Chapter 1424
Chapter 1424:
Gia collapsed into her chair, mind blanking as she whispered on endless repeat, “It’s finished. Everything’s finished.” Beside her, Kimberly and Westley sat petrified like marble statues, too shellshocked to produce a single syllable.
In stark opposition to their despair, Leonel drowned in exhilaration. When Sally walked the earth, he’d filmed countless videos of their intimate family moments, capturing their warmth and laughter on camera. After her disappearance, Gia had discovered those files buried in his computer and secretly destroyed the machine.
With the computer obliterated, those precious fragments of Sally had seemingly evaporated forever, surviving only in the locked vault of Leonel’s memory. Never—not in his most desperate fantasies—had he imagined Elliana would resurrect footage of Sally dancing.
To a man who had cherished his wife with every atom of his soul, this recording transcended priceless. It carried the same weight for Adah.
Tears carved rivers down Adah’s face as she watched her mother glide across the screen, her voice fracturing with emotion. “Elliana, how did you recover this?”
Elliana’s expression softened into genuine warmth. “When your mom performed this piece all those years back, you filmed it and sent it to me. I’ve safeguarded it ever since. The instant I witnessed Rowena brazenly plundering Sally’s work, I excavated the file and had it restored in high definition.”
What had begun as a fleeting digital memory shared between children had been fiercely protected by Elliana for fifteen years. It was more than loyalty; it was a bond forged in titanium—the ultimate ride-or-die devotion.
Elliana nudged Adah playfully, a mischievous glint returning to her eyes. “So, did my little bombshell land with enough of a bang?”
Adah could barely articulate her gratitude. “Elliana… thank you. For everything.”
Drawing a deep, steadying breath, Adah pivoted toward the stunned audience. Her voice didn’t just carry; it commanded the room, ringing out with the strength of a woman finally reclaiming her legacy. “I know you’re all wondering who that woman on the screen is. Let me introduce her. That is my mother, Sally. Dance was her lifeblood, and Moonlight Shadow was her heartbeat—her original creation!”
𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 → g⍶𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀ꞏⅽ𝗼𝗺
Before the crowd could even process the revelation, Elliana’s voice sliced through the air like a guillotine. She pinned Rowena to the spot with a glare that could peel paint. “Rowena, you can’t deny that this video is fifteen years old, can you? Look at that screen. Can you honestly deny that the woman dancing your ‘masterpiece’ is your own aunt? Can you deny that you stole the piece from Sally?”
Elliana’s accusations landed like stones—each one irrefutable. Rowena couldn’t deny a single word, no matter how desperately she searched for an escape. Her face blazed crimson, shame and fury twisting together until they choked her silent. One thought pounded through her skull like a war drum: run.
But running wasn’t an option. A dozen security guards formed an impenetrable wall around the stage, blocking every exit. Trapped. She was trapped in this public execution.
Rowena wanted to beg Elliana for mercy, to plead for a way out. But what would be the point? Adah and Elliana were ruthless—she’d known that truth since they were children. They wouldn’t grant her anything. Not mercy. Not escape.
Elliana stared down at Rowena’s crumpled form without a trace of sympathy. “Since you can’t deny the facts, are you finally going to admit you stole Adah’s mother’s original work? Or are you going to claim you choreographed Moonlight Shadow when you were five years old?”
Rowena wouldn’t risk such a monstrous fabrication. Had she created that defining piece as a child, she’d be a legend already, eliminating the desperate need to grovel and cheat her way into this contest. Even if she did lie, no one would believe her. Silence was her only, ugly option.
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