Chapter 5

Nora's POV

For a second, I simply stared at him.

Then I laughed.

Not because what he had said was funny, but because it had to be a lie.

There was no way this man sitting casually in front of me was the CEO of Monarch Technology.

“Stop playing,” I said sharply. “There is no way you're the CEO of Monarch Technology.”

His brow lifted slightly.

“That company is worth trillions,” I continued, my voice rising with disbelief. “It's one of the biggest rivals to my family's empire. You don't just casually wake up one morning and become that kind of person.”

Norman didn't argue.

Without saying another word, he reached for his phone, unlocked it and turned the screen toward me.

I stared at what was displayed.

It was his Forbes profile.

His photograph was right there, along with a headline that read: Youngest Self-Made Tech CEO in the Country.

My mouth fell slightly open.

“No...” I whispered.

I looked from the screen to him, then back at the screen again, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

“How are you...” I swallowed hard. “How are you this young and already running something like that?”

Norman casually took his phone back and leaned into his chair as though being one of the youngest tech CEOs in the country wasn't a big deal.

“Well...” A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Let's just say it's my own form of revenge.”

I frowned.

“What does that even mean?”

For the first time since I had met him, the amusement disappeared from his face.

“I became an orphan when I was young,” he said quietly. “My parents were killed by my uncle. Everything I was supposed to inherit was stolen from me, and I was sold off to an orphanage like I didn't matter.”

My chest tightened despite myself.

There was something about the way he said it, so calmly and without asking for pity, that made the story feel even heavier.

“And the man who took it all,” he continued, his voice steady, “is still living off it. He's enjoying my family's wealth as though it was always his.”

“I'm so sorry you had to go through that.”

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

I studied his face for a moment before asking slowly, “Who...?”

Norman looked at me.

This time, he didn't look amused.

He looked directly into my eyes.

“The man you call your husband.”

My entire body went still.

I shook my head immediately, instinctively stepping back as though putting distance between us could somehow undo what I had just heard.

“That's not true,” I said firmly. “Dennis is the only surviving member of his family. He told me they all died in an accident. He was the only one who survived because he didn't join them on that trip.”

Norman let out a low scoff, almost amused by my certainty.

“There are a lot of things you don't know about Dennis,” he said. “But you should know this much. If you don't act fast, you're not just going to lose your inheritance. You're going to lose your family's empire entirely.”

My throat tightened.

“I don't understand.”

“While you were living as Nora,” he said, “Dennis was quietly running a long-term financial scheme against Lennox Global.”

My pulse immediately began to rise.

“What?”

“He manipulated contracts, rerouted investments through shell companies and drained millions from your company over the years without anyone noticing.”

“That’s not possible,” I said immediately. “Dennis has his own company. How would he even be able to infiltrate Lennox Global without anyone noticing?”

“Your best friend, Nadia.”

I froze.

“What?”

“She’s the strategist behind their private siphoning network,” he explained. “They target weak or poorly monitored companies, drain them slowly and reroute the funds through layers of fake accounts. Then they reinvest that money into Dennis's own empire, allowing his company to keep growing off stolen capital.”

I stared at him, unable to speak for several seconds.

“Jesus... Christ,” I finally whispered, my voice breaking slightly.

I lowered my gaze as the pieces began falling into place.

“I introduced her to Dennis,” I said quietly. “I trusted her. I never thought...”

My voice trailed off.

“I didn't even know she was that kind of person.”

Norman didn't look surprised by my reaction. If anything, he looked almost unimpressed.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Why do you think he's so obsessed with her?” he asked. “Because she's his mistress?”

He shook his head slightly.

“Come on. The only thing Dennis cares about is money.”

My stomach dropped.

Everything I thought I knew about my marriage suddenly felt like another lie.

“And now?” I whispered.

“Now,” he said, “with your father weakened and you presumed dead, he's positioning himself to acquire controlling shares at a fraction of their value.”

My hands slowly curled into fists.

“Once that happens, Lennox Global stops being yours.”

I felt anger burning through me.

“That bastard.”

The words came through clenched teeth.

I shook my head, furious with myself now.

“I'm so stupid. How did I let myself fall for someone like that?”

Norman watched me quietly for a moment.

“I'm honestly surprised,” he said. “But a win is a win, after all.”

I looked at him sharply.

“I swear I'm going to send Dennis to hell!”

My chest rose and fell heavily as I tried to control the anger boiling inside me.

Then I looked directly at Norman.

“So you helped me see the truth,” I said. “Now tell me what you actually want from me.”

He leaned back slightly.

“I thought you weren't interested in my offer,” he reminded me.

“I'm not in the mood for games,” I snapped. “Just tell me what I need to do to stop him.”

Norman studied me for a long moment.

His expression was unreadable, and something about the silence made my stomach tighten.

Then he finally spoke.

“Marry me, Genevieve.”