Chapter 147

“Lillian! Oh, Lillian, this is fantastic! Truly fantastic!”

Even Robert’s stern face broke into a rare smile as he nodded in satisfaction.

Lillian, trapped in Miranda’s tight embrace, struggled for comfort and looked towards Faith. Faith couldn’t contain her excitement and clutched Spencer’s arm. “Spencer, we’ll spin the video scandal to say you two were madly in love, that you knew all along Brielle wasn’t a true Haywood, and you kept it a secret because you feared Brielle couldn’t handle the truth, right? That’s our story.”

Faith was already plotting not only Brielle’s future but had the whole aftermath sketched out in her mind. First, they’d break off the engagement. The Dorseys would never accept an illegitimate child of unknown origins.

She failed to notice the troubled look on her son’s face as she made her way over to Lillian. Spencer stood among these jubilant people, feeling none of their joy.

Brielle was not a Haywood? How could she not be?

With this revelation, their engagement had no grounds to continue. A bitter, numbing pain spread through his heart. He should be feeling elated because Lillian was his true desire. Why the hollowness?

The revelry around him felt alien as he caught the expression on Brielle’s face when she had left with her escorts. There was a sigh of relief, a sense of release, and a spark of excitement in her eyes.

This realization was excruciating. After all these years, she felt no attachment and regret. She’s so cold–hearted.

The Haywoods and Faith were busy discussing how to break the news to the public. Robert, aware of Faith’s disdain for Brielle–after all, the video scandal had embarrassed her son–eagerly proposed a new match to appease his future in–laws.

The candidate was Tanner, a wealthy but rough–edged fifty–something whose last wife had recently passed away, rumored to have taken her own life due to depression brought on by his infidelity.

Faith was quite pleased, and Miranda, without hesitation, agreed, her expression filled with disgust whenever Brielle’s name was mentioned.

Brielle was a nobody who had cost their family a fortune. They needed to recoup their losses.

Meanwhile, Brielle had taken Mark to the hospital, where the doctor had offered some consolation before leaving her alone with her chaotic thoughts.

The Haywoods, eager to distance themselves from the scandal and the circulating video, hastily released the news that Brielle was not a Haywood, emphasizing that it was Lillian who was the long–

lost Haywood daughter, usurped by Brielle’s deceit.

The tide of public opinion, once against Lillian for her Indiscretions with Spencer, shifted with this revelation. Lillian, as the true Haywood daughter and Spencer’s fiancée, was now seen in the right.

Brielle was vilified for stealing both Lillian’s Identity and Spencer’s affections.

The social circles buzzed with this juicy gossip, but Max was never one for gossip. His WhatsApp was quiet, his contacts few, and group chats non–existent.

When Andrew sent him the news, Max was in a meeting and didn’t bother to check until he caught a glimpse of Brielle’s name. Reluctantly, he opened the message. [The Haywoods were disowning Brielle, planning to formally reintroduce Lillian at a family dinner that might also serve to announce the cancellation of Brielle and Spencer’s engagement. Any thoughts?]

[No thoughts.] Max’s reply was nonchalant. As he was about to put his phone away, another. message from Andrew popped up. [Now that she’s no longer your nephew’s fiancée, does the taboo thrill still hold any sway? She’s not going to marry him anyway, might as well cut her loose now.]

the For Andrew, all women but Tessa were mere objects, disposable commodities, hence the disrespect in his words.

It was past two in the morning, and rain had begun to fall outside. A sudden heaviness settled in Max’s chest, which he attributed to the rain rather than Andrew’s distasteful message.