The Bride They Rejected Owned Half Their Empire Chapter 06

The Bride They Rejected Owned Half Their Empire Chapter 06

“My terms depend entirely on how much genuine sincerity the Harrington family is willing to offer.” 

I spoke calmly, even though I didn’t have complete 

control over the situation. 

But everything that had unfolded in this parlor today had taught me one critical lesson. 

Never let your aura break. 

Lose your composure, and you lose all ground to 

stand on. 

Before Kael could reply, the parlor door opened 

again. 

An elderly woman with neatly styled silver hair 

walked in, her posture straight and regal. 

Behind her followed an older man in a plaid 

waistcoat, leaning on a dark wooden cane–Hiram 

Croft. 

Brianna hurried in right behind them, her face. 

clearly flustered and anxious. 

“Mother, why did you come down here? The doctor 

strictly advised you not to overexert yourself 

today.” 

“I’ve been sitting upstairs listening to all this 

shouting and arguing for two hours straight.” 

The elderly woman’s voice was soft yet carried an 

undeniable authority that commanded immediate 

respect. 

She walked straight over to stand in front of me, 

studying me carefully from head to toe. 

I met her gaze steadily. 

Her eye sockets were deep, lined with age 

wrinkles–but her eyes were still bright and sharp. 

beyond her years. 

“Your last name is Voss?” 

“Elowen Voss.” 

“What was your mother’s name?” 

The question caught me completely off guard. 

“Linette Voss.” 

The elderly woman’s fingers tightened slightly 

around her cane. 

Hiram Croft murmured quietly beside her. 

“Ma’am.” 

She raised a hand to silence him instantly. 

“Did your mother have a small red mole on her left. 

wrist? And a dimple on her right cheek when she 

smiled?” 

My throat tightened with shock. 

“You knew my mother?” 

She avoided answering directly, turning instead to 

Kael. 

“Go fetch the mahogany heirloom keepsake box 

from your grandfather’s study at once.” 

“Grandmother?” 

“Do as I say.” 

Kael glanced between his grandmother and me, 

hesitation clear on his face. But he said nothing. 

more and turned to leave to retrieve the box. 

The elderly woman pulled out a chair and sat. 

down, her gaze never leaving my face. 

“How old are you?” 

“Twenty–six.” 

“How old were you when your mother passed 

away?” 

“Four years old.” 

“Did she ever speak to you about the Harrington. 

family before she left?” 

“No. She never got the chance to tell me anything 

at all.” 

The elderly woman fell silent for a long moment. 

Then she spoke words that shocked everyone in 

the room to their core. 

“Linette saved your grandfather’s life twenty–eight 

years ago.” 

Brianna’s face paled in absolute shock. 

“There was a catastrophic collapse at the 

abandoned quarry site all those years ago.” 

“Everyone fled the scene in panic–but Linette was 

the only one who stayed behind to drag your 

grandfather out from under the pile of fallen rock 

and rubble.” 

“Her own leg was crushed in the rescue, leaving 

her with a permanent limp that took her two full 

years to recover from.” 

“Your grandfather was always the proudest, most 

stubborn man alive. He never owed anyone a favor 

he couldn’t repay.” 

“But he carried the debt he owed Linette to the 

very end of his life.” 

“When he arranged this betrothal with Alden Voss, 

he had only one non–negotiable condition.” 

“The bride must be the eldest Voss daughter.” 

“He didn’t insist on this because of old–money 

tradition or family rules.” 

“He did it to repay his life debt. He vowed to make sure Linette’s own daughter married into the 

Harrington family.” 

Not a single sound echoed in the room. 

Brianna stared in stunned disbelief. 

“Mother… you’ve never told any of us this story. 

before.” 

“You never bothered to ask.” The elderly woman 

glanced at her coolly. 

“You always looked down on Linette for her 

humble background and refused to even meet her 

properly.” 

Brianna parted her lips but had no defense to 

offer. 

Kael returned moments later, carrying an antique 

mahogany keepsake box in his hands. 

The elderly woman took the box from him and 

opened the lid slowly. 

Inside lay a sealed letter, an old faded photograph, 

and a dark red family legal notary stamp. 

The photograph featured two young people–a 

man in a crisp white collared shirt and a young. 

woman with her hair tied back in a ponytail, 

standing in front of a construction site. 

The man grinned warmly. 

The faint dimple on the woman’s right cheek was 

unmistakable. 

It was my mother. 

My hand lifted involuntarily toward the photo. 

The elderly woman handed it to me gently. 

Handwritten words were scrawled on the back of the picture in faded ink. 

Old Harrington, you owe me a life debt. – Linette. 

“Your grandfather kept this photo all these years.” 

“He told me once that this was the one debt he 

could never fully repay in his lifetime.” 

She turned to face Kael directly. 

“This marriage covenant names the eldest Voss daughter–not some random girl Marigold pushed 

forward as a substitute.” 

“Your grandfather’s final wish is clear. How do you 

intend to handle this?” 

Kael stared down at the photograph in my hands, his fingers tightening around the edge of the 

wooden box. 

He held my gaze for a long, unreadable moment. 

For the first time all day, he truly saw me–not as a scheming imposter, not as an obstacle standing in 

his way. 

He saw me as the daughter of the woman who’d saved his grandfather’s life, a stranger he’d never taken the time to understand. 

“Grandmother.” His voice was low and heavy with 

regret. 

“Why was I never told any of this?” 

“Because you were too busy clinging to the fake life story Seraphina fabricated for you.” The elderly woman’s tone was sharp and unforgiving. 

“Did you ever stop to verify a single one of those childhood tales she told you?” 

Kael remained silent, unable to argue. 

His grip on the keepsake box wavered with inner 

turmoil. 

The elderly woman turned toward the door. 

“Bring Seraphina back in here.” 

Brianna spoke quietly. 

“We’ve had her moved to the adjacent guest room. 

to wait.” 

“Bring her here at once.” 

“Mother…” 

“I said bring her now.” 

Hiram Croft spoke up softly beside her. 

“You would do well to obey the lady’s wishes.” 

Three minutes later, Seraphina was escorted back. 

into the parlor. 

Her makeup was smudged, her eyes puffy and red 

from crying–but she still forced a sweet, obedient 

smile the second she laid eyes on the elderly. 

Harrington matriarch. 

“Mrs. Harrington.” 

The elderly woman’s gaze locked onto the 

teardrop emerald pendant around her neck. 

“Take that necklace off immediately.” 

Seraphina’s hand flew up to cover the pendant 

protectively. 

The elderly woman spoke slowly, each word 

carrying unshakable authority. 

“That heirloom belonged to Linette. You have no 

right to wear it.”