The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 424

If she could just fall asleep, she wouldn't feel the excruciating pain of her shattered bones. She wouldn't hear the sound of Giselle falling from the roof, nor would she think of the man who had once pulled her from the rubble.

The late-night storm raged outside the window, tearing the darkness into fragmented pieces.

The internet, which had been relatively quiet for a few days, suddenly erupted in a massive, unprovoked earthquake.

A supposedly leaked press release, fueled by major media outlets and an army of paid online trolls, skyrocketed to the top of the trending lists across all social media platforms at a terrifying speed:

[BREAKING! Lawrence Atelier's Lead Designer Nora Xavier Exposed! Award-Winning Designs and Masterpieces Confirmed as Severe Plagiarism! Original Drafts and Proof of Theft Leaked!]

...

The next morning, the suffocating humidity following the early summer storm spread wildly through the air, heavy enough to steal the breath from anyone's lungs.

The phone resting on the nightstand abruptly shattered the stagnant silence of the guest room.

Nora groggily opened her eyes. A series of dull aches from her lower abdomen made her face pale.

Struggling, she reached out, grabbed the buzzing phone, and swiped to answer.

"Hello..."

Her voice was so dry and hoarse it barely made a sound.

"Nora."

An old, exhausted voice came through the receiver.

It was Arthur.

The highly respected mentor in the metropolis's jewelry design circle—the man who had taught her how to sketch by hand, the man who had kept the lead designer position open for her even after she had thrown her career away for three years during her marriage into the Hayes family.

"Professor..."

Arthur remained silent for a long time, his heavy breathing echoing through the static of the line.

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