Chapter 10
Serena was on the floor, mascara running down her face, screaming confessions like a woman possessed.
"He told me it was just to scare her! He said it would only leave a small burn—he didn't say it would blind her! And then afterwards, he said I had to get the surgery, change my identity, or he'd let me take the fall alone!"
Kieran lunged for her. "SHUT UP!"
Two officers intercepted him, grabbing his arms. He thrashed like a trapped animal, his carefully composed facade shattered completely.
"Get off me! Do you know who I am? I'll have your badges! This is entrapment!"
"Kieran Harris, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, attempted murder, fraud, and insurance fraud. You have the right to remain silent—"
"Ivy!" He wrenched his head toward me, and his eyes—those eyes I'd once loved, once trusted—were wild. "Ivy, listen to me. I loved you. Everything I did, I did because—"
"Because of money." I cut him off. My voice didn't shake. "You did it for money. My family's money. Then more money on top of that."
"No! It wasn't supposed to go this far! I just needed the trust fund released—I was going to take care of you—"
"By blinding me? By poisoning me? By planning my death?"
He was crying now. Actually crying, tears streaming down his face as officers pulled his arms behind his back. "I swear I wasn't going to let her kill you. I would have stopped it before—"
"Before what? Before my liver failed? Before I died in my sleep?" I stepped close—close enough to see every pore, every twitch of his lying face. "You watched her fill that vial with acid. You held my hand walking into that gala. You told me I looked stunning. And then you let her destroy my eyes."
His mouth opened, closed, opened again. Nothing came out.
"I shielded you with my body three years ago," I said quietly. "I thought the acid was meant for you. I jumped in front of you—and you let me."
He sagged in the officers' grip, all resistance leaving his body. "I tried to stop it... at the last second, I tried to pull you back..."
"You didn't try hard enough."
Detective Herrera entered through the front door, followed by four additional officers. The guests parted like water, pressing themselves against walls, recording everything.
As Kieran was led out in handcuffs, he looked back at me one final time. "Ivy... can you ever forgive me?"
I looked at him with the eyes he tried to take from me.
"I can finally see you clearly, Kieran. And there's nothing to forgive—because you were never the man I thought you were."
The door closed behind him.
Serena, zip-tied and sobbing, was hauled out the back. "He promised he'd love me! He promised if I did this, we'd be together! I gave up my face for him!"
No one responded. The officers put her in a separate car.
The house emptied slowly. Guests left in stunned silence, some offering me shaky words of support, most too shocked to speak.
When it was finally quiet, Mary appeared in the doorway. She'd been waiting outside the whole time, watching through the window.
She crossed the room in three strides and wrapped her arms around me.
I shook. For the first time in three years, I let myself shake. My body convulsed with the sobs I'd been holding back—through every poisoned meal, every sleepless night, every moment of pretending to be less than I was.
"It's over," Mary whispered into my hair. "It's over, Ivy."
But was it? My vision was already softening at the edges. The adrenaline that had kept me sharp was fading, and with it, the clarity of the world around me.
I was going blind again.
And this time, there might not be a miracle.
"He told me it was just to scare her! He said it would only leave a small burn—he didn't say it would blind her! And then afterwards, he said I had to get the surgery, change my identity, or he'd let me take the fall alone!"
Kieran lunged for her. "SHUT UP!"
Two officers intercepted him, grabbing his arms. He thrashed like a trapped animal, his carefully composed facade shattered completely.
"Get off me! Do you know who I am? I'll have your badges! This is entrapment!"
"Kieran Harris, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, attempted murder, fraud, and insurance fraud. You have the right to remain silent—"
"Ivy!" He wrenched his head toward me, and his eyes—those eyes I'd once loved, once trusted—were wild. "Ivy, listen to me. I loved you. Everything I did, I did because—"
"Because of money." I cut him off. My voice didn't shake. "You did it for money. My family's money. Then more money on top of that."
"No! It wasn't supposed to go this far! I just needed the trust fund released—I was going to take care of you—"
"By blinding me? By poisoning me? By planning my death?"
He was crying now. Actually crying, tears streaming down his face as officers pulled his arms behind his back. "I swear I wasn't going to let her kill you. I would have stopped it before—"
"Before what? Before my liver failed? Before I died in my sleep?" I stepped close—close enough to see every pore, every twitch of his lying face. "You watched her fill that vial with acid. You held my hand walking into that gala. You told me I looked stunning. And then you let her destroy my eyes."
His mouth opened, closed, opened again. Nothing came out.
"I shielded you with my body three years ago," I said quietly. "I thought the acid was meant for you. I jumped in front of you—and you let me."
He sagged in the officers' grip, all resistance leaving his body. "I tried to stop it... at the last second, I tried to pull you back..."
"You didn't try hard enough."
Detective Herrera entered through the front door, followed by four additional officers. The guests parted like water, pressing themselves against walls, recording everything.
As Kieran was led out in handcuffs, he looked back at me one final time. "Ivy... can you ever forgive me?"
I looked at him with the eyes he tried to take from me.
"I can finally see you clearly, Kieran. And there's nothing to forgive—because you were never the man I thought you were."
The door closed behind him.
Serena, zip-tied and sobbing, was hauled out the back. "He promised he'd love me! He promised if I did this, we'd be together! I gave up my face for him!"
No one responded. The officers put her in a separate car.
The house emptied slowly. Guests left in stunned silence, some offering me shaky words of support, most too shocked to speak.
When it was finally quiet, Mary appeared in the doorway. She'd been waiting outside the whole time, watching through the window.
She crossed the room in three strides and wrapped her arms around me.
I shook. For the first time in three years, I let myself shake. My body convulsed with the sobs I'd been holding back—through every poisoned meal, every sleepless night, every moment of pretending to be less than I was.
"It's over," Mary whispered into my hair. "It's over, Ivy."
But was it? My vision was already softening at the edges. The adrenaline that had kept me sharp was fading, and with it, the clarity of the world around me.
I was going blind again.
And this time, there might not be a miracle.