Nora sat quietly in the corner of Zayan's study, the final page of the old diary trembling in her hands. Her eyes moved slowly across the faded ink. Each word felt like a dagger to her chest.
"I loved her. More than anything. But we couldn't be together because of my mother.
That night… it was the most beautiful night of my life.
She was glowing, carrying my child.
When my mother found out, she threw her out before I could even return home.
I was furious. Months passed without seeing her, but I knew where she was.
I made plans. We had a little girl. She had a star-shaped birthmark on her left hand.
My mother threatened to kill them both if I ever tried to reach them.
I never saw my baby girl… or the love of my life.
Aveline."
Nora's fingers trembled as she slowly turned her left hand upward. And there it was—the star-shaped birthmark.
Everything froze. Her breath. Her thoughts. Time itself.
Her heart pounded in her ears. She couldn't move. Couldn't speak. She just kept staring at the line—reading it again and again.
Zayan, walking down the hallway, spotted her sitting silently with the diary in her hands.
"Darling?" he called gently.
No reply. Her eyes were still glued to the page, frozen in disbelief.
He walked closer, catching a glimpse of the diary. His gaze landed on the line she was staring at. His face paled.
"Nora? Nora?!"
She snapped out of her trance.
"H-h-h-huh?" she stammered.
Zayan knelt beside her. "Are you okay?"
She nodded quickly and stood up without another word. Her mind was racing. Her hands were cold. Her thoughts spiraled in every direction. That name—Aveline—rang in her head like a haunting echo.
That evening, as Sage served tea in the drawing room, Nora quietly observed Aveline. When Aveline reached for the cup, the sleeve of her dress caught on the flame of a candle.
"Aah!" she screamed as the flame grazed her skin, the cup crashing onto the table. Blood trickled down her hand.
Nora acted fast. "I've got it!" she said, rushing forward with a tiny glass vial she had hidden in her sleeve.
"Just let me clean it," she said sweetly. She gently placed Aveline's bleeding hand over the vial, catching the drops. Her heart pounded, but her face stayed calm. Once the vial was sealed, she grabbed a first aid kit, bandaged the wound, and helped Aveline change into a fresh dress.
Aveline smiled softly. "Thank you, dear."
Nora nodded and quietly slipped out of the mansion. She didn't know Zayan had cameras watching her every move.
Zayan, from his office, saw her leave through the back gate. He stood up, confused but curious.
Nora ran.
She ran like her life depended on it. Her lungs burned, her heart pounded, but she didn't stop. Not until she reached the hospital.
"I need a doctor. Please!" she gasped at the reception.
"Do you have an appointment?" the nurse asked.
"No, but it's urgent. I need a DNA test. Please, now!"
Just as the nurse was about to respond, a familiar voice called out, "Miss Nora?"
She turned. It was Doctor Caius, the same doctor who had operated on Asher.
Relieved, she ran to him. "Doctor, I need a DNA test. It's urgent. This vial contains Aveline's blood. I need mine taken now. Please—just tell me if we match."
He looked concerned. "Alright. Come with me. Sit down and breathe."
Nora barely noticed when Zayan entered the hospital behind her. She had no idea he'd followed her.
Forty long minutes passed.
The results arrived.
100% match.
Nora stood still, her jaw clenched, her heart burning. Anger surged through her like a storm. She could barely breathe.
Zayan stepped forward.
"Nora…" he said softly.
She turned, eyes wild with rage. He looked at the paper in her hands, reading the results.
"You… you did a DNA test?"
Her voice was quiet, but the fury beneath it was unmistakable.
"I already knew," he said carefully. "I overheard her once. I knew she was your mother."
Nora's hands clenched at her sides.
"Y-you knew?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "You knew and didn't tell me?"
Zayan opened his mouth, but the words didn't come fast enough.
"I—"
"It's fine," she snapped, cutting him off. "It's all fine."
"Nora—wait!"
"Nora!" he called again, but she had already turned and walked away, her heart shattered, and her trust in him gone.