Chapter 155 Grand Finale

Chapter 155 Grand Finale

After the family introduction banquet ended, Eleanor officially made her public debut before the media as the heiress of the Mitchell family.

This had been Ryder's suggestion. He said that since Eleanor had already returned, there was no need to keep hiding it. Let everyone know she was part of the Mitchell family—from now on, no one could ever use her identity against her again.

Once the news broke, all of Sovereign City was shaken.

Front pages of major newspapers, trending lists on social media—everywhere you looked, Eleanor's name and photos flooded the headlines.

People were astonished to discover that this real heiress of the Mitchell family wasn't just from a prestigious background—she was a genuine prodigy.

Fashion media named her the year's most commercially valuable young designer. Business Weekly listed her among Sovereign City's thirty most influential young entrepreneurs.

Even the organizing committee of International Fashion Week sent an invitation, asking if she'd be interested in participating in the next season's official showcase.

But by this point, those secrets from the past no longer needed to be deliberately concealed.

TwinView Capital suddenly announced publicly that Eleanor was TwinView Capital's founder and sole shareholder.

This news made everyone gasp.

After all, TwinView Capital was one of the top five venture capital firms in the country. Nearly every company they'd invested in over the years had become an industry leader—their scale far exceeded small firms like Golden Hour.

Overnight, Sovereign City's entire business community had an epiphany: so all these years, behind TwinView Capital's dominance in the marketplace, it had been this young woman at the helm!

Then came Moonlight Lounge.

The restaurant's manager, Henry, posted a long message on social media thanking his boss Eleanor for years of trust and support, and formally revealed her identity as Moonlight Lounge's founder.

The post included photos of recipe manuscripts Eleanor had personally written back in the day—those dishes the culinary world revered as legendary classics.

Overnight, reports about Eleanor were everywhere.

Now, not a single person doubted her identity or capabilities.

And Jack? He was still learning all this from the newspapers.

That morning, as usual, he sat at the dining table with a cigarette dangling from his lips, sipping instant coffee while casually flipping through the day's paper.

The Brown Manor had been seized. They were living now in a rented, run-down apartment—worn furniture, carpet stains that wouldn't wash out. The newspaper was something he'd grabbed from the convenience store downstairs. Free—the owner had given it away.

When he saw that large photo on the front page, the cigarette fell from his mouth onto his pants, nearly burning him enough to make him jump. But he couldn't care about the pain. He just stared at the woman in the photo—wearing a wine-red gown, exuding an extraordinary presence.

It was Eleanor.

So it really was her!

Looked like he and the Brown family were truly finished...

The Martinez family wasn't faring any better.

Ethan had been beaten half to death by his father and kicked out of the Martinez family. Now he spent his days drowning himself in alcohol, telling anyone who'd listen that he regretted abandoning Eleanor.

But what good did his regret do?

Too late.

And the harsher punishments were only just beginning.

Kenna and Conard's case quickly entered trial proceedings. Both confessed fully to conspiring to traffic Eleanor, deliberately injuring Noah and causing his disability, and plotting to kidnap Nova.

The court would hand down its public verdict shortly. Kenna was convicted of child trafficking, aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily harm, and attempted kidnapping. On consolidation of offenses, she received a life sentence. Conard, found guilty as an accomplice, was also sentenced to life imprisonment. Neither would ever qualify for parole or sentence reduction. They would spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

When Kenna heard the verdict from the defendant's seat, she completely broke down. She fell to her knees, sobbing hysterically, calling out Wendy's name over and over.

She asked if she could see her daughter one more time.

But even as the bailiffs dragged her away, Wendy never appeared.

Because Wendy could barely save herself.

She'd been sentenced to seven years for conspiracy to kidnap, attempted kidnapping, and intentional assault.

After entering prison, her mental state took a sharp turn for the worse. She went from a proud heiress to a woman who muttered to herself all day, eyes vacant and hollow.

Sophia was also convicted as an accomplice and sentenced to three years.

Though her sentence was shorter than Wendy's, she'd never be able to hold her head up again after getting out.

All of Sovereign City's social circles knew she'd conspired with a servant to harm an innocent elderly woman. Not a single person would want anything to do with her anymore.

Just as Eleanor had said—everyone had to pay the price for what they'd done.

No exceptions.

