The Heiress’s Second Chance at Vengeance
Chapter 429 The Woman in the Portrait
“She could’ve protected you in other ways. There was no need to
“The only way to kill the rumors was for Nolan to walk out of the Westbrook Grand Hotel with me.” Eliza said calmly. “That’s what really made people talk. And do you think those gossip reporters would dare to say anything once they realized Nolan was involved? The Hayes family’s PR team alone is more than enough to control public opinion. No one’s going to dare drag my name through the mud after that.”
She glanced over at Soren, her
expression puzzled. “You’ve been in the entertainment industry for years.
You should understand this better than I do. So why don’t you?”
Soren couldn’t answer her.
Why didn’t he understand? Maybe it was because deep down, he just didn’t want Eliza to be associated with Nolan at all.
“…Fine. I can’t argue with you.”
He stood up and smoothed out his coat. “It’s getting late. Come on. I’ll take you to see my mother, like we planned.”
“Alright.”
Eliza didn’t object – she had promised him, after all.
As they walked out of the building, Soren spoke again, his voice low. “Nolan’s not right for you. I don’t want you getting too close to someone like him.”
Eliza remembered Nolan telling her about the past the story of his family, of his mother.
–
She could tell Soren didn’t want to hear any mention of his brother.
Once they got in the car, neither of them spoke the entire ride.
Right before they got out, Soren handed Eliza a small gift box.
“This is for my mom. Give it to her for me.”
“Okay.”
She didn’t ask what was inside. Whatever it was, it was something Soren knew his mother would love.
When they arrived at the villa, Eliza followed him inside.
Standing there again, face–to–face with that woman, Eliza didn’t know what to say.
She remembered Nolan’s stories – how his mother had once given up everything for a man who wasn’t worth it, how she’d been abandoned, left mentally broken, still clinging to the illusion that her past could somehow return.
She’d even stabbed her own son- the one who avenged her – just because he shattered th she might one day return to the Hayes family. Just because he’d killed the man she loved most.
That man had been cold and heartless. And yet…
tasy that
Chapter 429 The Woman in the Portrait
Now, the woman stood upstairs looking… calm.
But if you looked closely really looked into her eyes
you could see it. The fog. The damage.
78%
45 Pearl
“You’ve come,” Mrs. Hayes said, walking over and gently taking Eliza’s hand. There was something tender in her gaze, like she felt oddly close to her.
“Soren’s always talking about you,” she said, inspecting Eliza with kind eyes. “You’re such a pretty girl. Are you married?”
It was clear she didn’t recognize her.
Eliza smiled lightly. “Not yet.”
“You should hurry and get married. Girls your age look best in a wedding dress! I used to be an actress, you know. I wore so many wedding dresses on film. They were all so beautiful. But I never got the chance to wear one for real…”
Her voice trailed off, the light in her eyes dimming.
Eliza could see the sadness swelling behind her words. Wanting to lift her spirits, she said gently, “Well… you don’t need to be getting married to wear a wedding dress. You can wear one anytime.”
“That’s true… But marrying someone you truly love that might only happen once in a lifetime.”
—
Mrs. Hayes‘ yoice was tinged with longing, her eyes filled with regret.
Trying to change the subject, Soren chimed in, “Mom, Eliza brought you a gift. Would you like to see it?”
Mrs. Hayes blinked. “A gift? For me?”
Eliza handed her the box.
Inside was a portrait – a beautifully painted image of Mrs. Hayes in her youth, wearing a classic wedding dress from that era. Her expression was serene, her features breathtaking.
Eliza had never seen a photo of her before, not like this. She was stunning.
“Is this… me?” Mrs. Hayes touched her own face in the painting, then gently traced her cheek in real life. “I was so young back then…”
Eliza glanced at Soren, surprised he wasn’t trying to bring his mother back to reality. He just let her stay in that dream.
It felt wrong. But he didn’t seem to think so.
Watching Mrs. Hayes carry the portrait away, Soren turned to Eliza and said quietly, “She’s been living in the past for years. The doctors said that if we force her to face the truth, she might not survive it. She’d probably kill herself.”
108
09:08 Tue, 22 Jul M
