Chapter 15
Calliope’s POV
Zephyrine clutched her cheeks, wincing in pain, as she glared at Thaddeus, the blood trailing from her lip. A sly smile played on my lips as I watched her.
“How does that feel?” I asked, my voice tinged with mockery.
Zephyrine was livid. “You fucking bitch!”
She was met with another sharp slap, causing her to lose her balance and collapse to the floor, crying out in agony.
“You lying bitch! I should strangle you,” Thaddeus shouted, his voice cracked with desperation. “Don’t you ever speak to her like
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that again. All this time, believing your lies- I’m such a fool”
Suddenly, Thaddeus broke down, tears streaming. For a fleeting moment, I felt a twinge of sympathy for him, before it ebbed away, leaving only pity.
He had let Zephyrine manipulate him beyond redemption. We all stood awkwardly as Thaddeus sobbed–a grown man brought to tears was a rare sight.
Reluctantly, Lysander patted his back. “It’s alright, man. At least now you know the truth.”
Thinking we weren’t paying attention, Zephyrine attempted to flee, only to be captured by the police waiting outside on the balcony.
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“Not running away this time, bitch!” Lysander taunted as the police dragged her away. “Calliope, this isn’t over! I’ll make you pay,” Zephyrine screamed as she was led out.
Lysander turned to me with a smile. “Thank you for helping me find justice.”
I nodded. “You’re welcome.”
He walked away, and Lucian tightened his grip around my waist, whispering in my ear.
“If you’re finished with your tasks tonight, may I suggest we move on to my agenda?” He added a wink.
His words sent butterflies fluttering through my stomach, and I blushed at our closeness. Just then, Thaddeus knelt before me.
“Please, Calliope, forgive me. You’ve made
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your point, revealed the truth. I’m sorry for everything. At least you know now that I never cheated on you. Let’s go back to how things were. I’ll make it up to you,” he pleaded.
I handed him the final envelope. “Open it when you’re alone.”
Thaddeus frowned as he accepted it. “What’s this?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” I replied, gesturing to the security guards.
They entered and escorted a protesting Thaddeus out of the party. With everyone gone, it was just me and Lucian. I let out a deep breath I’d been holding.
It was finally over. I had my revenge, exposed the truth. Now, I could move on and reclaim
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my life and business.
“Are you alright?” Lucian asked, his voice gentle.
I opened my eyes to meet his gaze, finding an unexpected concern in his blue eyes.
“I didn’t invite Lysander,” I told him.
Lucian nodded. “Yeah, I know. You tried to find him but couldn’t, so I took the liberty of inviting him on your behalf.”
Tears welled in my eyes as I looked at Lucian. “Why did you do that? How did you even know I was searching for him?”
Lucian shrugged. “Ever since I heard you were back, I wanted to understand why you hadn’t married me all those years. When you asked me to invite Thaddeus and Zephyrine,
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I figured out your plan. Having Lysander there would solidify the evidence against Zephyrine. Plus, he’d been looking to arrest her for a while.”
“But why help me?” I asked, tears trailing down my cheeks.
“I wanted to show you I was committed to you. This isn’t some scheme to gain an inheritance–it’s proof of my love,” Lucian said earnestly.
“Love?” I frowned. “How can you love me when we just met?”
“Do you think my grandparents‘ arrangement with yours meant nothing? Do you think my parents and I waited all these years because we couldn’t find someone else?” he asked.
Tension gripped me. “What are you saying,
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Lucian?”
“Twenty years ago, you saved my life, Calliope. Do you remember donating blood in the hospital to a little boy before his parents arrived?” Lucian asked.
The question triggered a long–buried memory. I was five, visiting the sick at the hospital when they wheeled in a critically injured ten–year–old boy. His blood type wasn’t available, and I convinced my parents to let me donate.
“You were that boy?” I asked, astonished.
