“Yes, you did,” I said. “You showed me exactly who you are.”
Lady Agatha was shaking now, her composure crumbling. “This is a conspiracy,” she spat. “You’re all in on it. You think you can just waltz in here and take what’s mine?”
“It was never yours,” Thomas said. “My father loved my mother. He loved me. But you poisoned his mind. You made him believe I had betrayed him. And when he found out the truth, he was too weak to fight you. So he hid the deed and waited for the right moment.”
“The right moment?” Lady Agatha sneered. “This is your right moment? A wedding that’s a sham?”
“The wedding was the cover,” Thomas said. “We knew you would never let Elara near the family without a reason. So we created one. We made you think she was just a poor girl in love, so you would let your guard down.”
Arthur looked at me, his eyes wide. “You used me?”
“I used the situation,” I said. “But I never meant to hurt you. I thought… I thought maybe you really did love me. But now I see that you love your money more.”
“That’s not true!” Arthur insisted. “I was just scared. She’s been controlling me my whole life. I didn’t know what to do.”
“You knew,” I said. “You knew, and you chose her.”
Lady Agatha laughed, a hollow, desperate sound. “You think you’ve won? You think a piece of paper means anything? I have the family’s money. I have the accounts. I have the power. You have nothing but a deed to a church that’s falling apart.”
“You’re wrong,” Thomas said. “The deed is just the beginning. My father’s will also includes the estate, the investments, and the controlling share of the family business. And it all goes to Elara.”
Lady Agatha staggered, gripping the altar for support. “You’re lying,” she whispered. “You’re lying.”
“The lawyer is on his way,” Thomas said. “He’ll have the original will with him. And this time, there’s no way to forge it.”
I looked at Lady Agatha, at the woman who had made my life a living hell for months. Her face was a mask of rage and fear. And I felt a surge of triumph.
“You thought you could destroy me,” I said. “You thought I was nothing. But I’m the granddaughter of the man you betrayed. And I’m not going anywhere.”
Lady Agatha’s eyes narrowed. “You little…”
She raised her cane, ready to strike. But before she could, the church doors burst open.
“Stop!” a voice shouted.
Everyone turned. Standing in the doorway was a woman in a police uniform, with a man in a suit beside her.
“Lady Agatha,” the officer said, “you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Thomas Harrington, and for fraud.”
Lady Agatha’s cane clattered to the floor. The crowd gasped.
“This is a mistake,” she stammered. “I’ve never seen this man in my life.”
“We have witnesses,” the officer said. “And a recording of your confession.”
She turned to me, her eyes blazing. “You! You planned this!”
“I didn’t plan anything,” I said. “I just came to get married. But you couldn’t let that happen, could you? You had to destroy me. And in doing so, you destroyed yourself.”
As they led Lady Agatha away in handcuffs, I turned to Arthur. He was standing alone, his face pale.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t fix it,” I said. “You had a choice, and you made it. Now live with it.”
Thomas put his arm around me. “Come, Elara. Let’s go home.”
“Home?” I asked.
“The estate,” he said. “It’s yours now. And I’ll be there to help you rebuild it.”
I looked back at the altar, at the tiara still lying on the floor. It was just a piece of plastic. But it had given me the strength to walk down that aisle.
And now, I was walking away with something far more valuable.
Previously: Elara walked down the aisle in a borrowed dress and a costume tiara. Everyone mocked her. Then the lawyer opened the envelope, and Lady Agatha’s world collapsed.
The Truth Behind the Tiara
The next weeks were a blur of lawyers, bankers, and endless paperwork. Thomas guided me through it all with a calm patience that I had never known. He was my father, a stranger who had become my closest ally.
We moved into the estate — the sprawling mansion that Lady Agatha had ruled for decades. The staff was wary at first, but Thomas earned their trust with his kindness. And I, with my frayed lace dress, quickly learned to wear silk.
