The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights by Brick Moving Ant

Chapter 20

“Really? Then explain why you were living at Navier’s Lakeside Villa during that whole month–long divorce waiting period.”

Lysander hurled his phone into Celeste’s lap. On screen was the damning investigation report about

her.

“If I hadn’t dug deeper, I’d still be in the dark.”

“You and Navier coordinated quite brilliantly. This whole Ophelia impersonation act–you were betting I’d go soft over that face of yours, weren’t you?”

He gripped Celeste’s throat violently, his mind a chaotic whirlwind of conflicting emotions, acting purely on instinct.

Though tears involuntarily sprang from her eyes from the pain, Celeste remained remarkably composed. Instead of panic, she displayed her first genuine smile in days.

“Of course, you were supposed to fall for it. You love Ophelia, don’t you? I played my role perfectly. Why still chase after Navier? I can be your Ophelia–I’ll play that role for the rest of your life if that’s what you want.”

“Navier doesn’t love you anymore. She’s finally started a new chapter. Stop disrupting her life, Lysander.”

She said his name in Ophelia’s exact intonation.

Lysander reflexively loosened his grip on her throat, disgust churning inside him.

seeing the red marks forming on her neck, he

now on, just be Ophelia’s stand–in. I won’t love you, and I definitely won’t marry

turned away

she owed

against the security team,

Bride of

24.8

harm her,

she made a

was

had already lifted

pursue him now,

to a distant speck. Silently, she

motionless for a long, she finally

Lysander gone, she needed to accelerate her plans.

had been searching for three days. He’d walked the Bond Street from the photo

like searching for a needle

across the streets

see Navier, demand answers and bring her back to America!

he searched, the more elusive she remained.

about to give up, convinced she’d left England, he spotted them on that same familiar boulevard: Navier and a foreign man