THE LIE THAT WORE A RING - Chapter 19: Chapter 19
You are reading THE LIE THAT WORE A RING, Chapter 19: Chapter 19. Read more chapters of THE LIE THAT WORE A RING.
They confront her. But she’s not backing down quietly.
Ava stood in the hallway the next morning, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Ethan was beside her, holding his phone with the recorder already on. They were done being pawns in Alina’s game.
They were ready to fight.
Inside the grand sitting room, Alina sat like a queen in a castle—legs crossed, coffee in hand, flicking through a glossy magazine. She looked up with a dazzling smile the moment they walked in.
“Well, don’t you two look serious,” she purred. “No good morning today?”
“We know everything,” Ava said coldly. “Or should we call you Genevieve now?”
Alina blinked—just once. Then her smile slowly slid away, replaced by something unreadable. Calm. Too calm.
“I see,” she said quietly. “So, you’ve been snooping.”
Ethan stepped forward. “We found the articles. The passport. Lucia’s name. Her disappearance. All of it.”
Alina’s lips curled ever so slightly. “Careful, Ethan. It’s dangerous to play with things you don’t understand.”
“She was your daughter!” Ava shouted. “And you abandoned her. Just like you tried to rip us away from our father.”
Alina stood. Her posture shifted—no longer sweet or elegant. It was steel beneath silk.
“I didn’t abandon Lucia. She was taken from me. You think you know the story because you found a few documents and half a headline? You know nothing.”
“Then tell us,” Ethan challenged.
A moment of silence stretched thick between them. Then Alina turned her back to them, walked to the window, and stared out at the rain-slicked lawn.
“She was ten,” she said finally. “And she hated me. Just like you do. Her father wanted full custody. He was powerful, more than your father ever will be. I tried to leave. I tried to take her somewhere safe. But she ran away in the middle of the night. I never saw her again.”
Ava hesitated. “Then why did you change your name? Disappear?”
Alina turned slowly. “Because when a woman like me is blamed for something like that, she doesn't get a second chance. She becomes the villain. The seductress. The unstable one. The liar. Just like you two are trying to make me now.”
“No one made you this way,” Ethan said. “You came into our lives pretending to care. You tore our family apart.”
“And your father let me,” Alina shot back, voice rising. “He invited me in. He begged me to stay. He married me. So don’t pretend I tricked anyone.”
Ava’s eyes blazed. “You did trick him. And we’re going to make sure he knows every last detail.”
Alina laughed—a short, sharp sound. “Oh, he already does. And he’ll still choose me. Because unlike you two brats, I never left him. I’m the only thing holding that man together.”
“Not anymore,” Ethan said, lifting his phone and ending the recording. “You’ve just told us everything we needed.”
Her expression twisted.
“You think that recording will scare me? I’ll deny every word. I’ll cry. I’ll twist it all around like I always do. And guess what? He’ll believe me. Not you.”
“We’ll see,” Ava whispered.
They turned and walked away, hearts thundering.
Behind them, Alina stood rooted in place—hands shaking slightly, fury bubbling beneath her skin.
She had underestimated them. No longer children. No longer afraid.
And now?
They were dangerous.
Ava stood in the hallway the next morning, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Ethan was beside her, holding his phone with the recorder already on. They were done being pawns in Alina’s game.
They were ready to fight.
Inside the grand sitting room, Alina sat like a queen in a castle—legs crossed, coffee in hand, flicking through a glossy magazine. She looked up with a dazzling smile the moment they walked in.
“Well, don’t you two look serious,” she purred. “No good morning today?”
“We know everything,” Ava said coldly. “Or should we call you Genevieve now?”
Alina blinked—just once. Then her smile slowly slid away, replaced by something unreadable. Calm. Too calm.
“I see,” she said quietly. “So, you’ve been snooping.”
Ethan stepped forward. “We found the articles. The passport. Lucia’s name. Her disappearance. All of it.”
Alina’s lips curled ever so slightly. “Careful, Ethan. It’s dangerous to play with things you don’t understand.”
“She was your daughter!” Ava shouted. “And you abandoned her. Just like you tried to rip us away from our father.”
Alina stood. Her posture shifted—no longer sweet or elegant. It was steel beneath silk.
“I didn’t abandon Lucia. She was taken from me. You think you know the story because you found a few documents and half a headline? You know nothing.”
“Then tell us,” Ethan challenged.
A moment of silence stretched thick between them. Then Alina turned her back to them, walked to the window, and stared out at the rain-slicked lawn.
“She was ten,” she said finally. “And she hated me. Just like you do. Her father wanted full custody. He was powerful, more than your father ever will be. I tried to leave. I tried to take her somewhere safe. But she ran away in the middle of the night. I never saw her again.”
Ava hesitated. “Then why did you change your name? Disappear?”
Alina turned slowly. “Because when a woman like me is blamed for something like that, she doesn't get a second chance. She becomes the villain. The seductress. The unstable one. The liar. Just like you two are trying to make me now.”
“No one made you this way,” Ethan said. “You came into our lives pretending to care. You tore our family apart.”
“And your father let me,” Alina shot back, voice rising. “He invited me in. He begged me to stay. He married me. So don’t pretend I tricked anyone.”
Ava’s eyes blazed. “You did trick him. And we’re going to make sure he knows every last detail.”
Alina laughed—a short, sharp sound. “Oh, he already does. And he’ll still choose me. Because unlike you two brats, I never left him. I’m the only thing holding that man together.”
“Not anymore,” Ethan said, lifting his phone and ending the recording. “You’ve just told us everything we needed.”
Her expression twisted.
“You think that recording will scare me? I’ll deny every word. I’ll cry. I’ll twist it all around like I always do. And guess what? He’ll believe me. Not you.”
“We’ll see,” Ava whispered.
They turned and walked away, hearts thundering.
Behind them, Alina stood rooted in place—hands shaking slightly, fury bubbling beneath her skin.
She had underestimated them. No longer children. No longer afraid.
And now?
They were dangerous.
End of THE LIE THAT WORE A RING Chapter 19. Continue reading Chapter 20 or return to THE LIE THAT WORE A RING book page.