Chapter 5

Nora 's POV

For a second, I just stared at him, then I laughed not because it was funny, but because it had to be a lie.

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

His brow lifted.

“That company is worth trillions,” I continued, my voice rising slightly. “It’s one of the biggest rivals to my family’s empire.

You don’t just casually wake up and become that kind of person.”

Without saying another word, he reached for his phone.

He unlocked it, turned the screen toward me, and showed me his Forbes profile under the headline Youngest Self-Made Tech CEO in the Country.

“No…” I whispered. “How are you…how are you this young and already running something like that?”

He leaned back again like it was nothing.

“Well…let's just say, it's my own form of revenge”

“What does that even mean?”

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

My chest tightened despite myself.

“And the man who took it all,” he continued calmly, “is still living off it. Enjoying my family’s wealth”

“I'm so sorry you had to go through that..“Who…?” I asked slowly.

He looked at me then, fully.

“The man you call your husband.”

I shook my head immediately, stepping back slightly as if distance could undo what I had just heard.

“That’s not true,” I said firmly. “Dennis is the only surviving member of his family. He said 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.

“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 financial scheme against Lennox Global.”

My pulse began to rise.

“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 said. “They target weak or poorly monitored companies, drain them slowly, reroute the funds through layers of fake accounts, then reinvest it into Dennis ’s own empire to keep it growing off stolen capital.”

“Jesus… Christ,” I whispered, my voice breaking slightly. “I introduced her to Dennis . I didn’t think… I didn’t even know she was that kind of person.”

Norman didn’t look surprised. If anything, he looked almost unimpressed by my shock.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

“Why do you think he’s so obsessed with her? Because she’s his mistress?” he continued, almost mocking the idea. “Come on.The only thing Dennis cares about is money”

I felt my stomach drop.

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

My hands curled into fists.

“That bastard,” I said, anger breaking through the shock. “I’m so stupid. How did I let myself fall for someone like that?”

“I’m honestly surprised. But a win is a win after all.”

“I swear I'm going to send Dennis to hell!” I said heaving heavily. “So you helped me see the truth,” I said. “Now tell me what you actually want from me.”

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

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

“Marry me, Genevieve.”