From Cell to Crown- The Disgraced Heiress Returns

Chapter 6

When Narissa returned home, she was shocked to find her old room now filled with Liora's belongings.

Lily, the maid, approached with an almost apologetic look. "Miss, this room now belongs to Miss Liora."

Narissa froze in the doorway, her throat tight. After a long silence, she forced out, "Then... where are my things?"

A minute later, Lily led her to a dusty guest room. Her expression was awkward as she gestured to the room. "Miss, after you left, we used this space to store your belongings. I can clear it out for you."

Narissa didn't respond. She spent more than half an hour searching the room but found only disappointment—her most precious possession, a photo of her and her mother, was gone.

After her mother passed, her father forbade anyone from mentioning her, tearing down her works and burning all family photos. He claimed he didn't want to be reminded of the sadness. Narissa had secretly hidden the last remaining photo frame, keeping it safe in a cupboard.

Panicked, she rushed back to her old room, only to find a photo frame resting on the bedside table. It was the very photo she had hidden—her mother holding her with a soft, loving smile. Tears welled in her eyes, but when she looked closer, she noticed something familiar in the frame: a hairpin. The one her brother had designed for her, alongside the necklace her mother had given her and the earrings Drake had once gifted her.

These were things she had kept with great care—things she had never dared wear—now in Liora's hands.

The pain was unbearable. Narissa's hands trembled as she reached for what was rightfully hers.

Just then, a voice rang out from behind her, "Narissa, what are you doing in my room?" Liora's shocked expression only fueled Narissa's rage. She spun around and slapped her sister across the face.

Liora screamed as she hit the ground, and Drake rushed to her side, helping her up with a frantic look. His face twisted with anger as he turned to Narissa. "Are you out of your mind? She's your sister!"

Seeing the tears on Liora's face, Drake's flustered panic intensified. He called for ice, his concern for Liora overwhelming.

Narissa, however, was beyond restraint. The words that spilled from her mouth were venomous. "Sister? She's just the illegitimate daughter from my father's affair."

Without warning, a sharp slap from Evan sent Narissa crashing to the floor. Her arm scraped the ground, blood staining her skin.

Glaring up from the floor, Narissa locked eyes with Evan. His cold, disgusted gaze made her feel as if she were nothing. Drake and Evan stood protectively beside Liora, forming an unbreakable shield around her.

Drake sneered. "You've gone too far. The only reason you're out of that private prison so quickly is because of Liora."

The words "private prison" struck Narissa like a physical blow, the memory of her nightmare flooding her mind. But this moment, this betrayal, felt like a new wound—one that sliced through her chest with a pain so sharp she could barely breathe.

Evan acted like nothing had happened, reaching out to help her up, his voice soft with mock concern. "Does your face hurt?"

How dare he speak to her like that? He was the one who slapped her. Narissa's anger flared, and she jerked her arm out of his reach. She stood up on her own, clutching the items in her hand as if they were the only things keeping her from falling apart.

Her voice trembled with fury as she confronted Liora, who stood behind Drake, trying to hide her guilty expression. "These are mine. How dare you take them without asking?"

Liora's face softened, her voice sweet and apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take anything that was yours. I just thought the jewelry was so pretty, and... Drake and Narissa gave them to me."

Narissa's eyes flickered with disbelief. She slowly turned toward the two men. "Is that so?"

The look of unease on both Drake and Evan's faces made her heart twist.

Evan, attempting to brush it off, replied coldly, "Liora just arrived and doesn't have any jewelry. If you like something, I'll buy it for you."

Drake stepped closer, reaching for Narissa, but his touch sent a chill through her. He softened his voice. "Narissa, it's not a big deal. If you like something, I'll buy it for you."

But Narissa remained silent, her gaze fixed on the jewelry—once symbols of love and care, now reminders of how everything had changed. The gifts that once meant everything were now worthless, just like the people who had given them.

With a small, bitter smile, she released her grip. The delicate jewelry clattered to the floor, the sound ringing through the room like a death knell.

Liora, visibly uncomfortable, bent down to gather the fallen pieces. Narissa's cold voice rang out, "Liora, you've always liked to take other people's things, haven't you? If you want them, they're yours."

She didn't want them anymore. She didn't want anything from them—people or possessions. It was all meaningless now.

Liora's face froze, a flash of malice flickering in her eyes. In a sudden, violent motion, she shoved Narissa to the floor, then bent down to snatch the jewelry.