?Chapter 559:


    Ruben made no move to introduce Cole, nor did he leap into discussing Cole’s condition. Instead, he eased into light conversation with Elliana, threading niceties with quiet precision.


    Elliana saw it for what it was: a subtle interrogation wrapped in pleasantries. This wasn’t idle chatter—it was Ruben vetting her, weighing her presence. He would never risk exposing Cole, heir to the Evans legacy, to just anyone. Especially not with a rare condition like Psychephrenia involved.


    Elliana matched his pace—calm,posed, and careful. Her answers were thoughtful, never rushed. The dialogue flowed smoothly, the test unfolding in smiles.


    Eventually, Ruben leaned back, apparently satisfied. “Dr. Atkinson, would you kindly examine me now?”


    Elliana smiled. “Please extend your arm.”


    Rubenid his forearm on the table. She pressed her fingers to his wrist, her concentration unwavering. After a quiet moment, she pulled away. “You’re in perfect health,” she said—this time, in her real voice.


    Ruben jolted. That voice—it was unmistakably a woman’s. And impossibly, it was Elliana’s. His eyes widened as he stared at her, the illusion unraveling before him.


    Elliana’s smile deepened, tinged with quiet triumph. “I am Elliana,” she said.


    Ruben froze, disoriented, eyes darting from her face to Cole in silent demand for rity.


    Cole gave a slight, deliberate nod. “Grandpa, it’s really her.”


    Ruben’s breath hitched. He turned back to Elliana, now visibly shaken. “Is this your true appearance?”


    “The face is mine,” she said with steadyposure. “The hair and the Adam’s apple were props.”


    With graceful precision, she peeled away the wig and removed the prosthetic from her throat. In an instant, the poised young man vanished, reced by a vision of ethereal beauty. Her waist-length hair tumbled down in glossy waves, softening her—


    entire presence softened the room. Ruben could only stare, stunned into silence. He had spent years believing the whispers that a childhood fire had disfigured Elliana beyond recognition, forcing her to conceal her face beneath grotesqueyers of makeup. But it had all been a lie. There were no scars. No ruin. Just a face so striking that it belonged more to myth than memory.


    Ruben’s mouth fell open, and then—unexpectedly—augh burst from him. He had carried a quiet unease about forcing their marriage, thinking he had doomed his grandson to a life of pity with an unattractive wife. But now? Now he saw the truth. They were perfectly matched. Fated, almost.


    gα?ησν????s offers tales worth telling


    Theughter faded, reced by a frown as memories stirred in Ruben. That cascade of hair… He remembered a night, long ago, when he had invited Elliana to join him in watching the moon. She had arrived in a flowing white gown, her face caked in pale, almost haunting makeup. The same cascade of hair. He had mistaken her for a ghost and fainted on the spot. She had told him it was a wig. And like a fool, he had believed her. The memory ignited fresh irritation in Ruben. She had been ying him for a fool all along!


    Noticing the storm brewing across his face, Elliana couldn’t resist teasing. “Why the long face? Am I so hideous without the disguise that I gave you a fright?”


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