The Crown That Fell

When I came to, I was lying on the icy floor of the now-empty mansion.

I rushed to the hospital and signed the death confirmation under the pitying gazes of the doctors and nurses.

I stood in the morgue, looking at Dad's body. The sickness had taken its toll, but he still had that gentle look, as if he were just sleeping.

I rubbed my eyes, dry and tearless, wondering why I could not cry.

Then the nurse who cared for Dad came in. She handed me a torn medical record. Dad had left his last words on it before they took him off the ventilator.

I stared at the note.

[Sophia, my dear daughter, don't cry for what I chose. I just want you to be happy and free.]

Only then did the tears come.

Dad knew everything all along. He knew my struggles, my sacrifices for his illness, and that I was tormented. I was shackled.

He made one final choice for me. He used his death to give me the strength to break away and leave Nolan behind.

How could I let his sacrifice be in vain?

I pulled out my phone and opened the only unread message. I called the anonymous number without a second thought.

…

Stepping out of the funeral home with Dad's ashes, the sky opened up. I did not bother with an umbrella. The rain turned my wounds pale and raw, the chill seeping deep into my bones.

However, my heart was already icy, just like the ashes I carried.

Right then, the shrill roar of an engine sliced through the downpour.

A sleek black Maybach screeched to a halt in front of me, its tires cruelly splashing a wave of muddy water from a puddle, soaking me to the skin.

The car door swung open, and Nolan stepped out, his bodyguards forming a tight circle around him.

His eyes locked onto the urn cradled in my arms, and for a moment, he froze, then his face twisted with anger.

"Lena was right. You're really going all out with this charade, even getting yourself an urn to play the part in this rain!"

He grabbed the urn from me and hurled it to the ground.

I felt a surge of rage. Ignoring the pain racking my body, I dove for the urn and, thankfully, caught it just in time.

Nolan watched me, his expression a mix of confusion and annoyance.

"Sophia, cut the act. Elder Donna from the Browns wants to meet you. Play nice at tonight's party, and I'll forget you ever mentioned divorce three days ago."

He paused, eyeing the urn I was holding like a lifeline. "... And drop the lies. I'll make sure you and your dad have all the money you'll ever need."

He still thought I was lying? I looked up at him, letting an icy smile play on my lips.

"Alright, I'll go."

Nolan was clearly shocked, not expecting my quick compliance.

Without further thought, he signaled the bodyguards. They ushered me into the car, patched up my wounds, and administered a couple of potent painkillers.

Before long, it was evening.

Dressed in a green silk gown with long sleeves, I hid my injuries and walked into the gathering on Nolan's arm, the eyes of the mafia on us.

We looked like the perfect couple, deeply in love, as if my pain had never existed.

However, deep down, I was the only one who knew about the raging inferno of revenge that was burning inside me.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with the Brown family's elder Donna, Nolan moved on to mingle with the other mafia leaders.

Meanwhile, I seized the moment when no one was paying attention to stride up to the banquet hall's central stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I began, clearing my throat and switching on the microphone, "I'm grateful to the Browns for inviting me to this evening's gathering. I'd like to take this opportunity to make three announcements..."

My voice carried across the room, drawing everyone's attention to the stage, Nolan included.

He scowled, clearly not pleased with my impromptu speech.

However, I ignored him and continued on my own terms.

"First off, I need to set the record straight about the kidnapping last week. It wasn't some act I put on. It was a deadly trap set by my husband's mistress, Miss Lena, and my husband knew all about it but still made me take the fall."

The room erupted into murmurs of shock.

Without missing a beat, I went on, "Secondly, I'm here to tell you that my marriage to Mr. Nolan Winston ended three days ago. In other words, I'm no longer Nolan's wife, nor the Donna of the Winston family.

"And thirdly..." I slowly reached into my purse and pulled out a sleek, tiny derringer.

With everyone's eyes wide in disbelief, I took aim right between Nolan's eyes.

"Tonight, Nolan Winston is going to answer for my father's death!"