Chapter 2

Half an hour later, over in Gemdale, Jonah Crane, the chairman of Clarion Group, was staring at the DNA report in front of him. His usually steady, perceptive gaze now flickered slightly. He braced himself against his cane and tried several times to stand, but failed.

His secretary, William Quinton, was just as emotional. "Mr. Crane, she's definitely your daughter! The blood reserves are being shipped to Southgrove as we speak. She'll be out of danger soon."

The corners of Jonah's eyes twitched. "And why is my daughter suffering from such severe blood loss?"

He and Evelyn had been deeply devoted to each other, and because of his health, they had only one child. When Evelyn learned that the daughter she had raised for more than 20 years wasn't their biological child, the emotional blow caused a relapse of her old illness. Before she died, she clutched his hand and insisted that he find their child.

The Crane family had enough power and influence to shape Vanneria's entire economy, yet they had allowed their own daughter to be separated from them for over two decades. Jonah couldn't bear to imagine what her life had been like all these years. Just hearing the words "severe blood loss" was enough to make his heart ache.

If they'd found out any later, would he have only managed to see her lifeless body? And if not for this incident, perhaps he would have died without ever reuniting with her.

"We don't know the exact situation yet." The tension in the air made William somewhat nervous. He didn't dare tell Jonah that the hospital had informed him that Piper was all alone at the hospital with no next of kin.

"I want you to head to Southgrove with a medical team and all the necessary medication. You must bring my daughter back to me unharmed," Jonah instructed. "Also, call Lazarus at once. Tell him to put aside everything and come back to the country."

…

"Didn't you say all her vital signs have returned to normal? How is it that she's still unconscious after a full day and night?"

Piper vaguely saw a tall, slender figure standing beside the bed. His deep voice carried a trace of anxiety, and the concern in it didn't seem fake…

Was it Harvey?

She struggled to open her eyes. The memories from before the surgery came rushing back, and it felt as though a gash had been ripped open in her heart, leaving it bleeding and painful.

It wasn't until she saw the unfamiliar face beside her bed that Piper mocked herself. How could it possibly be Harvey? He probably wished she would never show her face again.

Once Silas completed a simple examination on Piper, William escorted him out, adjusted his tie at the door, then walked back in.

"Hello, Ms. Steele. My name is William Quinton. I'm the secretary to Mr. Jonah Crane, the chairman of Clarion Group."

Piper knew Clarion Group. During her senior year of college, she had originally had an opportunity to be recommended for an internship at one of Clarion's subsidiaries, but she had given it up for Harvey.

"Hello." She nodded politely, looking at him in confusion.

William handed Piper a DNA report. "Our preliminary investigation indicates that a mistake made by the medical staff back then resulted in the Crane and Steele families raising each other's children. That's why you and Mr. Crane have been separated all these years."

In a respectful tone, he continued, "But thankfully, fate has been kind to us, and we've finally found you."

Piper stared at the report in disbelief. If not for the irrefutable evidence before her, she would've suspected that this man was trying to trick her into giving up a kidney.

So she was the daughter of Jonah Crane, the veritable king of Vanneria's business world. Even among high society, she would be considered one of the top socialites.

Not seeing the reaction he'd anticipated, William went on, "Mrs. Crane suffered from a relapse of her old illness three months ago, and she passed away suddenly. Mr. Crane was devastated and is still recovering from his own health issues. He desperately—very desperately—wants to see you."

Piper snapped back to reality. Thanks to recent events, she'd seen the true colors of that scumbag, Harvey, and had lost her baby. Just when her life had been beaten down to the point of despair, she had narrowly escaped death and was now about to be reunited with her real family.

Fate really knew how to toy with her.

"How did the Cranes discover that the children had been switched?" Piper asked wearily.

William explained, "Half a year ago, Ms. Crane needed emergency blood transfusions. That was when they discovered she wasn't biologically related to Mr. Crane."

The Cranes had certainly done a good job raising their daughter. It had taken them this long to discover the truth.

"I see." Piper's eyes flickered, and she didn't press any further.

William adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. "You need to recuperate properly. Gemdale has better medical facilities, and the Crane family has its own doctors and nutritionists. Why don't we head back to Gemdale once you've recovered?"

Piper was about to answer when her phone screen lit up with a call from Harvey.

She turned off the screen without hesitation and said calmly, "I can go to Gemdale with you, but I may need some time to take care of a few things first."

William hadn't expected her to agree so readily. He immediately handed her his business card.

"You're Mr. Crane's daughter and the heiress of Clarion Group. If there's anything you need me to help with, just let me know."

Piper accepted the card, and William left to report back to Jonah.

She picked up her phone again. Harvey had just messaged her that he was accompanying a client that evening and that she didn't need to wait for him. He also said he'd been particularly busy lately and that once the investment contract was signed, he would spend some quality time with her and the baby.

The word "baby" stung Piper's eyes. She gripped her phone tightly. Now that things had come to this, why would she let Ludlow Corporation secure the project they needed?

The Ludlows were going to pay back everything they owed her many times over.

The medication William had brought with him worked remarkably well. By the next day, Piper could get out of bed and move around normally. She had William prepare a car. She planned to go home.

