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Chapter 18
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2025-01-10 17:38:21Related chapters
Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 19
Two months later, I got the news that Leo and Cindy were getting married because Cindy was pregnant. I didn’t need much imagination to figure out what happened. That mother-daughter duo, who had spent years mocking my mom, ended up using tactics no better than hers. Well, maybe a little better. At least Cindy got to marry Leo. The wedding took place as planned. Half the company attended, and the reception was hosted at one of the luxury five-star hotels owned by Starline Corporation. It was extravagant and grand. I stayed in my office, flipping through the files my private investigator had gathered. Christine had been siphoning millions of dollars from Mary over the years. The words on the documents made my head ache. I closed the folder, grabbed my coffee, and stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at the cityscape outside. My mind wandered to a sunny memory of a man with a pure, warm smile repeatedly telling me he loved me. Saying I didn’t feel any regret
Last Updated : 2025-01-10Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 20
When I walked into the wedding arm-in-arm with George, the entire room was dumbfounded. All eyes were on us, stealing the spotlight from the bride and groom. We arrived late because I had to buy this dress and get my hair and makeup done. By the time we got there, the ceremony was already over, and the bride and groom were changing outfits for the reception dinner. Under the weight of countless stares, we made our way to the groom’s main table and took our seats. Nathan glared at George, his face dark. George, however, remained unbothered. Once seated, he even began serving me food like a perfect gentleman. I had to bite my tongue to keep from looking over at my family’s table, afraid I’d burst into laughter at their expressions. The newlyweds started making their rounds, offering toasts at each table. Naturally, they began with the main table. Leo froze the moment he saw me. Cindy, who had been all smiles as she addressed Leo’s parents as “Mom” and “Dad”, turned h
Last Updated : 2025-01-10Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 21
Near the New Year, Christine demanded an exorbitant ten million from Mary as hush money, constantly using Xavier’s death to blackmail her. Mary, worn down by Christine’s greed, finally snapped, realizing Christine would never be satisfied. She arranged to meet Christine alone. I had already hired a private investigator to install surveillance software on Christine’s phone. It recorded everything—their conversation, the moment Christine drank the poisoned drink Mary prepared, and her agonized struggle as the poison took effect. The police burst in, arresting Mary on the spot. Christine, saved by timely medical intervention, survived. She testified that eight years ago, Mary had coerced her into making an almond tart laced with poison to trick Xavier into eating it. Xavier, suspicious after just one bite, refused to eat any more. However, Mary, utterly ruthless, forced Christine to hold Xavier down and shove the tart into his mouth. The final verdict came down. Mary w
Last Updated : 2025-01-10Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 1
I was an illegitimate child. Yep, my mother was the infamous homewrecker everyone despised. She was just an intern at a hotel when she met my father, the CEO of some big corporation.Apparently, my father was drunk that night, and after a wild fling, my mother stuck to him like glue. Back then, she was young and beautiful. No man could resist someone like her throwing themselves at them.My father thought throwing some money at her and keeping a little side piece would be simple enough, but my mother had bigger plans. She secretly got pregnant, hoping to force her way into the main seat. When that didn’t work, she cried, screamed, and even threatened to end it all just to bring me into the world.I was born a month premature because my mother, hearing that my father’s wife had just given birth, rushed to the hospital to have an emergency C-section. She didn’t even wait for the anesthesia to wear off before calling my father, demanding he claim his newborn daughter.However, guess w
Last Updated : 2025-01-10Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 2
After that, my father started visiting once or twice a month. He didn’t have much to say to my mother, but he’d chat with me, tell me stories, and sometimes take me out for a meal.My mother, though, was relentless. One rainy night, she got my father drunk again.The next morning, when he woke up in her bed, he looked like his world had fallen apart. It seemed possible to make the same mistake twice.Ten months later, my brother, Xavier Norton, was born. The first time I saw him, all wrinkled and red, I thought he was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen.He cried his little toothless head off, face flushed bright red. I reached out with a finger to poke his cheek, and just like that, he stopped crying. Instead, he turned his head and latched onto my finger, sucking on it with all his might.With my brother’s arrival, my father moved us into a bigger apartment, and the monthly allowance doubled. Life got a bit better.My mother, holding my baby brother, was filled with renewed ambitio
Last Updated : 2025-01-10Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 3
When Xavier was twelve, I got accepted into the finance program at Futura University in Salone City. My new life was full of hope, and I couldn’t wait to start. The only thing that weighed on my mind was Xavier. With a mother like ours, he barely had a steady supply of food, let alone a decent life.He’d just gotten into middle school, still chubby like a little kid, not yet hitting puberty. Despite that, he spoke like an adult, trying to comfort me, “Willow, don’t worry about me. Go to Salone City. I can take care of myself and look after Mother too.”I used the money I’d earned from my summer job to hire a housekeeper to cook for them. Still, I left for Salone City with a heart full of worry.Undergraduate life was busy and exciting, and for the first time in my eighteen years, I felt like I was truly living. As no one there knew I was an illegitimate child, no one mocked or looked down on me. I also didn’t have to deal with a mother drowning her life away at the gambling table
Last Updated : 2025-01-10Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 4
Six years later, when I returned to this city, I had completed both my undergrad and grad studies at Futura University.During those six years, I lived away from home, working part-time to pay my tuition. I never came back or contacted anyone from my past because I was afraid, afraid to face what I’d left behind. Thinking about Xavier, especially, was like an open wound I wasn’t ready to approach. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it together if I did.My mother still lived in the same old apartment. She was only in her forties, but years of late-night gambling and living carelessly had made her look bloated and aged. Her once beautiful face was long gone.When she opened the door and saw me standing there, she froze for a full minute. Then, she wiped away a tear with her rough hand. “You ungrateful girl, why are you back? So you remember you have a mother? Your brother had more heart than you ever did! If he were still here…”“He’s been gone for six years.” I cut her off coldly.
