Chapter 73 SHE KNOWS THE CHEATS
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AUTHOR’S POV
The grand hall shimmered under the golden glow of the chandeliers, their light casting elongated shadows across the marble floors.
A soft murmur of conversation and the occasional clink of glasses filled the space, yet beneath the grandeur and the carefully orchestrated celebration, a silent war was unfolding.
Charles extended his hand toward Adeline with a grace that spoke of confidence, of certainty.
His fingers, long and steady, stretched out toward her, a silent invitation. Adeline hesitated only for a fraction of a second before placing her delicate hand in his.
The warmth of his palm met hers, firm and unwavering.
The moment their fingers interlocked, a wave of tension rippled through the room—not from the guests, who continued clapping and cheering—but from the two figures who watched them with barely contained fury.
Luciano stood just beyond them, his gaze a storm brewing on the horizon. His dark eyes locked onto Charles with an intensity that could cut through steel.
His expression, normally composed and indifferent, had darkened into something lethal, something unforgiving.
The muscles in his jaw tightened, and his nostrils flared slightly as he took in the sight before him—the woman he had once sworn to protect, standing beside the man he loathed.
Charles, ever the provocateur, smirked. It wasn’t just a smile; it was a statement.
A taunt.
A reminder that no matter how much Luciano despised him, he had already won.
Adeline could feel the tension rolling off the two men in waves. The air between them felt thick, almost suffocating, as if the very energy in the room had shifted.
But she remained composed, her face betraying none of the turmoil within. Her heart pounded against her ribs, a wild, frantic rhythm that only she could hear.
The applause continued, a deafening roar that seemed to mock the private battle playing out in silence.
The guests saw only a moment of triumph, of rightful heirs reclaiming what was theirs.
They were blind to the war unfolding beneath the surface, to the way every glance, every subtle shift in posture, spoke of unspoken history, of betrayal, of vengeance waiting to be unleashed.
And then, just as the moment threatened to stretch into something unbearable, another figure approached.
Leonardo.
His presence carried a weight of its own, not as overtly dangerous as Luciano’s but insidious in a way that made Adeline’s stomach twist.
His gait was slow, deliberate, his expression carefully composed into something resembling warmth. But she knew better.
Adeline turned her gaze toward him, her stomach tightening at the sight of his familiar, smiling face.
To everyone else, he was the benevolent uncle, the wise and measured voice amidst chaos. But to her, he was something far more repulsive.
She could see the subtle tension in his brow, the tightness at the corners of his lips. He was masking his anger, burying it beneath the well-worn facade of concern.
“Adeline,”
Leonardo said smoothly, tilting his head slightly as if studying her.
“I can’t help but wonder what has come over you.”
His voice was gentle, touched with the perfect amount of concern to make anyone believe he truly cared. But Adeline heard the undercurrent beneath his words. The quiet demand for an answer.
“Why are you doing this?” he pressed, taking a step closer.
Adeline’s fingers tightened around Charles’ ever so slightly, though her expression remained unreadable.
She smiled—small, calculated.
“I’m claiming what should have been Vladimir’s.”
Leonardo’s lips parted slightly, but Adeline continued before he could interrupt.
“He was denied his birthright, forced away while others lived in the luxury his father left behind. I’m simply correcting that injustice,”
she said smoothly, tilting her chin up ever so slightly.
Leonardo’s eyes darkened. He let out a slow breath, his fingers curling at his sides before he forced himself to relax.
“And you think this is the way?”
His voice was lower now, tinged with something harder.
“By aligning yourself with Charles?”
Adeline didn’t blink.
“Are you forgetting who your real family is?”
Leonardo continued, his tone deceptively calm.
“The people who raised you? The ones who stood by you when no one else did?”
Adeline felt something sharp twist in her chest.
Family.
The word felt foreign now, distant.
Leonardo took another step closer.
“Or is it because Charles has manipulated you into thinking this is your fight?”
At that, Charles rolled his eyes.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” he muttered, stepping forward with casual ease. His patience had clearly worn thin.
He moved past Leonardo’s shoulder, his presence effortlessly imposing. He leaned in slightly, his lips barely inches from Leonardo’s ear, and whispered, low and slow,
“She knows.”
Leonardo stilled.
“She knows how you’ve been banging her mother.”
A sharp, almost imperceptible intake of breath.
Leonardo’s body went rigid, his breath caught in his throat. His fingers twitched, his pulse hammering violently against his skin.
For the first time in years, true horror flickered across his face.
His lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
His mind raced, scrambling to process the weight of Charles’ words. His body betrayed him—stiffening, trembling just slightly.
Charles stepped back, watching with unmasked amusement as the man before him struggled to keep his carefully constructed composure from crumbling.
Leonardo’s gaze snapped toward Adeline, his eyes searching hers, desperately seeking an answer.
And there it was.
The quiet confirmation he had dreaded.
She knew.
His chest rose and fell, his breathing uneven. For a moment, he looked like a man teetering on the edge of something dangerous.
His fingers curled into tight fists at his sides, the skin over his knuckles turning white.
Adeline met his gaze, her expression unreadable, but she saw the cracks forming in him. The carefully woven lie he had lived for years was unraveling right before his eyes.
Charles chuckled softly, shaking his head.
“You should be more careful, Leonardo,” he said, his tone almost playful.
“Secrets have a way of surfacing at the worst possible moments.”
Leonardo clenched his jaw, his entire body thrumming with barely restrained fury.
Adeline inhaled slowly, feeling the power shift in the room. For the first time in her life, she felt something close to control.
And it was exhilarating.