On an early autumn morning, Crestview Estates was gently shrouded in a thin layer of mist.

Right now, it was just over two months before the official wedding.

Raymond had deliberately cleared his entire schedule today to bring Eleanor for her wedding dress fitting.

The gown was Eleanor's own design. Like her usual aesthetic, there were no elaborate laces or exaggerated crinolines—only fluid, water-like lines and exceptionally refined fabrics.

The skirt used seven layers of different textured tulle, transitioning from thick to light from the inside out. When she moved, the hem would naturally float up, like rose petals drifting through morning mist.

The waistline was tailored to perfection—accentuating her slender waist without restricting her movement.

The neckline design was even more distinctive. From the front, it was a simple V-neck, but the back featured an extremely delicate cutout line extending from her shoulder blades down to her waist, revealing the graceful curve of her back.

When Eleanor walked out of the fitting room, the entire space fell silent.

Several makeup artists and assistants froze in place, forgetting what they'd been doing.

Eleanor in her wedding dress looked like she'd stepped out of a painting.

She was already stunning without makeup, but now, dressed in this white gown she'd designed with her own hands, she was so breathtaking that no one could look away.

Raymond had been sitting on the sofa, scrolling through emails on his phone. When he heard the sound and looked up, he went completely still.

His fingers remained frozen in their grip on his phone, but his gaze locked onto Eleanor and didn't move for a long time.

"So? What do you think?" Eleanor tilted her head slightly toward him, mischief dancing in her eyes along with a hint of barely noticeable nervousness.

Raymond set down his phone and stood up.

He walked over to Eleanor, looked her up and down several times, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

Then suddenly he turned around and strode toward the door.

Eleanor froze. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going outside to cool off." Raymond's voice sounded muffled, though his footsteps didn't stop. "If I stay in here any longer, I'm afraid I won't be able to resist taking you away right now. We won't need to wait for the wedding."

Eleanor was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.

She stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him back. "Alright, stop it. Cool off from what? If we leave now, my teacher will be the first to disagree. He said he absolutely has to be the one to officiate my wedding. If you dare take me away before that, he'll chase you down three blocks with his cane."

Raymond stopped and turned around, looking down at Eleanor.

Sunlight filtered through gaps in the sheer curtains, falling onto her white gown and enveloping her entire figure in a soft, warm glow.

He suddenly reached out and gently pulled her into his embrace, his voice impossibly tender.

"Then we'll wait two more months. On the wedding day, the whole world will know you're mine anyway."

Eleanor leaned against him, the corners of her lips curving upward involuntarily.

"I'm not planning to leave you anyway!"

Two months later, the wedding took place as scheduled.

The venue was the newly developed rose garden in the backyard of Crestview Estates.

This garden had been personally overseen by Serenity during its renovation. She'd said her daughter should hold her wedding at home—they couldn't let outsiders take advantage.

So the entire backyard had been redesigned, with tens of thousands of roses of different varieties transplanted—like something out of a fairytale.

The wedding wasn't large—only the closest friends and family were invited, fewer than fifty people total.

But even though there were only fifty guests, every single one genuinely wished them well.

When Eleanor emerged from the main building in her pristine white wedding gown, everyone fell silent.

She walked arm-in-arm with Ryder, step by step along the pebble path covered in flower petals, toward the man in the black tuxedo waiting nervously for her beneath the arch.

Sunlight filtered through gaps between rose petals, casting dappled shadows of light across her.

When Ryder handed her over to Raymond, his voice was hoarse. "Mr. Carter, my daughter—I'm entrusting her to you from now on. She's suffered too much since childhood. From this day forward, please take good care of her."

Raymond took Eleanor's hands in both of his and bowed solemnly to Ryder. "Dad, please rest assured. For the rest of my life, I won't let her suffer any grievance."

As Joseph began to speak, the two solemnly exchanged their vows.

For this lifetime, they would never leave each other.

Eleanor lifted her eyes and met Raymond's deep gaze head-on.

Those usually cold eyes now reflected only her image.

"Mr. Carter, please take care of me from now on." She curved her lips into a smile.

Raymond smiled too. "Mrs. Carter, likewise."

He lifted her veil, lowered his head, and kissed her lips.

Rose petals were swept up by the wind, fluttering down onto them—heaven and earth blessing them together...

And their new life together was only just beginning.