Chapter 29
I didn’t answer, just narrowed my eyes at her.
“So you’re the one claiming to be my grandparents‘ real daughter p>
The woman lifted her chin smugly:
“That’s right. From now on, I’m not Carol Mitchell anymore – I’m Carol Hartwell. I’m the REAL Hartwell heiress p>
Her eyes suddenly locked onto Mom’s handbag and she lunged for it.
“That’s the latest Hermès, right? I saw on TV it’s worth like half a mil. That’s Hartwell property – it’s mine now p>
Then she actually put the bag on her shoulder, looking ridiculously pleased with herself.
Mom’s eyes went wide, staring at Carol in total shock.
“Have you lost your goddamn mind? That’s MY bag! Dave p>
My face darkened, but before I could say anything, Uncle Dave instinctively snatched the bag back.
Carol shrieked, absolutely furious.
“Dave! I’m your real sister! How can you side with that fake p>
Uncle Dave just cleared his throat. “First off, Pearl bought that bag herself. Second, we’re not sorting out who’s who until Mom and Dad get here p>
Mom looked worried. “Aria, what if it’s true? We won’t get thrown out on the street, will we? Just the two of us, struggling to survive p>
I patted her hand, keeping my voice calm.
“Mom, stop binge–watching those soap operas. Nobody’s touching your hundreds of millions p>
Carol’s face twisted, her voice cracking: “Hundreds of millions? That’s MY money – all of it p>
Another excited voice rang out: “Mom, I found the credit cards p>
I looked up to see a girl about my age on the second–floor balcony, waving around a black card.
I instantly recognized it as the one from my bedroom drawer.
Uncle Mike’s face went dark. “How the fuck did she get upstairs? None of us even noticed p>
The girl looked down at me smugly.
“So you’re Aria? Just another fake like your mom. You’ve been living MY life for eighteen years – how nice for you p>
“ From now on, your room, your clothes, your jewelry – it’s all MINE now p>
I cut her off, my patience gone.
“Hold up. Nothing’s been decided yet. This is breaking and entering, and I can call the cops p>
The girl’s face went pale, but she recovered quickly. “My mom has DNA proof! The old man is my grandpa – end of story p>
Carol looked absolutely smug, like she was holding the crown jewels.
“I got paternity tests done. I’m the real Hartwell heiress p>
“Today I’m not just claiming my family – I’m kicking you two fakes out p>
Chapter 2
I opened the paternity test report. The last page did say Carol was Grandpa’s biological daughter.
Uncle Mike sidled up to me, whispering
“Aria, how do we handle this? This can’t actually be real, can it p>
I gave him a look.
Uncle Mike was buried in his research, Uncle Dave lived for his art – both of them totally oblivious to real–world drama.
Right now they looked totally lost, just staring at each other helplessly.
But I had this weird expression on my face, remembering something Grandma had mentioned before. I smirked, suddenly feeling confident.
Just as I was about to speak, footsteps echoed from the entrance.
“What’s so urgent that you dragged us back here p>
Grandma was here! We started moving toward her, but someone else got there first.
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.