SECRETS BENEATH THE MASKS
364 Words
Chapter 13
The night air outside the ballroom was sharp, yet it did little to cool Nora’s racing thoughts. She replayed Evelyn’s whispered exchange with the man in gray: “If the truth comes out, it will ruin everything.”
Her mother never slipped. Never. For Evelyn to show even a flicker of fear meant something dangerous was buried deep.
Nora couldn’t resist. When Evelyn excused herself, Nora slipped after her, careful as a shadow. The corridors were hushed, portraits of stern ancestors staring down as if judging her daring. Evelyn entered her private study, and Nora pressed against the door.
“You assured me this would never surface,” Evelyn snapped.
The man’s voice was low. “I kept it buried, but there are records. If anyone discovers the real circumstances of Roxet’s birth”
“Silence.” Evelyn’s tone cut like glass. “Do whatever it takes. This family’s name will not be tainted.”
Nora’s stomach lurched. Roxet’s birth? What did that mean?
She stepped back, heart hammering, but a sudden grip seized her wrist. She gasped and turned straight into Frank’s piercing gaze.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was quiet but dangerous.
“Let me go.”
His grip tightened. “You shouldn’t be listening to things you don’t understand. Secrets in this family can destroy people.”
Nora met his eyes, refusing to cower. “Then maybe it’s time someone uncovered them.”
His jaw worked, eyes darkening. For a breathless moment, it was just the two of them, their unspoken history thick in the air. Then, with a reluctant exhale, Frank released her wrist.
“You’ve changed,” he muttered, almost bitterly. “You’re not the timid girl I used to know.”
“No,” Nora said firmly, “I’m not.”
He stared a moment longer, then turned and walked away, leaving her trembling but strangely strengthened.
Nora pressed a hand to her chest. Evelyn’s secret was more dangerous than she had imagined. If Roxet wasn’t who she claimed to be, it could unravel everything.
And for the first time, Nora wanted the truth not just to protect herself,but to fight back.
- Writer
