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Chapter 90. Returning to Magnolia Manor
Last Updated:
2025-06-10 08:22:31
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Love Lies and Deceit Chapter 96. Family Ties and Power
* Alex Hamilton *My half-brother is Mayor Gregory Hamilton, Jason's father and the first person I thought of when it came to tracking him down. We've never been particularly close. The only thing we truly shared was a surname, and even that always felt like a borrowed title, more political currency than familial bond. Lance had once sponsored Gregory's candidacy, pouring in money and influence when the odds were against him. I thought that might still count for something. Maybe not loyalty, but leverage."Mr. Hamilton? The Mayor will see you now," said the secretary in a crisp, almost mechanical voice.I glanced at her nameplate, Charlotte. Neatly etched in silver. She was young, paper-thin, probably fresh out of university with the bright eyes of someone who still believed power could be charming. She smiled at me with an air of practiced professionalism and gestured to the polished oak door beside her desk."Thank you, Charlotte," I nodded, giving her a small smile before stepping
Love Lies and Deceit Chapter 95. His ex and the truth
* Alex Hamilton *I stood in my office at Magnolia Manor, the door locked, the blinds drawn, Penny tucked safely upstairs. She thought I was reviewing security footage with Calder, and I was. But I was also doing something I hadn't let myself consider for a long time.Digging up Claire. My ex.The woman I once thought was cool with a relationship of convenience, until she proved she had one foot in mine and the other in something far darker. Claire Morrison. A name I hadn't said aloud in years. A name that tasted like regret.I pulled up the old encrypted file from the Dankworth private server. Claire had signed an NDA when we ended things, a condition Lance had insisted on. Not for scandal prevention, but because some of her last actions had nearly compromised a corporate merger.A knock broke the silence. Calder stepped inside, no smile, no warmth, just the look of a man who'd spent a life watching other people's lies unravel."She's a ghost," he said without preamble, dropping a t
Love Lies and Deceit Chapter 94. Wedding Dress and Threats
* Penny *The boutique smelled of satin, lilies, and dreams I didn't know I was allowed to have. Sunlight poured through the tall arched windows, casting soft gold over the racks of hand-sewn wedding gowns that shimmered like stardust. I stood barefoot on the fitting platform, a half-zipped gown hugging my waist, while Alex sat nearby in a velvet armchair, pretending not to be completely captivated."Stop staring like that," I said, cheeks warm.Alex's lips twitched. "I'm not staring. I'm memorizing."I rolled my eyes, but my heart fluttered.The dress was unlike anything I'd imagined, off-shoulder, with cascading lace sleeves that looked like something out of a fairytale. The bodice fit like a whisper, and the soft tulle skirt spilled around my feet in waves. For once, I didn't feel like someone hiding behind a name or a past. I just felt... me. Seen."You like it?" the boutique manager asked, gently adjusting the neckline.I met my own reflection in the mirror. "I think I do."Alex
Love Lies and Deceit Chapter 93. Defending Penny’s Reputation
* Lance Dankworth *The morning sun filtered through the high arched windows of the Dankworth estate library, casting golden rays on the polished mahogany floor. The scent of roasted coffee drifted faintly from the adjacent breakfast parlor, but it did nothing to soothe the storm brewing behind my eyes.I sat rigid in one of the leather armchairs, a broadsheet newspaper spread open in my hands. The headline was impossible to ignore, bold, brash, and scandal-laced."Dankworth Nephew Accused in Drugging Scandal. Caught by Alex Hamilton at Skylight Rooftop Bash"Below it, a picture, Penny, pale and furious, standing beside a sharp-eyed Alex as security led Jason away, flanked by onlookers and phones capturing every angle.My jaw clenched. I set the paper down on the table with slow, deliberate calm, though my fingers trembled with restrained fury."Alex," I called him, my voice low but unmistakably firm.Footsteps approached almost immediately. Alex entered the room dressed down in a dar
Love Lies and Deceit Chapter 92. Invitation to Confrontation
* Penny *A few days after I returned to Magnolia Manor, still adjusting to the silence of the house and the familiar creak of wooden floors that had once echoed with my childhood laughter, an invitation arrived.The envelope was pink, shimmery, and unmistakably Mia. It had her signature sparkle, a dramatic flair only she could pull off without irony. I found it tucked beneath the silver tray of fresh scones and steaming tea that Julianne had sent up to my room that morning. My name was written in glittering cursive on the front, flourished, dramatic, impossible to ignore.Penny D., don't you dare flake.Classic Mia.Inside, the invitation was loud and unapologetic. The print was gold foil, the background a burst of confetti. It screamed celebration. Her birthday bash this year was to be held at a private rooftop bar downtown, Skylight, 14th floor, overlooking the glittering skyline. There'd be a DJ, an open bar, and a theme that only Mia would dare to put in writing:Dress code: Come
Love Lies and Deceit Chapter 91. Family dinner and memories
* Penny *The Family mausoleum stood on the far edge of the estate, past the orchard and through the cedar grove where the wind always seemed to hush its breath. A place carved from silence. It rose like a memory out of the earth, limestone white, weathered smooth by time and sorrow. Ivy crept up one side like veins, clinging to the cool stone in green tendrils. It was beautiful in the way grief often is, quiet, composed, dignified.I pushed open the iron gate. It gave with a soft groan, old hinges protesting but yielding. My heels clicked softly against the slate path, the cool of shade wrapping around me like a shawl.Marriane Dankworth rested beneath a pale arch etched with the family crest, a lion beside a flame. The inscription beneath her name was simple, as she would have wanted.Marriane Whitlock DankworthBeloved wife, devoted mother, fierce heart"Still she rises."I stared at the words for a long while. They hadn't changed. But I had."I'm sorry it's been so long," I murmur
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