Chapter 499
Chapter 499
Chapter 499
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Selena drew a slow breath before speaking. She composed her expression, relaxed her shoulders, then looked between Nathan and Riana in turn. Her voice was gentle, almost tinged with regret.
“First of all, I want to apologize,” Selena said. “I know the way I chose yesterday was shocking-and unpleasant p>
Eli stiffened. Her fingers clenched the napkin in her lap. From the corner of her eye, she watched her mother now take control of the conversation. Even so, she didn’t dare lift her head.
“But,” Selena continued without leaving any space, “I’ve waited long enough p>
Nathan didn’t interrupt. He simply leaned back in his chair; fingers interlaced on the table. His gaze was calm giving space yet applying pressure. The dishes laid out before them looked untouched, like mere decorations. No matter how appetizing they appeared, the tension in the room seemed to strip the food of its allure.
“How much longer was I supposed to wait?” Selena let out a long sigh. Her expression softened into sadness as she leaned forward slightly. “You know who Eli is. You know who her father was. But ever since I came forward with that truth, you’ve ignored it. Eli’s status has been left hanging. Unclear p>
Riana’s patience snapped. “Selena p>
“Are you ashamed?” Selena cut in quickly. Her gaze flicked toward Riana, disappointment sharp in her eyes. ” Ashamed to admit that Chase had another child? Or ashamed before the world because that child was born to a woman you never considered your equal p>
“I never said that, Selena. Watch your words,” Riana replied sharply.
Nathan reached out and rested the back of his hand gently against his wife’s. The touch made Riana turn toward him, irritation flickering across her face. Nathan answered with a calming smile and a small nod-as if silently asking her to listen first.
Let the woman speak. Let her reveal what she truly wanted.
In the end, Riana relented.
Unlike Eli, who only lowered her head further. Her chest felt tight. Those words weren’t aimed solely at Nathan and Riana-they struck her too, like a slap.
“You may not have said it,” Selena went on, her smile now tinged with sorrow, “but that’s how I’ve been treated. I can feel it, Mrs. Miller p>
This time, Nathan chose to speak.
“You apologize,” Nathan said evenly, “and then use that apology to accuse us p>
Selena’s lips curved faintly. “I’m simply stating the facts-from my perspective p>
“Very well,” Nathan replied calmly. “Then allow me to share a few things-from ours p>
He straightened in his chair. His voice remained low, measured, never rising-just like a leader accustomed to debates in boardrooms and courtrooms alike.
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Chapter 499
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“Why did it have to go through the media?” he asked. “Why didn’t you come to our home directly p>
Selena lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. “I already tried to come to you. Eli even learned how to bake cookies, just to bring them as a gift-especially for her grandmother. But unfortunately, it seems you were far too busy and chose to ignore us p>
“No,” Nathan countered firmly. His gaze remained calm, but he had no intention of letting Selena dominate the conversation. “If you had come at the right time, we wouldn’t have ignored you. Isn’t that basic courtesy when visiting someone’s home? Did you ask us first? Besides, you didn’t come to have a dialogue. You came with demands p>
He glanced briefly at Eli, then turned back to Selena. “We provided a driver. We opened channels of communication. Our home was never closed to you p>
Riana gave a small nod, reinforcing his statement.
“What you chose,” Nathan continued, “was a public stage flooded with cameras. You mobilized public opinion, inviting speculation about matters that never needed to be public. Or do you simply enjoy the spectacle p>
Selena let out a light laugh. “Spectacle? I call it a last resort p>
“A last resort for what?” Nathan asked. “Clarity about Eli’s status? Or forced recognition p>
Selena narrowed her eyes. “Aren’t the results the same p>
“No,” Nathan answered without hesitation. “The method determines everything p>
He paused, making sure his next words landed precisely. “Legally,” he said clearly, “you were never married to Chase p>
Selena looked at him with an unreadable expression. Still, this was something she and Harold had discussed before. If it came down to legalities, there were loopholes she could exploit-ways to corner the Miller family.
A valid DNA test. Proof of their past relationship.
“That means,” Nathan continued, “there is no legal obligation for Chase-or for our family-to provide for, acknowledge, or bring Eli into the Miller family’s main household p>
Eli flinched. The words cut through her like a blade, stealing the air from her lungs. She forced herself not to cry, though her eyes immediately burned with tears. What the man she thought of as her grandfather had said… was true. Her mother and Chase had never married.
Yet her mother had always told her that Chase loved them deeply-and had promised to return.
To them. To start a happy life together.
“And one more thing,” Nathan added. “During Chase’s lifetime, he never made any official acknowledgment that you were ever together. There are no records-no statements, not even casual accounts of your past, nothing to indicate that you, Selena, were ever my son’s lover p>
Selena laughed again, sharper this time. “That’s because you never gave him the chance to say who I was p>
“Since Chase returned from university, his record is clear,” Nathan replied. “He chose to dedicate himself to the
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foundation we established. His commitment to education was immense. And there was never a single report about a woman by his side p>
“What I’m stating are facts. If you doubt them, I can have my legal team present the evidence.” He paused briefly, “Coincidentally, my lawyers are in the room next door p>
Without realizing it, Selena clenched her fists. The cheer had drained from her face. Her eyes flashed with irritation at the man named Nathaniel Miller.
Damn it. I prepared everything. But I won’t lose, Selena told herself.
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