Revenge amnesia upgraded to his brother novel Chapter 185

Chapter 185

Norah’s POV

43

Finished

The call with Aunt Giulia ended. She didn’t ask for explanations. In that steady, gentle tone I’d always trusted, she simply said, “Norah, do what you must. A daughter of the Hawthornes fears no challenge.”

I turned and walked to the floor–to–ceiling window. Outside, the Paris sky was heavy and gray.

Three days.

That’s all it took.

Nightingale–the brand I’d built over three long years in Washington, with all my heart and soul–was now trapped. Like a fish caught in an invisible net, being dragged into the deep.

Lucien didn’t even need a plan. He was just using his grip on Europe’s money to show me, clearly:

Without his say–so, I went nowhere.

Everything I’d sweated for broke apart at his touch.

“Norah. You haven’t slept in two days.” Irina’s voice was rough. She set a mug of hot coffee beside me. Her face was tired, etched with the same worry we all felt.

Katarina walked over, glanced at the sharp nosedive on the chart glowing on my computer screen, and cursed under her breath. “That bastard Lucien.”

I didn’t answer. I just lifted the mug and drank.

It was bitter.

Just like the taste in my mouth.

Then, my phone vibrated.

“Teo?” I moved toward a quieter corner.

“It’s me.” Mateo’s voice was soft, an anchor in the storm. “Leo got the cast off today. The doctor said it’s healing well. He’s throwing a fit, wants to video call you.”

My heart softened instantly.

The screen flickered, and there they were. Leo and Luna, their sweet faces filling the display.

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Chapter 185

Finished

“Mommy!” Luna’s voice was pure honey.

Leo gave a cool wave with his good arm, the other still held a little stiff. “When are you coming back? We need to finish the Lego castle.”

Luna’s lips trembled. Her big eyes welled up. “I miss Mommy… I want you to tuck me in…”

“Don’t push too hard, Nono.” Mateo’s voice returned, calm and sure. “You’re not in this alone. The kids are waiting for you. And I… I’m here, too.”

Looking at their faces, the tears I’d been holding back finally fell.

They were my weakness. The only treasures I’d move heaven and earth to protect.

And Lucien… he wanted to smash the world I’d built for them.

“Teo,” I whispered, my throat tight with sobs. “He’s ruthless. I… I don’t know what to do.”

Every nerve I’d kept taut these past few days snapped. The feeling of injustice, the anger, the betrayal–it all surged up.

I pressed a hand over my mouth, stifling the sound, but my whole body shook.

On the other end, Mateo stayed quiet.

He didn’t offer empty comfort. He didn’t ask for details.

He was just there. With me.

Only when my breathing finally steadied did he speak again. “I know you don’t want to lean on anyone right now. But, Nono, the best way to hurt a man who crushes everything with power… is to make him lose what he cares about most.”

I froze.

“Lucien Constantine… besides you, what he cares about most is the business empire he just secured.”

“Tomorrow night, he’s meeting the Monaco royals at the Ritz. It’s about the Mediterranean deep–water port energy rights–a ten–year deal. This deal is everything for the Constantine Group’s future in European energy. It’s a game he can’t afford to lose.”

“Teo, what are you planning?” My voice was barely a breath.

“Not me. Us,” he corrected, his voice dropping low, like a devil’s whisper. “You only need to do one thing.”

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Chapter 185

43

Finished

“Tomorrow night, delay him. Just fifteen minutes.”

“Leave the rest to me.”

“Teo, I don’t want to become like him…” I squeezed my eyes shut, the words filled with pain. I didn’t want to fight dirty.

“This isn’t becoming like him. This is fighting back. It’s showing him you’re not a doll he can play with.”

“Nono, think of how he treated you. Think of your Nightingale, your three years of work. How did he destroy it in three days?”

“He needs a lesson. One he’ll remember.”

“We need to show him that what drags him down isn’t a business rival, but the woman he loves most–the one he pushed to fight back.”

“We need to make him feel what it’s like to be stabbed in the back by someone he trusts.”

I gripped the phone, my palm slick with cold sweat.

Images flashed: Lucien’s cold eyes, the worried faces of my team, the hopeful smiles of Leo and

Luna.

Hatred and resentment, like wild vines, twisted tight around my heart.

Why?

Why could he destroy everything I had, while I just took it?

Why could he sit high and mighty, while I fought just to survive?

He used his power to teach me a lesson in cruelty.

Why couldn’t I pay him back the same way?

I opened my eyes and looked at my reflection in the window. The weakness and struggle in my gaze cooled, piece by piece, until it hardened into ice.

“Alright. What do I need to do?”

A low, satisfied sound came from the other end.

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