Chapter 18
The courtroom doors slammed open.
Gasps echoed through the chamber as a woman stepped forward, heels clicking with purpose.
Rebecca Fiore.
Don Richard’s wife.
Rupert’s mother.
Her eyes were glassy with fury, but her voice rang clear. “I’m the one who leaked it!”
The room exploded.
Don Richard stood up, pale. “Rebecca?! What nonsense are you talking about?” He hurried oward her and grabbed her arm. “Say it’s a joke! Rebecca, this isn’t funny-say you’re joking!”
She slapped his hand away.
‘Don’t touch me, you lying bastard!”
He froze.
Rebecca’s voice shook, but her rage didn’t. “You think I didn’t know? That you could bury everything and smile in my face like nothing ever happened?”
Don Richard looked around wildly. “W-What are you talking about?! What lies are you repeating?!”
Rebecca turned to the guards. “Bring her in.”
The doors opened again.
Marian-bruised, bloodied, barely able to walk-was dragged in by two guards. The moment she stepped inside, Rebecca stormed forward and grabbed her by the hair.
Marian yelped in pain, trying to resist.
Don Richard tried to intervene. “Let her go!”
Rebecca whipped out a small blade and pointed it at Marian’s face.
He froze.
Rebecca’s glare was sharp enough to kill.
“This girl…” she said, voice shaking. “This girl and her whore of a mother-”
Marian gasped.
Rebecca’s eyes glistened. “Everything… everything went to hell because of them. Because of what you did, Richard. If Aria hadn’t shown me the truth, I would’ve spent my entire life living your filthy lie.”
A murmur went around the room.
Mr. Noir raised a brow. “What truth?”
Don Richard’s face was pale. “You betrayed us all because of Aria’s lies?! You leaked the route to the hunters?! You destroyed our standing, our son’s life?!”
“No,” Rebecca hissed. “I protected my real son!”
This Time, I Won’t Die By Your Hands My Ex Boyfriend.
1/2
608
12:09 am P P P P .
She yanked Marian forward and threw her to the ground.
The room gasped.
“Rupert…” she growled, “was never her groom all along. It was your other son who married Marian-your bastard son from that woman!”
Murmurs exploded.
One man shouted, “Wait-wait! Are you saying Marian married his half-brother?!”
Marian’s face turned white.
She crawled toward Don Richard, eyes wide in horror. “T-Tell me it’s not true… Don Richard. Please, tell me it’s not true!”
But Don Richard stayed silent.
His silence was enough.
Marian crumbled, screaming as she covered her mouth. “NO!” Then-violently-she vomited on the courtroom floor, her body trembling.
Sam leaned toward me and whispered, “What the hell, Aria… you didn’t mention this plot twist.”
I didn’t reply.
Rebecca turned her fury back to her husband. “You let me raise your secret son while my child- MY SON was cast aside! And all of Fiore knew! They all knew!”
Fiore elders looked away.
Rebecca’s voice cracked. “If that’s not reason enough to burn it all down, then I don’t care abou your goddamn rules.”
Don Richard stepped forward, voice low. “You’ve lost it, Rebecca. Aria must have fed you lies. She killed Rupert-you all saw it!”
Silence followed.
Until another voice broke it.
‘Who’s dead?”
The courtroom froze.
Heads snapped to the doorway.
Rupert walked in.
Alive. Bloodied-but alive.
Gasps again. Even the guards looked frozen.
Marian’s head jerked up. “R-Rupert…?”
He didn’t speak. Just looked at her, then away.
Marian’s lips trembled. “So it’s true… I… I married my own brother…?”
Her knees gave out beneath her. She collapsed to the floor, screaming. “No… No… NO!” Marian shrieked, clutching her mouth before doubling over and vomiting once more. Her cries twisted into broken sobs as her body crumpled, helpless and shaking.
I stood there, watching her suffer-and for the first time in years, I felt something close to peace.
7042
12:09 am
てててて
Finally… my revenge was complete.
My gaze shifted to Rupert, and he gave me a silent nod.
Yes, the Rupert standing before me now-this Rupert-is the real one.
The one I killed before? That was Don Richard’s son from Marielle… Marian’s mother.
Marian’s husband and step brother.
12:09 am
