Chapter 19
The internet, ruthless as ever, had uncovered every skeleton in Sabrina’s closet. Details about the Harper Family’s business dealings and unethical practices spread like wildfire, dragging them into the eye of the scandal. By morning, the Harpers were scrambling to put out fires on every front. Edward and Martha were as frantic as ants on a hot pan, their faces pale and drawn as they tried to manage the fallout. Yet, despite their overwhelming panic, they dared not refuse Erick’s summons to Bianca’s funeral.
The next day, the Harper couple arrived at the venue in mourning attire, their movements stiff and hesitant. The venue itself was somber, a serene chapel adorned with white lilies and flickering candles. A large photograph of Bianca rested at the altar, her serene expression immortalized in a moment of peace she rarely found in life.
Chapter 19
Elisa stood at the entrance, greeting guests with a composed expression. Her
mourning dress, simple and elegant, contrasted sharply with the anger simmering in her eyes as she noticed Edward and Martha approach. Her frown deepened when Erick stepped out of his car, flanked by the Harpers and a dozen imposing bodyguards in sharp suits.
The sharp click of Elisa’s heels echoed as she walked toward Erick, her demeanor cold and unyielding. She had expected Erick to be too consumed by the scandal she’d unleashed to make an appearance. Yet here he was, his presence a defiance she hadn’t anticipated. Elisa’s lips pressed into a thin line as she thought, “This man is insane. But there was no room for
sympathy in her heart. She regarded him as a man who only realized the depth of his love too late a belated show of affection as
worthless as ashes.
Erick’s expression was impassive as he waved his hand. The bodyguards swiftly
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formed a perimeter around the funeral site, their presence commanding and unyielding. He turned to Elisa, his voice steady but tinged with an edge of desperation. “I need to go in.”
Elisa didn’t move. She crossed her arms. and met his gaze with a defiance that could cut steel. “What? You want to disturb Bianca’s peace even in death?” she said, her tone dripping with contempt.
Erick’s expression faltered for a moment, a crack in his otherwise stoic facade. After a pause, he gestured toward Edward and Martha, who were lingering nervously behind him. “As Bianca’s parents, they have. the right to bid their daughter a final farewell.”
Elisa’s eyes narrowed and a bitter laugh escaped her lips. “Parents?” she sneered, her voice dripping with scorn. “They’re not related to Bianca by blood. Besides, she was never legally admitted into their family. What kind of parents are those?”
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The Harpers visibly recoiled at her words, their guilt written across their faces. Martha’s hand trembled as she clutched Edward’s arm, while Edward’s gaze dropped to the ground, unable to meet Elisa’s piercing glare.
Elisa wasn’t done. She reached into her pocket and retrieved a small voice.
recorder, holding it up for all to see. Her finger pressed play and the recording crackled to life.
“Bianca doesn’t know I kidnapped her right after she was born. She thinks we’ve adopted her, but if she found out… she’d thate us. Letting Sabrina become Mrs. West is the only way.”
Edward’s face turned ashen, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. The weight of his own words, now exposed for all to hear, seemed to drain the life from him. He stared at Elisa in shock, his mind racing to comprehend how a private conversation had been captured.
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Elisa smirked, a glimmer of triumph in her eyes. She had bribed one of the Harper Family’s servants to obtain the recording, a move that now bore fruit in the form of their humiliation.
Turning her attention back to Erick, Elisa’s expression hardened further. “I heard you always believed Bianca owed Sabrina. How do you feel about that now, after hearing the truth?”
The words hit Erick like a sledgehammer. His jaw tightened and his hands curled into fists at his sides. The revelation left him momentarily speechless. No wonder she had laughed and cried at the same time when he’d coldly demanded a divorce to let Sabrina take her “rightful” place. He had been blind to her pain, deaf to her unspoken cries for understanding. Now, the truth hung in the air like a noose, tightening around his throat.
The harm he had inflicted on Bianca was returning to him, piece by excruciating
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lingered nervously, their unease growing as Erick approached. They feared his wrath but were surprised when he simply ignored them, his gaze distant and haunted.
Edward, emboldened by Erick’s apparent distraction, ventured to speak, hoping to console him.
“Erick,” he said carefully, his tone almost soothing. “Bianca’s no longer here, but you still have Sabrina and her child. Try not to dwell on it.”
Erick stopped abruptly, turning to face Edward. His expression was unreadable, but the coldness in his gaze was enough to make the back of Edward’s neck prickle with fear. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as he realized his mistake.
Then, unexpectedly, Erick smiled faintly, though the expression held no warmth. “You’re right,” he said softly. “I still have her.”
He dismissed them with a wave of his hand, his tone flat. “You can go now.”
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Edward didn’t wait for a second chance to provoke Erick’s ire. He grabbed Martha by the arm and hurried away, relief washing over him as he put distance between them.
But their relief was short–lived. By the time they returned home, news had already spread: Erick had launched an all–out assault against the Harper Family’s business. Contracts were terminated, lawsuits filed and partnerships dissolved. The Harpers‘ empire, already weakened by the scandal, began to crumble under the weight of Erick’s relentless attack.
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