Chapter 685

Eleanor stood frozen, water dripping in rivulets down her cheeks, sliding along her jawline, and soaking into the delicate fabric of her ruined gown. The glare of stage lights fractured into a thousand shards before her eyes, turning faces into warped, indistinct blurs. She could feel their gazes boring into her, heavy and suffocating. Not a single voice called out to her, not one hand stretched forward in concern. Every pair of eyes was locked on her face. Her… face?! A sharp pang of dread lanced through Eleanor’s chest. Her breath hitched, her eyes widening as realization struck like lightning. Instinctively, she turned her head toward the sea. The shimmering, crystal-blue surface rippled beneath the stage lights, and in it she saw a reflection—flawless, luminous, and utterly her own. It wasn’t Susan’s face staring back at her. It was her own. The disguise was gone. Eleanor’s pulse thundered in her ears. Panic clawed at her throat as the truth settled in. Her real features, long hidd