Chapter 3

“Yes,” Mira replied with a smile, stretching her hand toward where the Langley cars were parked.

“A chauffeur will come pick your car up,” she said again. Joan nodded. Her heart raced. She knew she would one day meet her family members but never thought it would be this soon.

She turned to the agent following her, “some other time, please.”

“Yes, Ms. Langley,” the young man said, bowing slightly. This only raised Joan's fear.

During the ride, Mira told her a little about the Langley family. Ryder Langley, her father, had two brothers. His elder brother, Justin, stayed in Moonlight city, while his younger brother, Richmond was abroad at the moment.

Joan saw it whenever Mira talked about Richmond or the late Ryder. Mira's face would soften, her smile would widen.

But when Joan asked about her stepmother, Natalie and Justin, Mira’s smile disappeared.

Joan didn't need anyone to explain it. She became scared of them before even meeting them.

Joan's eyes widened as they drove through the gate. The driveway stretched past acres of land. They kept driving and driving, it felt like forever to reach the mansion itself.

The mansion was four stories high. The entrance door gleamed gold, the metal was so polished that one could see one's reflection.

Joan almost forgot to breathe when the door slid open after Mira pressed a code on a black panel. She'd never seen a house like this in her life.

“Your stepmother,” Mira whispered to Joan at the sight of an elegant woman, probably in her mid-sixties.

Natalie turned in their direction. A smile spread on her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes.

“You're Joan?” She asked, walking toward her.

“Yes,” Joan whispered, trying to calm her nerves.

“I don't need any introduction. I'm sure you already know who I am.” Joan nodded, avoiding meeting her gaze.

Just then, a young man entered. Joan already knew who he was: Nolan, her adoptive brother.

“Sit,” Natalie said gently, but the word still sounded cold.

Mira, reading the room, gave Joan a slight bow and left, leaving her with Natalie and Nolan.

“It's nice meeting you, I guess,” Natalie said with a cold smile. Her legs were crossed and a glass of wine swung in her hand.

Joan sat quiet, eyes on the floor. She couldn't meet their eyes.

“You’ve signed your inheritance already,” she said again, still smiling.

Joan knew what was coming for her. Her fingers pinched her skin on the lap as if telling herself the need to be courageous.

She exhaled and finally looked up at Natalie.

“You asked to see me, Natalie. What's the meeting for?”

Joan's confidence hit the room. Natalie's eyes flicked to Nolan, exchanging shocked glances.

Nolan cleared his throat and sat straight. “Joan, you have the greatest part of our father’s inheritance even though you’re just an illegitimate child.”

Nolan’s words upset Joan. Her fist clenched on her lap, forcing herself to stay calm.

Natalie leaned to Nolan and whispered something in his ear. Then, he stood, took the elevator and disappeared. Joan watched them in silence, fear rising in her.

Nolan came back with a document in his hand, which he dropped in front of Joan.

“Twenty million dollars will be for you, if you give up the family company.” Nolan said bluntly.

Natalie leaned forward, gaze fixed on Joan. “You've never run a company in your life, Joan. The family won't sit back and watch you destroy Langley Corp.

This isn't us cheating you. This is us being generous, because twenty million is a huge sum of money.”

Joan rolled her eyes and chuckled dryly. She picked up the documents and flipped through the pages.

Signing it meant she was giving up all her rights to Nolan Langley.

“I'm not doing this. Save your bloody money.” she said bluntly, rising to her feet.

Natalie rose too. Her eyes burned with rage. “You're just a poor thing. I know what twenty million can do for you. Your mother would have jumped at this offer if she was alive. She stupidly gave her body to Ryder because of his wealth. She thought she could pin him down with a pregnancy. She didn't know the Langley family would never accept a wretch as daughter-in-law...”

“Enough,” Joan shouted, palm up. “Don't talk about my mother like that...”

A heavy slap landed on her cheek before she could finish.

“Natalie!” A man’s voice rang from behind.

Natalie and Nolan froze and turned. Joan held her burning cheek, her eyes welled up with tears.

“Nolan, you stand there and watch your mother hit your sister,” Richmond yelled.

Nolan's brows furrowed, his hands deep in his pockets “She's not my sister,” he muttered.

“Joan's mom was never married to my brother, but Joan is still his child. She's his blood. The fact that Ryder chose her over your spoiled brat in that will should knock some sense into you, but I guess it didn't...”

“Richmond, please stay out of this,” Natalie snapped, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. “Why are you even here?”

“This is my brother's house and I can come in at any time. And I knew this would happen. That's why I returned to the city early.” Richmond replied, his nostrils flaring.

Joan saw the hatred and anger on Natalie and Nolan's faces. She concluded Richmond was the brother Mira told her had the same good heart as her father.

Richmond hissed, his eyes swept over Natalie with disgust. He brushed past her, close enough that she stumbled back a step.

He didn't look back at her, he just grabbed Joan's hand. “Follow me,” he said quietly.

Joan didn't hesitate, she followed him out of the house without a word.

“Mom, we can't let her go just like that,” Nolan's voice cracked, watching them walk away.

Natalie inhaled in a sharp breath. “We can't do anything with Richmond here.”

She pulled out her phone. “I need to call Justin. He'll know how to handle Richmond. Once Richmond is out of the way, then we can deal with Joan.”