The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights by Brick Moving Ant

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Chapter 6

Thirty minutes later, Victoria’s “kidnapping” was blowing up across every platform–Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, even making breaking news on local stations.

In the livestream, her face appeared dramatically swollen from staged slaps, tears streaming perfectly as she sobbed: “Daddy! Caspian! Please help me–they’re going to kill me!”

Right on cue, her “kidnapper” made the planned slip, revealing me as the mastermind.

“Valentina Dagonet’s paying us good money for this,” a distorted voice growled, then feigned alarm. “Fuck–you didn’t hear that.”

Victoria seized the moment with remarkable theatricality. “Val, I understand you’re devastated about losing your spot at SAB. I know you resent me, but please–I forgive you! Let me go, not because I’m scared to die, but because I can’t bear to watch you destroy yourself like this!”

Dad joined the emergency livestream, his face twisted with fury as he shouted my name.

“VALENTINA! Release Victoria NOW! This has nothing to do with her–if you want revenge, come

after me instead!”

Caspian jumped in, his voice cracking with emotion: “Val, stop this insanity! What would Mom think seeing you like this? How could she ever rest in peace knowing what you’ve become?”

The hypocrisy was almost comical. They orchestrated my destruction, yet somehow I was the

villain?

Online, #Valentina TheMonster and #JusticeForVictoria were trending nationwide. Self–appointed vigilantes vowed to track my location and “make me pay” for my alleged crimes.

I’d originally planned to handle this quietly.

#1 on every trending list,

the story.

created an anonymous account and uploaded the security footage showing Victoria orchestrating the entire kidnapping plot

world see the truth behind the performance.

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evidence, I powered down my phone, uninterested in the inevitable social media explosion.

Phantom gently placed his hand on mine. “Ne t’inquiète pas, ma chérie. We’re flying you to our clinic in Geneva tonight. The finest orthopedic team in Europe is

accent becoming more pronounced,

washing over

steel–blue eyes softened. “If only Élise were still with us.”

believed horrible lies about my

I had come for

grants second chances, does it?

the window, watching Paris recede as we headed to the private airfield.

family vacation in Monaco and trafficked to Ukraine. Despite growing up in crushing poverty, her brilliant mind earned

Stanford.

finally located her after seventeen

of the Rousseau Group, France’s oldest luxury conglomerate and one of Europe’s most powerful business empires. After losing his

found too late, while another had

exactly what happened between

that after marrying Dad, she severed all ties with her

that her father controlled one of the

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Chapter 6

empires.