Thorn let out a bitter, self–deprecatingugh, unsure if he bwas /bughing at his own naivety or his own stupidity.

“All this time.” Thorn said, his voice hollow, “since I bwas /ba child… you were just setting the board. bAll /bthat kindness… it was just because I bwas /byour pawn, wasn’t bit/b?”

At this point, there was nothing left to hide.

“No point in denying it now, is there?” Victor pped him on the shoulder. “But look at it this way, Thorn. You y along, and I’ll help you take back what’s yours. You’ll still be the heir to the Noir family. Think of the prestige.

Victor’s condescending tone implied that only good, obedient boys get treats. He needed Thom, the publicly recognized heir, as the face of his coup.

And in that moment, Thorn finally understood why Hazel had given him an ultimatum: kill Victor, or be destroyed with him. She’d left him no other path.

She must bhave /bseen Victor for what he truly was from the very beginning. And he, like a fool, had believed his uncle was the one person who truly cared for him. What a joke.

“Sorry, Victor,” Thom muttered, pulling a pistol and aiming it squarely at Victor’s forehead. He pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. The gun was empty.

“How? I made sure…” Thorn shockedb. /b

Victor’s eyes glinted with malice. He casually pushed the bgun /baway from his head as his bodyguards seized Thorn.

“You..Thom choked out, realizing the truth. “You switched the gun”

Thorn’s eyes were bloodshot as he red at his uncle. “You bastard, Victor! bWhat /bthe hell is this all about?”

Victor toyed with the useless pistol. “Patience. We’re just waiting for our guest of honor.”

And once Hazel arrives, he thought, ‘the real show can begin. bVictor /bsmiled.

“You… “Thorn’s blood ran cold. “Your target was Hazel all along.”

Thorn thrashed against the guards‘ hold, but they were like solid steel. “Let me go! Don’t you dare touch her, Victor!”

“You really are a lost cause, aren’t you?” Victor sneered. “Still simping for that woman. If you’d just listened to me, she’d be dead by now. Don’t worryb. /bYou’re about to see what she’s really made of”

Hazel walked steadily toward the vi, nked b

nked by Lana and Reno.

“Our

guest of honor bhas /barrived!” Victor beamed at the sight of her, standing to bgive /bba /bmock–weing gesture.

Hazel’s

Is gaze swept bover /bThorn before settling on his bparents/b–her adoptive parents, Arthur Noir and Isabel Noir. With a single, sharp nod, she sent Lana striding past the guards to untie them.

“So, should I call you Miss Noir? Or perhaps Miss bHart/b?” Victor asked, his voice oozing false patience. “Can we talk?”

“Hazel, bdear/bb, /bwhat are you doing here? Isabel cried, wiping her tears. You have to go. Leave, now,”

Hazel took her hand firmly. “Don’t worry. I’m here bnow/b.”

“You’re not worthy of ba /bconversation with me, Victor,” bHazel /bsaid, her bvoice /bdripping with ice.

“Do you recognize this?” Victor gestured to a small vial on the table. “It’s a little something from your very own Umbra Organization. A poison that kills in exactly three hours. And it’s been two and a half hours already. Tell me, Miss Hart, is the merchandise from organization as reliable as bthey /bbsay/b?”

Thorn went pale, then red with bfury/b. “Victor! You bbastard/b! How could you?b” /b

byour /b

10:24 AM C

“How could I not?” Victor shot back, his beyes /bturning red–rimmed and crazed. He fixed his gaze on Thorn, pure hatred and murder in his eyes. This is because of you! It’s because of you that my son is dead!”

Thorn froze. His son?

He’d never known Victor had another son.

Hazel pulled out a chair and sat down,pletely unfazed. “Twenty–eight years ago, she began, her voice steady, “on Thom’s first birthday–which was also the first birthday of your son, Ss–you suggested a joint party. Your bgoal /bwas to get rid of Thorn so the Noir family”

At this, Sienna’s adoptive parents stared at her, utterly horrified.

They had balways /bbeen told Ss’s death was ban /bident. How could bthis /bbe?

Victor’s expression darkened. He couldn’t believe she’d managed to dig up the truth after all this time.

“So what if it is?” he snarled. “If you hadn’t crawled away, my son would still be alive.”

“Victor! You son of a bitch,” Arthur broared/bb, /bhis fists clenched. “You tried to kill my son.”

Arthur never imagined the truth from back then bwould /bturn out like this.