Clarissaâs body trembled as she realized that saving Kathryn was the key to keeping their familyâs
future secure.
Holden pointed to Kathryn as she walked toward them and said, âLook, isnât that our daughter? And
thatâs Mr. Fraser, the assistant you arranged for her. The one inside must be fake. Thereâs no Mr.
Fraser with her in there. I wondered why I hadnât seen him all day.â
He felt deceived. The fake Kathryn had acted so convincingly that even he, her father, didnât notice.
âMom,â Kathryn said as she approached, standing in front of Clarissa. âI told you, Iâm your daughter,
and Iâll face whatever comes with you. No matter the outcome, Iâll stand by your side. Donât try to
send me away againâI wonât leave. âEscapeâ isnât in my vocabulary.â
Clarissa was so furious that her face turned pale. She raised her hand as if to slap Kathryn, but
when Kathryn didnât flinch, she froze, leaving her hand in midair.
âYou⦠you really are my stubborn daughter!â Clarissa said through gritted teeth. âWhy did I give
birth to someone like you? Youâll drive me to an early grave, cutting years off my life!â
Kathryn had closed her eyes, bracing for the slap that never came. When she opened them, she
said calmly, âMom, I know youâre doing this for me, but I canât accept it. We have to face the
consequences, whatever they may be. If weâre wrong, we should own up to it. If weâve been
wronged, we need to clear our names. Running away wonât solve anything.â
Clarissa was speechless. Furious, she stormed back into the house, walking upstairs to her study
and locking the door.
Holden finally realized that the Kathryn inside was indeed fakeâa stand-in Clarissa had arranged to
protect their real daughter. Clarissa had gone to great lengths to save Kathryn, even deceiving her
own family.
The revelation left Holden feeling cold.
âDad, whatâs going on with Mom? Whoâs real and whoâs fake?â Marco asked, confused.
Without warning, Holden slapped Marco, then did the same to his other two sons, leaving them
stunned.
Afterward, he yelled, âGet out! All of you, get out of this mansion! I donât want to see you tonight, or
Iâll cut you off completely!â
Marco and his brothers stood there, shocked and confused, not understanding why they were being
punished.
Kathryn, still calm, said, âDad, if youâre afraid, take my brothers and leave. This is the Farrell familyâs
issue, a feud between two generations. You donât carry the Farrell name, so you donât need to be
involved. No one will blame you for walking away.â
As Kathryn moved to enter the house, the butler rushed over and stopped her.
âMiss, theyâre here. Audrey and her people just arrived. There are so many carsâ theyâve blocked
the whole road.â