The Bride They Rejected Owned Half Their Empire Chapter 08

The Bride They Rejected Owned Half Their Empire Chapter 08

“I’ve been calling you nonstop all day, and you 

won’t pick up or reply to a single message.” 

Rowan spoke as he walked forward, reaching out 

to grab Seraphina’s hand, his face etched with 

obvious worry. 

He clearly had no clue about the entire scene 

unfolding around him. 

Kael stepped forward slowly, his presence cold 

and intimidating. 

Rowan finally noticed him, and the casual smile on 

his face froze completely. 

“You’re Kael Harrington?” 

Kael didn’t reply. He simply stared down at 

Rowan’s hand still holding Seraphina’s wrist. 

Rowan quickly pulled his hand back awkwardly- 

but the damage was already done. 

“Rowan.” Kael’s voice was flat and devoid of 

warmth. 

“What exactly is your relationship with Seraphina?” 

Rowan forced an awkward laugh. 

“We’re just old close friends, nothing more.” 

“Close friends send texts saying Babe, don’t panic 

about the baby situation?” 

Rowan’s fake smile vanished entirely from his 

face. 

He turned to stare accusingly at Seraphina. 

“Seraphina, what’s going on here? You told me. 

your relationship with him was just a business 

arrangement!” 

That single sentence shattered every last lie Seraphina had told. 

She’d described her romance with Kael to Rowan 

as nothing more than a fake business alliance. 

To Kael, she’d painted Rowan as just an ordinary 

old school acquaintance. 

She’d been lying to both men this entire time. 

Kael stared at her with cold, unforgiving eyes. 

“Seraphina… do you have any explanation left at 

all?” 

“Kael, he’s lying! He’s just an obsessive stalker 

who won’t leave me alone!” Seraphina’s voice 

turned shrill and desperate. 

“I already cut all ties with him ages ago!” 

“Cut ties?” Rowan’s frustration boiled over 

instantly. 

“You were still at my apartment three nights ago!” 

Seraphina shoved him away violently. 

“Shut your mouth right now!” 

“Seraphina!” Rowan stumbled back from the force. 

of her push, staring at her in complete disbelief. 

“You promised me once the baby was born, we’d 

be together for good. You said your relationship 

with Harrington was all just an act for social 

status!” 

The entire room erupted into shocked murmurs. 

The whispers of the guests in the adjacent room 

filtered through the walls, loud and buzzing. 

Alden collapsed into a nearby chair, all color drained from his face. 

Marigold tried to steady him, but he roughly pushed her hand away. 

“Did you know about all of this?” He stared at Marigold accusingly, not bothering to hide his 

rage. 

“I only knew she’d been spending time with Rowan -I had no idea she was siphoning corporate funds!” Marigold’s voice trembled with panic. 

“You didn’t know?” Alden raised his voice in furious 

disbelief. 

“Over a million dollars transferred out of our family 

company–and you, who manage all household 

and corporate finances, claim you noticed 

nothing?” 

Marigold’s face crumpled completely, unable to 

defend herself. 

The elderly matriarch leaned calmly against her 

cane, watching the entire meltdown unfold 

without a single change in expression. 

She turned to Hiram Croft beside her. 

“Send for the family legal team at once.” 

Then she glanced over at Kael. 

“The decision of how to handle this betrothal is 

yours to make.” 

Kael stood frozen in place. 

The marriage covenant lay spread out on the table beside Seraphina’s phone and the old photograph of his grandfather and my mother. 

He stared at everything for a long, heavy moment. 

Finally, he lifted his head to meet my gaze directly. 

“Elowen… I’m so sorry.” 

It was the first genuine, unhostile thing he’d said to 

me all day.