The moment she got into the car, Harvey called.

"What is it?"

Harvey froze when Piper's clear, cool voice came through the phone. He hadn't expected her to answer the call.

For the past few days, she hadn't answered his calls or replied to his messages.

In the past, whenever she knew he was out entertaining clients, she would remind him several times not to drink too much, then ask for his location and wait for him outside with a hangover cure ready. More than once, she had waited an entire night for him.

But this time, it wasn't until today that, after completing all of his tedious work and checking his phone, he realized Piper hadn't reached out to him in days. The realization immediately made him feel as though something heavy was weighing on his chest.

He called her more than a dozen times, growing somewhat irritated in the process. Yet the moment he heard Piper's voice, some of the tension in him eased.

Although her tone was cold, the doctor had said pregnant women normally experienced stronger mood swings. She was probably just upset because he hadn't come home these past few days.

Harvey didn't like women clinging to him without any sense of propriety. Piper had always been good about that. She would sulk on her own without ever making a scene in front of him. Even if she made the unusual move of ignoring his calls for so long, she still couldn't resist missing him, right?

So, in a matter-of-fact tone, he said to her, "Cecilia is holding an art exhibition in a couple of days. She needs a painting that fits the season. Mom said the birch trees in our yard are beautiful, so she wants Cecilia to stay here. Have Irene prepare the room for her."

He gave the instructions as if they were the most natural thing in the world, so much so that Piper took a while to even formulate a response.

"Pip?" Harvey called softly.

He was used to Piper being talkative, so this kind of silence made him uncomfortable.

Piper snorted. "Sure. I'll have Irene move into the guest bedroom for a few days then."

Harvey didn't understand what she meant. "Huh?"

The house they stayed in at Aegean Heights wasn't a mansion by any means. Apart from the master bedroom and the study, there was only a small guest bedroom that didn't even get the sunlight.

"Irene's room has a window facing the trees. It's the best place to take in the scenery," Piper replied, her voice sounding perfectly innocent.

But Harvey frowned. How could they let Cecilia stay in the housekeeper's room?

Before he could say anything, Piper continued, "You two grew up together, and your mother treats her like a daughter. You've even told me you're closer than siblings. I'm sure Cecilia won't mind staying in the housekeeper's room for the sake of her work, right?"

She even added thoughtfully, "We're short on time, so I'll do my best to have Irene change the bedding for her."

This wasn't about the bedding at all!

Harvey knew that Piper wasn't the inconsiderate type. Even if she were upset, she wouldn't kid around like that.

Harvey patiently said, "Cecilia's parents are overseas. She came back alone with no one to rely on. We're the only people she has to count on. No matter how good the view is, we can't have her sleep in the housekeeper's room."

"The guest room doesn't have any windows, and the weather has been pretty chilly lately. What if she gets sick?" Piper said unhurriedly. "How about this? The maple trees at Ludlow Manor are also very evocative of the fall scenery, and the guest rooms there are spacious. She can choose whichever room she wants there."

"No." Harvey rejected it without a second thought, his tone so firm that Piper was somewhat surprised.

She sneered inwardly. Harvey and Cecilia had just gotten their marriage certificate yesterday, and they were now eager to move in together today. They'd even found the perfect excuse to chase her out.

Sure enough, Harvey said, "The master bedroom and the housekeeper's room face the same direction. The window is bigger, and there's more sunlight."

Piper suppressed her disgust and replied, "I don't know Cecilia all that well. It'll be awkward for us to share a room. Or are you saying that you and Cecilia are…"

She deliberately drew out the last few words.

Harvey's heart tightened. Perhaps because he had a guilty conscience, his voice rose sharply. "Why would I share a room with Cece?"

As much as he wanted to, in front of everyone else, it was Piper, not Cecilia, who was his wife.

A faint scoff seemed to come from the other end of the phone.

"I was going to say you should discuss it with Cecilia. What did you think I was going to say?"

The slightly mocking tone in Piper's voice sent a chill down Harvey's spine.

Just then, Molly Atkins, Harvey's mother, came over to tell him that the meal was ready.

Harvey covered the receiver and walked farther away before saying to Piper, "We'll talk about this later. I have to go now."

But Piper still heard Molly's voice through the phone. "Your father's out of town, so I called you and Cece over for a meal. Don't invite Piper. I lose my appetite just looking at her."

"Mom, I was only asking Piper to get the room ready for Cece. But she doesn't seem very willing to give up the bedroom."

When Harvey had agreed to Cecilia's request, he had subconsciously assumed Piper would go along with it.

Molly immediately flew into a rage. "Why would you need her agreement? You've indulged her enough. There has to be a limit."

The call ended, and Harvey stared at his phone screen, frowning. He didn't worry about whether Piper had heard what Molly said. Instead, his first thought was that she had never dropped his call before.

Piper was acting strangely today.

But when he thought about how he and Cecilia had spent several days practically inseparable at the hotel, and how Piper was afraid of the dark and had trouble sleeping alone at night, he finally felt a little guilty.

He decided to bring home some of Piper's favorite desserts later.

It wasn't a big deal. Piper was easy to appease.