The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 1

Late at night, at the Hayes villa.

When Nora Xavier stepped inside, the blood on her knees had already dried.

The housekeeper had likely been warned by Gideon Hayes in advance; even before the gala ended, she was waiting in the foyer with a first-aid kit.

Clutching the medical box, she gasped at the sight of Nora's pathetic state. "Ma'am, how... how did this happen?"

Nora waved her off, her voice terribly hoarse. "Just give me the kit. Go to bed."

"But Mr. Hayes instructed—"

"I said, give it to me." Nora lifted her head. Her usually gentle face was marred by a swollen cheek, looking harsh under the dim wall sconces.

Startled by the sheer resolve in her eyes, the housekeeper didn't dare say another word, simply setting down the kit and hurrying away.

Nora limped into the bathroom.

As she peeled away the ruined fabric of her gown, the movement tugged at her wounds, making her sharply draw in a breath.

Did it hurt?

It hurt like hell.

Nora offered a self-deprecating smile.

This pain was a gift from the man she had loved for ten years.

Just then, the phone resting on the vanity vibrated. The screen flashed with an incoming call from Mrs. Xavier.

Nora pressed accept and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello, Mom."

"Nora, I heard you got into a fight with that Hayes girl? Are you alright? Is... is Gideon still angry?"

On the other end of the line, Mrs. Xavier's voice carried a hint of cautious probing.

Nora's lips twitched. Her mother never asked if her face still hurt; she only ever asked about Gideon's mood.

Two hours ago, at the Hayes family gala, Giselle Hayes had gotten hurt. Gideon had blindly accused Nora without a shred of evidence and slapped her.

Two hours earlier, feeling overwhelmed by the socializing, Nora had stepped out onto the second-floor terrace alone with a glass of champagne to catch her breath.

Before she could even take a steady breath, Giselle strolled over in her cascading custom tulle gown, looking like a proud swan.

The adopted daughter of the Hayes family, despite having no blood relation, was universally coddled by everyone in the household. Her eyes always held a cruel, naive arrogance.

"Nora, that necklace is stunning. Let me borrow it for a few days, okay?"

It was a gift Gideon had his assistant send over for their recent anniversary. Although it was likely just a careless pick by his staff, Nora cherished it too much to take it off.

Nora instinctively covered it, rejecting her with polite distance. "Gideon gave this to me. I'd rather not."

"Why not? Whatever is Gideon's is mine."

Giselle blinked her innocent eyes and reached out to snatch it. As they exchanged a few tense words, Nora instinctively stepped back and swatted the girl's hand away.

Giselle let out a cry, stumbling backward into a long table stacked with a champagne tower. Glasses shattered across the floor as she collapsed, her palms landing directly in the sharp shards. Blood instantly welled up.

A flurry of hurried footsteps approached. Nora turned to see Gideon pushing through the crowd, striding right toward them.