From Cell to Crown- The Disgraced Heiress Returns

Chapter 10

Elowen, still convinced by Narissa's calm words, didn't give them much thought and turned to leave. But before he could step out, Narissa called after him. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, bathed in soft sunlight, she spoke quietly, "Dad, this is the last time I'll call you."

For a fleeting moment, Elowen's mind wandered back to his younger days with Astrid. He was momentarily lost in the past before snapping back to the present, his gaze softening slightly. "Once you're married, stay calm. No matter what mistakes you make after that, no one will be there to help you."

Narissa lowered her eyes, a faint, almost mocking smile curving her lips.

On the fifth day, everyone was busy preparing for Liora's birthday celebration, but Narissa had other plans. She spent her money collecting all the videos exposing Drake's affair and arranged for them to go viral across the internet.

She even bought ad space on billboards, determined to let the world know about Drake's betrayal with Liora. Meanwhile, Narissa had also dug up evidence that Liora had framed her, and now with the truth in hand, it was clear that Liora had orchestrated everything.

By the time the truth came out, they'd likely already be on their private island, as Elowen planned to reveal Liora's true identity during the birthday celebration that night. But none of that mattered to Narissa anymore. She had already booked her flight and was on her way overseas.

Meanwhile, on the island, Drake searched for Narissa but couldn't find her. Evan finally told him that she hadn't come because she was feeling unwell.

"Narissa's not feeling well?" Drake asked, surprised.

Evan shrugged, an edge of impatience in his voice. "It's just an excuse. She's probably throwing a tantrum somewhere."

Drake frowned, concern flashing across his face. "Aren't you worried about her?"

Evan glanced at him, slightly taken aback by his sudden concern. "She's always been spoiled and temperamental. It's just another tantrum about Liora."

Evan paused, then smirked. "But you—why are you suddenly concerned? Today's Liora's birthday. Don't upset her."

Drake's face darkened, his eyes narrowing as he turned to Evan. "Evan, Narissa is your sister."

His brows furrowed as frustration built inside him. "She's been acting off these past few days, and now she's gone. Did you even think about that?"

Evan froze, struck speechless. The smile faded from his face, and he stood there in silence.

Drake didn't wait for him to respond. His frustration grew as he repeatedly dialed Narissa's number, but it went unanswered. A deep unease settled in his stomach.

The growing sense of dread only intensified when Drake learned that Narissa hadn't shown up. His mind replayed the past few days—how he had barely spent time with her, consumed by Liora's birthday preparations. It hit him like a ton of bricks: Narissa had barely spoken to him lately.

He promised himself that once she returned, he would spend more time with her, but before he could even begin searching, his phone buzzed. It was a message from his assistant: "Mr. Kingsley, your relationship with Miss Liora is trending online. You should take a look."

Drake froze. What was going on with him and Liora? He clicked the link, and his heart sank.

The internet was flooded with intimate photos and videos of him and Liora. The comments were endless, questioning his relationship with her.

Without wasting a second, he turned to his assistant. "Take down the trending topic. Block all the information. We can't let Narissa see this."

His voice trembled with anxiety as he added, "We need to act fast. If we do, Narissa won't find out."

But the next moment, his secretary's words shattered his hopes. "Mr. Kingsley, the trending topic is too big. We can't take it down."

Furious, Drake threw his phone to the ground, his face dark with rage. "Useless!"

He scrambled to use his connections to remove the posts, but as soon as he succeeded, they popped back up even higher. Frustration built in his chest, and he quickly typed out a message to Narissa, hoping to explain everything.

"Narissa, everything online is false. I have nothing to do with her, please believe me."

He couldn't stand the thought of Narissa, who despised cheaters, seeing the news. The idea of her knowing the truth made his stomach churn.

But as he hit send, his phone froze. A message popped up: "The message failed to send."

It hit him like a ton of bricks. Narissa had blocked his number.