The Bride They Rejected Owned Half Their Empire Chapter 04

The Bride They Rejected Owned Half Their Empire Chapter 04

“Dad.” 

I stood in the private parlor and watched Alden 

walk through the door. 

He wore a tailored charcoal suit, with Marigold. 

right beside him, walking in perfect sync like 

long–time business partners. 

Memories flooded back to the day he’d sent me 

away to live with my grandmother. 

He’d knelt down, patted my head, and promised 

he’d come get me soon. 

I was six years old back then. 

I waited fifteen long years for that promise. 

It wasn’t until a month ago that he suddenly called 

me out of the blue, saying he’d arranged an 

excellent high–society marriage match for me. 

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done today?” 

He stopped three steps in front of me, his tone 

sharp and furious. 

“I showed up for the family betrothal you arranged 

for me. The marriage covenant legally names me 

as the eldest Voss daughter–and that’s me.” 

“This is absolute foolishness!” He slammed his 

palm hard against the wooden cabinet beside 

him. 

“I told you clearly over the phone this marriage. 

was always meant for Seraphina! What 

possessed you to crash this wedding uninvited?” 

“Then why did you let the covenant state ‘eldest 

Voss daughter‘ instead of simply writing. 

Seraphina’s name?” 

He froze momentarily, caught off guard by my 

direct question. 

Marigold cut in smoothly beside him. 

“Grandfather insisted on using the traditional 

old–money wording for the formal betrothal 

paperwork.” 

“Dad didn’t have the heart to go against his final 

wishes. Everyone in both families knew perfectly 

well Seraphina was always meant to be the bride.” 

A perfectly polished excuse–blame everything on 

the late grandfather who could no longer defend 

himself. 

“Was the thirty percent breach compensation. 

clause also Grandfather’s idea?” 

Marigold had no response. 

Alden frowned deeply at me. 

“Don’t think you can manipulate the entire Harrington empire with one piece of paper.” 

“Kael has a fierce, unyielding temper. Push him too 

far, and he’ll make you regret every single move you make.” 

“That’s my problem to handle.” 

“Your problem?” His voice rose in anger. 

“Every year of your schooling was funded by Voss 

family money. You’ve lived off the Voss name your entire life.” 

“What capability do you even have to take on a powerful family like the Harringtons alone?” 

“You were the one who sent me away. You were 

the one who called me back.” 

“You told me to marry into this family alliance, and 

I obeyed. Now you turn around and say I’m not the 

intended bride?” 

“Alden Voss–what exactly do you want from me?” 

I spoke his full name without a shred of deference. 

His face flushed with rage. 

“How dare you address me by my given name?” 

“I’ll call you by your name. If you refuse to 

recognize me as your daughter, don’t expect me to 

treat you like a father.” 

A heavy silence filled the entire room. 

Marigold stepped forward quickly, grabbing 

Alden’s arm to calm him down. 

“She’s inherited her mother’s stubborn, headstrong 

personality exactly.” 

“The more you argue with her, the more defiant 

she becomes. Let Seraphina talk some sense into 

her instead.” 

Her words cut deeper than any insult ever could. 

I knew exactly what she meant. 

My birth mother had been driven out of the Voss 

household precisely because of that same 

unyielding spirit. 

“Elowen.” Alden took a deep breath, trying to 

regain his composure. 

“I’ll give you one final offer. Sign the termination 

papers, return to Coastal Haven Town, and I’ll give 

you a generous lump sum of money.” 

“You can live whatever life you want from then on.” 

“If you refuse to sign… you will no longer be 

recognized as a member of the Voss family.” 

“What exactly am I supposed to sign away?” 

“The marriage covenant is legally binding. My 

name is officially recorded in the Voss family 

lineage archive.” 

“If this goes to court, the law and the facts are 

both on my side.” 

He stared at me with a cold, distant gaze–not like 

a father looking at his daughter, but a man glaring at an obstacle in his path. 

He leaned over and whispered something quietly to Marigold. 

She nodded, walked to the door, and spoke a few 

quiet words to someone outside. 

Moments later, the parlor door swung open. 

Dozens of Voss and Harrington family guests filed 

inside, lining up on either side to stare me down 

judgmentally. 

“Alden.” Brianna stepped into the room as well. 

“Are you going to discipline your eldest daughter 

or not?” 

*Stand before everyone here and clarify once and 

for all who this marriage was meant for.” 

Alden turned to face the crowd of guests, then 

glanced back at me one last time. 

“I, Alden Voss, will state this clearly for everyone 

present today.” 

“This family betrothal was arranged between 

myself and the late Graham Harrington, intended solely for Seraphina Voss.” 

“Elowen is indeed my biological eldest daughter, 

but she has lived apart from the family since. childhood and holds no real connection to the Voss household anymore.” 

“Her disruptive behavior today is entirely her own doing. The Voss family accepts no responsibility for her actions.” 

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the guests. 

It seemed everyone was siding with his version of 

the story. 

“Very well, Alden.” 

I held up my notarized vital records high for everyone to see. 

“Your signature and fingerprint are still fresh on this official legal document.” 

“Do you honestly think a judge will believe your 

casual verbal denial… or your legally signed and 

notarized paperwork?” 

Alden’s eyes narrowed sharply with rage. 

The next second, he stepped forward toward me. 

I thought he planned to snatch the document out 

of my hands. 

I didn’t flinch or move away. 

But his hand never reached for the papers. 

The slap landed hard and sharp across my cheek. 

The force of it knocked me half a step sideways, 

my ankle twisting awkwardly in my high heels. 

Complete silence fell over the room. 

Marigold covered her mouth in feigned shock and 

horror. 

Alden’s hand trembled with anger after striking 

1. me. 

“Keep this up, and next time it will be far worse 

than a simple slap.” 

I slowly steadied my footing 

I wiped the faint trail of blood from the corner of 

my mouth with the back of my hand. 

Seraphina appeared in the doorway out of 

nowhere, rushing forward to grab Alden’s arm. 

“Dad, please don’t be angry with her. She’s just. naive and misguided. Calm down.” 

kept my head lowered, my gaze fixed on the crumpled notarized document clutched in my 

hand. 

Seraphina knelt down beside me, her voice lowered to a taunting whisper only I could hear. 

“Elowen… are you ready to sign yet?” 

I didn’t look up at her. 

My eyes were fixed on the screenshot I’d saved in my phone gallery ten minutes earlier–the text message I’d captured from her fallen phone. 

Rowan: Babe, don’t panic about the baby situation. I’ll handle everything. 

I slowly stood up straight. 

I lifted my head to face the crowd of Voss relatives, Harrington family members, and all the judgmental onlookers. 

“I’m not signing anything.” 

“And I have something I’d like to ask Seraphina in 

front of every single person here today.” 

Seraphina’s smug smile froze completely on her 

face. 

“Seraphina Voss… who is Rowan Sloane?”