Chapter 14 - The Disguise Comes Off
Before Adrien could demand further answers, the elderly maid slowly rose to her feet. With deliberate, unhurried movements, she reached up and unwrapped the grey head covering, letting her styled silver hair cascade down her shoulders.
Khloe blinked, her mouth parting in utter confusion.
Eleanor Kingston stood tall, her posture radiating the unmistakable, commanding authority of a billionaire matriarch. From her pocket, she retrieved the small family signet ring and a corporate tablet, placing them down onto the marble counter with a sharp, echoing clink.
Adrien stared at his mother, his breath catching in his throat. “Mom... what are you doing in a maid's uniform?”
“I was doing what any protective mother and founder must do, Adrien,” Eleanor replied steadily, her voice echoing off the tile walls. “I was finding out who the woman marrying into our family really is when she believes nobody important is watching.”
Khloe staggered backward, her hands flying to her mouth as the staggering reality crashed down upon her. The maid she had insulted, humiliated, berated, and ordered around like a slave for weeks was none other than Eleanor Kingston—the sole owner of the empire she sought to plunder.
“This... this is a sick joke!” Khloe shrieked, her voice cracking with pure panic. “You set me up! You trapped me!”
Eleanor calmly tapped the screen of the tablet on the counter, hitting play on the master audio file.
Crystal-clear and unedited, Khloe’s voice echoed across the room for everyone to hear: “Adrien is a good man... honestly, sometimes he’s just too stupidly trusting... once the papers are officially signed, the entire Kingston empire is basically ours.”
The room fell into a tomb-like silence. Adrien listened to every single word, his face turning pale before settling into an expression of cold, absolute disgust. He looked at Khloe, the illusions of the past two years shattering into a million pieces.
“You never loved me,” Adrien whispered, his voice shaking with profound betrayal. “You only loved what my family name could buy you.”
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“Adrien, please! Let me explain!” Khloe wept hysterically, reaching out to grab his sleeve.
Adrien pulled his arm away violently, stepping back as if touching her would burn him. “We are done. The engagement is canceled, the wedding is off, and my legal team will ensure you never come within a mile of any Kingston property again.”
