Chapter 1360:
âWhy?â Serena finally broke her silence.
She had always thought her troubles stemmed from discovering Brinleyâs affair with Carlos, which led to her being despised, bullied, and mistreated, particularly after Brinley had children. But as she listened more, a growing sense of something being wrong settled within her. She could feel there was an important reason behind everything, though she didnât yet understand it.
Vera and Lydia stood by, observing Serenaâs slightly quivering eyelashes. Unable to withstand the sight, they turned away, tears welling up in their eyes.
Valentin said softly, âSerena, you are actually a child of the Happer family from Baythorn. The Happer family intended to use you as a bargaining tool, and Samson wanted to leverage your presence to solidify his inheritance of the Fletcher familyâs estate.â
At this revelation, Serenaâs eyes widened in shock. She gazed down at Valentin, noting the genuine remorse in his clouded eyes, feeling a sharp pain in her heart. She was from the Happer family in Baythorn? How could she belong to them? As a member of the Shadow Moon Societyâs intelligence team, she had never come across any mention of the Happer family missing a child, nor was there any record of such a search in the data network.
âHave you ever questioned why you have no memories from before you were ten at the orphanage?â Valentin lay still, his gaze fixed quietly on Serena.
Serenaâs body shook, and she staggered back a few steps, bewildered. Indeed, her memories before age ten were blank, starting only when she later joined the Fletcher family.
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âNo, this canât be. I canât be a Happer child from Baythornâ¦â Serena denied the possibility, her fingers tightly clutching her clothing, before suddenly running outside.
Harlee glanced up, and Patrick immediately chased after Serena.
The rest of the Fletcher family made to pursue, but Harlee halted them with a stern look. âWould you be able to accept this if you were in her shoes?â
A heavy silence filled the room, charged with awkwardness. The Fletchers had concealed this truth from Serena, and now they had no right to chase her.
Harlee sat back, her demeanor haughty, and sneered, âYou hid this from Serena for ten years. Why choose to disclose it now? Because you think the Serena of today has matured into someone useful to the Fletcher family?â
Harlee was livid. Did the Fletcher family really see the Serena she had nurtured as naive?
At her words, Valentinâs face reddened with embarrassment, and he began coughing violently, perhaps acknowledging the impropriety of his familyâs actions. âMiss Sanderson, please be assured. We wonât ask anything of Serena anymore.â
Valentin still referred to Harlee formally as Miss Sanderson. While he admired her for boldly taking Serena away from their midst when Serena was just a teenager, he also feared Harlee. He dreaded that Harlee might retaliate on Serenaâs behalf and bring ruin upon the Fletcher family. That would mean the end for them.
Struggling to sit up, Valentin coughed violently, his frail hands clutching the blanket as he shook. âI chose today to reveal the truth because I believe Serena deserves to know.â If he died, no one else in the Fletcher family would dare speak the truth.
âWhether or not Serena forgives the Fletcher family, or decides to return to the Happer family in Baythorn to meet her biological parents, is her choice,â Harlee said coldly. âBut if you intend to manipulate her to shield the Fletcher family, youâre daydreaming. She belongs to me and will only serve my interests.â
His schemes exposed, Valentin coughed again, his gaze dull and devoid of life, fixed on Harlee. âMiss Sanderson, ten years ago, I foresaw that you would eventually outpace the Fletcher family. It seems I was right.â
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Message from Noah:
Double chapters are upâone for yesterday and one for tomorrow!
New chapters drop next Wednesday, and fresh novels arrive this Monday at g ð ln ð νð ðsâ¤com.
God loves you, and Noah wishes you all the best! (=â¡=)/
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