. Drake. Zephyrine is adept at her deceit.”
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Chapter 14
+ 5 Points
“And what exactly did she do? I won’t listen to any disparagement against Zephyrine after all she’s been through,” Thaddeus barked defensively.
“Lysander didn’t lift a finger against
Zephyrine; his only fault was uncovering her web of lies, and he survived–that was his mistake, I declared.
Zephyrine turned ghostly pale as realization dawned, gripping Thaddeus and crying out in feigned agony, clutching her stomach.
“Let’s go, Thaddeus! I’m in so much pain!” she wailed.
Thaddeus looked torn, torn between me and Zephyrine, until his determination seemed to firm and he pulled his hand away from her grasp.
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Chapter 14
+
“What the hell is happening right now?” Thaddeus demanded, bewilderment etched across his face.
Zephyrine’s gaze transformed into a vicious glare, one reserved just for me as she lashed out at Thaddeus.
“How dare you, you bastard! After all my father has done for you, this is your repayment?” she seethed.
Thaddeus gaped at her, stunned into silence, clearly witnessing a side of Zephyrine he’d never seen before.
“Calm down, Zephyrine, you’re revealing more than you know and I haven’t even said a word yet,” I chuckled.
“What is going on, Calliope?” Thaddeus asked, apprehension weaving through his
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voice.
I handed him the documents. “These are the case files on Zephyrine. She’s been drugging and seducing wealthy married men, wrecking their homes, and making off with their fortunes. She’s nothing but a scammer, a fraud, and a deceitful menace.”
Thaddeus skimmed the folder’s contents while Zephyrine tipped her chin defiantly, folding her arms across her chest.
“No… This can’t be right,” he murmured, swallowing hard.
“Lysander never abused her. He merely unveiled the truth about her exploits and went to have her arrested. To dodge jail time, Zephyrine resorted to getting pregnant, breaking into a hospital and inseminating herself with a random man’s sperm, then
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hightailing it out of town. The bruises she claimed were from Lysander’s assault were actually from the accident aftermath,” I summarized.
Thaddeus erupted into a joyless laugh, disbelief coloring his features. “No, Calliope. This can’t be true.”
I thrust an envelope into his hands. “Perhaps this will convince you.”
His eyes widened at the naked photos Zephyrine had been sending him.
“No… I would never. I didn’t sleep with Zephyrine, Calliope, you have to believe me. I have no idea what these pictures mean!” Thaddeus exclaimed.
I chuckled softly. “I know you didn’t sleep with her. She staged it, drugging you and
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taking those pictures; I’m sure you wake up with memory lapses now and then.”
Horror etched itself onto Thaddeus’s features as he fixed his gaze on Zephyrine. “Oh my gosh, what have I done?”
Zephyrine suddenly burst into tears. “How could you trust them, Thaddeus? They’re trying to ruin my life, it’s all-”
Her sentence was abruptly halted by a thunderous slap, leaving the room in collective shock.
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