The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 466

Birchwood.

A significant event had recently occurred at the local school.

Acclaimed actress Alana had donated a building to the school.

Knowing that Alana came to Birchwood, Cordelia felt uneasy. She hadn't expected Alana's influence to spread so quickly.

Alana's father was a British nobleman, a tidbit Cordelia had discovered in her research. She had looked into Alana's background, in books and online, but information about such a historic family was scarce and shrouded in mystery. Most of the online articles were unreliable hearsay.

While she had been in England, she'd heard rumors about her father, "August," retiring from the film industry. She had even tried to attend the event, but it was an exclusive affair, attended only by major media outlets.

Throughout it all, Cordelia was trying to unravel one mystery: why was Alana constantly targeting her?

Cordelia knew that Alana was to be avoided. Otherwise, she wouldn't have abandoned her child for three years, even refusing to let the child call her mother despite being within her sight.

On the day of the donation, Alana was waiting outside Cordelia's home. When Cordelia saw her, a chill ran down her spine. Cordelia couldn’t even keep where she worked and lived a secret from Alana.

"Well, Ms. Haselwood, aren't you going to invite me in?" Alana said.

Since Cordelia loved him, Alana was determined to separate them. She wanted Cordelia to taste the bitterness of lost love.

"At first, Ronan had Deanna deliver some children's clothes and food to Tabitha. He knew Deanna's character and used it to his advantage. You could say the tragedy between Deanna and Tabitha was deliberately orchestrated by him. Deanna got wind of Ronan's affair with Tabitha and naturally assumed Tabitha's child was his. Deanna, being so impulsive, confronted Tabitha. An argument ensued, and in the heat of the moment, Tabitha stabbed Deanna to protect her child.

“After being taken to the hospital, Deanna wasn't immediately in danger of dying. Her mother, Leila, went to Ronan for help with the medical bills. Ronan told her to sell her house first and he would cover the rest if necessary. That night, Deanna’s oxygen mask was removed. Leila suspected that Ronan was behind it but was too afraid to confront him. If he could kill a person just to avoid paying medical bills, what wouldn't he do?”

"Did the police find out if it was Ronan who killed her?" Cordelia asked, her skin crawling. She didn't believe Ronan would do something as blatant as removing Deanna’s oxygen mask. He was too cunning to leave such evidence. However, the idea that he would intentionally pit two women against each other was very much in line with his character.

“Investigations are ongoing, but it’s only a matter of time," Alana replied.