This man was not who Yara wanted.Her interactions with him were nothing more than a chance encounter at the bar, and she had played with him a few times out of boredom. Though he was tall like Jonathan, his appearance and status were far inferior.Status? Yara suddenly grasped something. "Yes, the marriage alliance between the Finch and Maize families is today. I'm the daughter of the Maize family, so the man marrying me should be from the Finch family, but he's not!"As far as she knew, Jack was her cousin, so marriage between them was impossible. There was said to be a mysterious fourth grandson in the Finch family, whom Yara knew was Ezra bearing the last name Turner. That left only Jonathan.Everyone was watching Jonathan, seemingly waiting to see how he would respond to Yara. But Jonathan suddenly laughed. He glanced at the groom onstage and then at Bella and Yosef."For a marriage alliance between the Finch and Maize families, you'll naturally be marrying a Finch. And t
The unrestrained mockery in Jonathan's laughter made everyone's hearts clench. Then, his clear and measured voice echoed throughout the room. "Ms. Maize's pregnancy is indeed something to celebrate, but who said the child is mine?"The question rendered everyone speechless for a moment. Ignoring the numerous people present, Bella questioned, "Jonathan, why wouldn't it be yours? That night, you and Yara—"A flicker of disgust crossed Jonathan's eyes as he cut her off. "Ms. Maize, haven't you informed them of what actually happened that night?"All eyes turned to Yara, including those of the Maize family. The multitude of gazes intensified Yara's mounting unease, and a flash of uncertainty crossed her eyes.Sensing something was off, Bella rushed to the stage and whispered urgently, "Yara, what does he mean? What haven't you told us?""I..." Yara's mind was reeling, unable to form a coherent response.Her reaction confirmed Bella's suspicions—that night wasn't as it seemed the ne
The wedding would inevitably continue, as even Eleanor affirmed, "Let's not delay the auspicious occasion any further."Both Bella and Yara resisted vehemently, but Jonathan's gaze was fixed on Rupert, clearly awaiting the Maize family's decision.Rupert was no fool. He knew that Jonathan's insistence on continuing the wedding wasn't just about punishing Yara—a more strategic purpose was at play, which was to sow discord within the family.If Yara were to marry Jonathan, it would undoubtedly bolster Jack's position. However, should she wed Liam, the newly acknowledged Finch family member, the Maize family would be forced to choose between supporting Jack and Liam in the inevitable power struggle.Rupert found himself caught between a rock and a hard place, yet he knew a decision had to be made. Everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for his choice.Finally, he let out a weary sigh and turned to Yara. "Go and complete the wedding."Bella and Yara were both
The woman's lips curled into an excited smile as she scanned the clothes hanging in the wardrobe. Among them was a school uniform.She paused, staring at it momentarily before her smile took on a colder edge as if she had just made a crucial decision. She reached for the uniform and changed into it.Staring into the mirror, she saw a young schoolgirl reflected back at her.With the wedding concluded and the guests departed, the hotel settled into its usual rhythm. Eleanor had delayed Jonathan, but once he had seen her off, he immediately headed downstairs."Where's Rose?" Jonathan asked as he exited the elevator, with Finley and Leonard following closely behind."Mrs. Finch left with Mr. Xanth in his car," Finley said, watching Jonathan carefully. He hesitated before finally speaking up. "Mr. Finch, Clover has been spending a lot of time with Mrs. Finch. Should we do something about it?"Jonathan frowned. "Can you stop him?"Finley fell silent, acknowledging that they couldn't
Eleanor immediately rejected the idea of inviting Rose to their home. She was worried that Jonathan's fascination with Rose would only lead to more paranoia and surveillance, which was becoming a nuisance.Suddenly, she thought of something. "I heard that Anastasia has gotten a divorce. Is that true?""That seems to be the case. Ms. Young and Anthony had been going through the divorce process for quite some time, but the Weasley family is resisting. "The media speculated that the divorce would never happen, but it finally did," Anna responded, clearly well-informed about the latest gossip. However, she couldn't quite grasp why Eleanor was suddenly interested in this. Eleanor didn't elaborate further.Regalia's high society had indeed been abuzz with recent events. First, the eldest daughter of the Maize family married the Finch family. Now, Anastasia had finally ended her own marriage.Rumors had long circulated that she was enamored with Jonathan. Now that she was single again
Having accepted the woman's apology, Lizzie decided not to dwell on the matter anymore. She gazed at the woman intently, a profound idea forming in her mind as she thought about the upcoming Young family charity auction."You have yet to pay your respects to Mr. Young Senior since his passing. It's only fitting that you do so now that your identity has been reestablished," she said.The woman felt a twinge of hesitation but knew better than to argue with Lizzie. "Alright. I shall visit him first thing tomorrow morning."Early the next day, the woman arrived at the cemetery with a bouquet of flowers. She gently placed them before Oliver's grave, her eyes fixed on the weathered photograph on the tombstone. A mix of cold determination and satisfaction flickered in her gaze. Her eyes gleamed with a triumphant light as she removed her sunglasses and mask. "Grandpa, I'm back. Do you still recognize me?" she rasped. Without waiting for a response, she continued in that same rough tone,
"Rose, how would you feel if someone from your past, someone you haven't seen in a long time, suddenly came back?" Miles asked, gazing up at the pitch-black sky."Someone from the past? Is this why he's drinking tonight? Could it be related to the secret he was hiding that day?" Rose mused. She smiled faintly. "Is this person a dear friend of yours?"Miles' eyes flickered with an indiscernible emotion. Over the past few days, he hadn't been able to track down the mysterious woman from the cemetery. However, he had watched the surveillance footage countless times, growing more certain with each viewing that the woman was Harriette.After the tragic accident all those years ago, everyone believed that Harriette had perished, but her body was never recovered. She was neither found alive nor confirmed dead."If it really is Harriette…" Miles thought as he stole a glance at Rose. He hesitated momentarily before deciding against mentioning Harriette. "She's... someone closer than a
Still reeling from her humiliation at the wedding and its aftermath, Yara finally snapped. She marched up to Rose and gave her a hard shove.Caught off guard, Rose staggered backward, only to be steadied by a pair of soft, delicate hands. The hands were gentle, yet firm.She instinctively turned to face her rescuer and found herself momentarily captivated by the stranger's appearance.Long, lustrous hair framed the woman's face, accentuated by an elegant beret perched atop her head. A black skirt and white blouse gracefully highlighted her slender figure. Though dark sunglasses concealed her eyes, the woman's refined features still managed to convey an unexpected warmth."Are you okay?" the woman asked, her raspy voice taking Rose by surprise.Sensing Rose's discomfort, the woman smiled wryly. "Sorry, my voice isn't the most pleasant. I suffered an injury years ago, so..."Realizing her mistake, Rose quickly apologized. "No, I didn't mean any offense. I..." She had no intention