The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 347

On the eve of Giselle's birthday gala, night blanketed The Metropolis.

Nora sat alone on the fabric sofa in the villa's master bedroom. A slim laptop rested on her lap, the screen displaying a few recent financial reports for Lawrence Atelier.

The churning waves of nausea in her stomach had just subsided.

The early pregnancy symptoms had left her incredibly weak, a fine layer of cold sweat breaking out across her forehead.

She picked up the glass of warm water from the table and took a sip, trying to suppress the sour taste in her throat.

The screen of her phone, resting nearby, suddenly lit up, accompanied by a brief notification chime.

Nora set down the glass and unlocked her phone.

The screen displayed an anonymous email from an encrypted domain. She tapped it open, and the harsh white glare illuminated her pale face.

"Nora, you pathetic parasite clinging to the Hayes family. You've occupied a position that was never yours for three years. Did you really think you could turn into a swan?"

"Get your ass to The Rooftop Terrace at the Peninsula tomorrow night at nine sharp. We are going to settle this score once and for all."

"If you dare to no-show or try any tricks, I will ruin your reputation and have your trashy atelier completely blacklisted from the industry. Don't think I won't do it."

Staring at those words on the screen, Nora's face instantly turned ashen. A bone-deep chill shot up from the soles of her feet.

The despair and terror she had experienced in that private club room felt like an inescapable nightmare.

The intense drug that robbed her of her senses, the disgusting face of that heavy-set man, and the suffocating feeling of nearly being dragged into the abyss—all of it came rushing back under the threat of this email.

Nora's breathing grew erratic.

She didn't even have to think; her mind immediately zeroed in on one name.

Giselle.

Why wouldn't Giselle just let her go?

Inside the banquet hall, massive crystal chandeliers refracted a dazzling, mesmerizing light.

Pure hand-woven carpets imported from overseas lined the floor, and the air was thick with the rich, intoxicating scent of premium champagne and roses.

Waiters in tuxedos wove through the glamorous crowd, balancing silver trays.

Nora walked into the bustling banquet hall alone.

She wore a simple, solid black gown, completely devoid of any expensive jewelry, with only the most basic, subtle makeup on her face.

She quietly retreated behind a massive champagne tower at the edge of the hall, hiding herself entirely in the shadows. She looked completely out of place at this hyper-extravagant party.

A slight commotion rippled through the hall's entrance.

The heavy, ornate double doors were respectfully pushed open from both sides.

Gideon, wearing a perfectly tailored haute couture black suit, stepped slowly into the center of everyone's attention with tonight's star on his arm.