An hour had passed.

Lia stood in the center of her room, her suitcase neatly packed with the few important things she was taking with her. Clothes, essentials, and her fake documents—pieces of the identity she had built for herself.

Her gaze drifted to the bedside table where two neatly folded letters lay.

One for Georgia.

One for Felix.

She had poured everything into those letters—the truth, the guilt, the real reason she had kept up this deception. Every stroke of ink carried the weight of her sins, the ache of her deception.

Would they ever forgive her?

She wasn’t sure.

Taking one last look at the room—the room that had become her sanctuary for the past two months—Lia let out a slow breath.

A sad, lingering smile crossed her lips.

"Thank you."

She whispered the words into the empty space before stepping out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

As she made her way down the staircase, a fleeting thought passed through her mind—

Should she apologize to Lucian once more?

No.

She had already embarrassed herself enough in front of him.

He had made it clear what he thought of her.

Lia clenched her fists, pushing away the sting of shame.

No more second-guessing.

No more looking back.

She walked out the front doors of the Grey Manor, the crisp evening air hitting her skin as she approached the sleek black car waiting for her.

The driver, a tall, well-dressed man, stepped forward and handed her a small stack of cards.

Lia frowned as she took them.

She flipped through them, her eyes narrowing.

"Paris?"

She looked at the driver, suspicion creeping into her voice. "I thought I could go wherever I wanted?"

The driver remained silent, only handing her a cellphone.

Lia’s stomach twisted.

She hesitated before taking it, bringing it to her ear.

"Hello?"

A familiar voice echoed through the line, deep and composed.

"It’s me."

Lia’s breath caught.

Lucian.

Her grip tightened on the phone. "What’s going on? Why are you sending me to Paris?"

Lucian’s voice remained indifferent. "Answer my question first."

Lia frowned. "What question?"

"You want revenge, don’t you?"

Lia stiffened. Her fingers curled into the fabric of her dress as she responded coldly, "I do."

A pause.

"Then you’ll have to prove yourself."

Lia’s eyes widened in shock.

"What?"

"You need to pass some tests before I’ll help you."

Lia scoffed, shaking her head. "Are you joking right now?"

"I’ve enrolled you in one of the best academies in Paris," Lucian continued, ignoring her interruption. "Acting, singing, refining your skills—everything you’ll need to become someone the world takes seriously."

Lia clenched her jaw.

She knew what he meant.

Revenge wasn’t just about hatred—it was about power.

It was about becoming someone no one could ever look down on again.

Lucian’s voice was steady as he added, "It won’t be easy."

Lia let out a short, bitter laugh.

"Like anything in my life has ever been easy?"

Another silence stretched between them.

Then—

"April."

Lia flinched.

She turned to the car window, watching the trees blur past as the driver began the journey.

"I prefer Cordelia."

Lucian exhaled through the phone. "Cordelia, if someday you think you can’t do it anymore—just forget about revenge."

Lia dug her nails into her palm, the sting grounding her.

Her voice was laced with quiet fury as she responded, "I didn’t suffer and come this far just to give up."

Lucian was silent for a moment.

"Good to know."

Something in his tone shifted—less cold, more… thoughtful.

Lia hesitated before asking the question that had been lingering in the back of her mind.

"I thought you hated me."

Lucian didn’t hesitate. "I still do."

Lia’s lips curled into a dry smile.

"That’s why you’re sending me away?"

"Exactly."

Lia let out a soft chuckle, though it was devoid of humor.

"I wish I could believe that."

Lucian sighed. "Believe whatever you want."

Then—click.

The line went dead.

Lia pulled the phone away, staring at it for a moment before letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

"Paris, huh?"

She looked out at the night sky.

This was it.

Her new beginning.

And the first step toward making Ophelia pay.