The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan)

Chapter 534

Cordelia was riveted as the old man's tale unfolded, his voice weaving the past into the present. The

protagonist, Alana, was more than just a character in a story; she was flesh and blood, and her life's

drama was spilling out in raw, vivid detail. Cordelia's heart pounded as she urged him on, "And then?

What happened next? The actor, was his name August?"

She vaguely recalled Tristi mentioning that Alana's counterpart, a handsome and talented actor, was

named August. "What next...?" the old man murmured, drifting into memories once more.

Alana had confided in August that upon her return to England, a fortune-teller had ominously pointed

out a mole behind her ear as a bad omen for her father, so she had it removed.

August didn't give the mole much thought but couldn't shake the feeling that Alana had changed. She

used to have a child-like charm paired with the grace of a lady, a combination that men found

irresistible. But back in England, she seemed to have become more calculating, her gaze distant. Even

as Alana tried to seduce him, August felt a growing disillusionment, considering an escape from what

felt like a whirlwind romance turned sour.

Alana sensed August's restlessness. Love, after all, was about mutual affection, not a transactional

exchange of effort for affection. The tighter she held on, the more he seemed to slip through her fingers

like grains of sand.

While Alana and August played out their downstairs drama, the real Alana was trapped upstairs, her

days stretching long and torturous. Unlike her sister, who had grown up in the attic, oblivious to the

world, Alana had tasted life's splendors. Her imprisonment was especially cruel, compounded by the

fact that she was pregnant and living a daily hell.

The fake Alana reveled in her sister's suffering, intent on multiplying her pain tenfold. She had no wish

for her sister to terminate the pregnancy; she wanted the baby born and raised by her sister, only to be

cruelly taken away later. To Alana, this plan was sheer brilliance.

As August was poised to break things off, Alana received a call from China. A production company

wanted her back for a film role. She agreed, but acting was not her forte.

To avoid exposure, she made a shocking decision—to retire at the peak of her career, leveraging her

sister's connections to build her own business empire.

Back home, many sought her out, including a man named Thomas Colby.

"Colby?" Cordelia's heart skipped a beat. Such a rare surname.

"Yes, Thomas Colby," the old man confirmed.

Cordelia gasped, the pieces clicking into place. Jamie's father.

"And then what?" she pressed, her voice barely a whisper.

Outside the window, ominous clouds gathered, and two hours had slipped by unnoticed. A storm was NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

brewing, mirroring the tumult in Cordelia's heart. She felt the secrets of her own lineage inching closer

to revelation.