Last Updated : 2025-01-10Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 5
“Um…” My father looked uncomfortable.I sighed softly. “Xavier used to tell me all the time that he wished he had more time with you. He really looked up to you, but you were always so busy. Now that he’s gone, I just want to stay by your side, you know, to be there for you, just like he would’ve been. And besides, you're such a success in this city, a real powerhouse. I’d love to learn from you.”Seeing my father's expression soften, I seized the moment and said, “I want to start from the bottom, as a regular employee. I promise I won’t use your name to get any special treatment or embarrass you. I’ll even go by the name Willow Grange. No one will know I’m your daughter.”He couldn’t refuse me any longer, though he didn’t exactly give me what I wanted either. Instead of placing me in the main company of Heights Corp, he quietly arranged for me to start at one of his subsidiary investment firms. I was hired as an entry-level employee in the development department.The HR manager at
Last Updated : 2025-01-10
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Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 21
Near the New Year, Christine demanded an exorbitant ten million from Mary as hush money, constantly using Xavier’s death to blackmail her. Mary, worn down by Christine’s greed, finally snapped, realizing Christine would never be satisfied. She arranged to meet Christine alone. I had already hired a private investigator to install surveillance software on Christine’s phone. It recorded everything—their conversation, the moment Christine drank the poisoned drink Mary prepared, and her agonized struggle as the poison took effect. The police burst in, arresting Mary on the spot. Christine, saved by timely medical intervention, survived. She testified that eight years ago, Mary had coerced her into making an almond tart laced with poison to trick Xavier into eating it. Xavier, suspicious after just one bite, refused to eat any more. However, Mary, utterly ruthless, forced Christine to hold Xavier down and shove the tart into his mouth. The final verdict came down. Mary w
Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 20
When I walked into the wedding arm-in-arm with George, the entire room was dumbfounded. All eyes were on us, stealing the spotlight from the bride and groom. We arrived late because I had to buy this dress and get my hair and makeup done. By the time we got there, the ceremony was already over, and the bride and groom were changing outfits for the reception dinner. Under the weight of countless stares, we made our way to the groom’s main table and took our seats. Nathan glared at George, his face dark. George, however, remained unbothered. Once seated, he even began serving me food like a perfect gentleman. I had to bite my tongue to keep from looking over at my family’s table, afraid I’d burst into laughter at their expressions. The newlyweds started making their rounds, offering toasts at each table. Naturally, they began with the main table. Leo froze the moment he saw me. Cindy, who had been all smiles as she addressed Leo’s parents as “Mom” and “Dad”, turned h
Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 19
Two months later, I got the news that Leo and Cindy were getting married because Cindy was pregnant. I didn’t need much imagination to figure out what happened. That mother-daughter duo, who had spent years mocking my mom, ended up using tactics no better than hers. Well, maybe a little better. At least Cindy got to marry Leo. The wedding took place as planned. Half the company attended, and the reception was hosted at one of the luxury five-star hotels owned by Starline Corporation. It was extravagant and grand. I stayed in my office, flipping through the files my private investigator had gathered. Christine had been siphoning millions of dollars from Mary over the years. The words on the documents made my head ache. I closed the folder, grabbed my coffee, and stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at the cityscape outside. My mind wandered to a sunny memory of a man with a pure, warm smile repeatedly telling me he loved me. Saying I didn’t feel any regret
Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 18
In the middle of August, it was Nathan Jefferson’s 52nd birthday celebration. The banquet was held at Willow Creek Resort, a garden-style boutique hotel. It was an intimate gathering with just close family and friends. Even George had flown in from overseas. My father brought me along, and I knew why. After seeing how long Leo and I had been dating with no formal acknowledgment, he was getting anxious. Heights Corp desperately needed to secure ties with the Jeffersons. Although I wasn’t attending as Leo’s girlfriend but as the daughter of a business partner, I couldn’t help feeling excited. At the banquet, I presented myself as composed and charming, perfectly embodying the ideal daughter-in-law in the eyes of Leo’s parents. They were full of praise, with his mother even holding my hand and half-joking about making me her goddaughter on the spot. George rolled his eyes.Just as the conversation was flowing smoothly, Leo received a phone call. His expression turned c
Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 17
George and I went to the police station to give our statements. The police opened a case and started reviewing nearby surveillance footage to track the perpetrators. However, deep down, I knew this was a loss I’d have to swallow. It was also a stark reminder that Mary was ruthless. Years ago, she had used something as innocuous as an almond tart to quietly get rid of Xavier. If she could do it then, she could just as easily use the same dirty tricks to get rid of me now. If one attempt failed, there would be a second and a third. Now that I’d secured my position at Heights Corp, holding onto its most vital secrets, it was time to settle the score for the hatred that had burned inside me for seven long years. Since returning to this city, I hadn’t stopped searching for Georgina, the housekeeper who had worked for my father’s family all those years ago. My father had told me that after Xavier’s death, Mary had immediately dismissed her. Georgina’s real name was Christ
Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 16
The hallucinogen’s effects didn’t last long. Ten minutes later, I was clear-headed again, sitting on the curb next to the man who’d saved me, waiting for the police to arrive. The two men who had tried to kidnap me had fled. Honestly, it wasn’t entirely the fault of the man beside me. He had one of them by the collar, but I clung to his arm so desperately that the guy managed to wriggle free and escape. My savior sat there, cradling the shattered remains of his phone, and sighed. “You didn’t really need to smash my phone. I was already calling the cops when you grabbed it.” I rubbed my hands together nervously. “I’ll pay for it. I swear.” My gaze drifted to his chest, where a couple of shirt buttons were missing, revealing a glimpse of his strong, muscular torso. I glanced away. “I’ll pay for the shirt, too.” I never expected the man who rescued me to be George. This area was close to Starline Corporation, and he happened to pass by. He’d seen the two men trying to
Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 15
I wasn’t planning to look for Leo, but he came to find me instead. He looked much thinner than before. In his simple white shirt and jeans, he resembled a well-behaved college kid. Honestly, he wasn’t my type. He was too clean-cut, and his life was always smooth sailing. I’ve always thought he and I were from two different worlds. However, when he carefully pulled two concert tickets out of his pocket and handed them to me with hopeful eyes, my heart couldn’t help but melt. “Actually, I’m not really into jazz,” I said, making no move to take the tickets. His expression fell instantly, the little spark in his eyes fading away. “But if you’re willing to join me, how about we catch a movie instead?” I said, reaching out to take his hand.That’s how I started dating Leo, with my heart in it this time. I even gave him my old notebook filled with notes I’d made about him: his likes and dislikes, his interest in wine, golf rules, the origins of jazz and its key figures…
Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 14
The Nortons placed great importance on Cindy and Leo’s engagement. As I delved deeper into the workings of Heights Corp, I discovered that the company, despite its polished facade, was a shell of its former self. With traditional businesses shrinking, it had failed to transition into emerging industries. The outdated operational model left it vulnerable to market forces. The Nortons desperately needed support from the Jeffersons to survive. Before long, rumors spread that Leo was planning to break off the engagement. Word had it that he had already confronted Cindy, although their families hadn’t officially weighed in yet. At the celebration dinner following a recent press conference, Leo openly defended me in front of Cindy. The display didn’t go unnoticed, and soon the rumor mill churned in the office. The whispers painted me as the villain, the “other woman” who had stolen Cindy’s fiancé. My father called me to his office. "Explain yourself. What’s going on?" I
Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold Chapter 13
Ben was swiftly fired from the company. Cindy, embarrassed and humiliated, hadn’t shown her face at work for days. In the meantime, I took over as the acting manager of the development department. While my salary didn’t increase, the position gave me real power within the company. My father seemed to notice my abilities. He started talking to me more and occasionally asked for my opinions on major decisions. These days, I had begun shadowing him on significant projects, doing everything I could to prove my value to the company and my father. I wanted him to understand the loss it would be for Heights Corp if I jumped ship to a competing company.I knew my time was limited. If George could uncover my true identity, it would be child’s play for Mary to figure it out. All it would take was Cindy running home and sobbing to her mother. Mary, with her sharp instincts, wouldn’t even need a private investigator to connect the dots. Sure enough, Mary came for me. She called me in
